Becoming faster at running is a difficult task, but it’s not impossible. Here are some tips to help you be faster:
- Get a good pair of running shoes.
- Practice your form. It’s important to learn proper running technique so that you don’t injure yourself or tire out more quickly than necessary. If you’re not sure how to do this, ask a qualified trainer for help!
- Do strength training exercises to build up your leg muscles, because those muscles will help propel you forward when you run and strengthen themselves over time as well. A few examples of these exercises include squats, lunges, and calf raises—just make sure not to overdo it!
- Eat healthy foods that contain lots of protein so that your body has the nutrients it needs to build muscle mass and repair itself after workouts—especially if they’re intense ones like sprints or long distance runs where there’s more wear and tear on your body than usual (which is exactly what we’re trying to avoid here.
How To Become Faster At Running
One of the first steps to running faster is to learn what it feels like to pick up the pace. Start with short bursts of speed work and then return to your usual pace.
Keep in mind that increasing your speed might leave you more winded than usual at first, which is why it’s important to regulate your breathing.1
If your muscles start to fatigue, it’s important to notice the difference between discomfort and pain. If you’re experiencing the latter, you’ll need to slow down your pace.
Running outside your comfort zone may feel uncomfortable at first, but as you start to develop mental stamina and physical endurance, you’ll get accustomed to the sensations that arise when you pick up the pace and start to anticipate (and maybe even enjoy) the experience of running faster.
To get a sense of your current pace, use this pace calculator. Input your distance and time, and watch as your pace gradually starts to improve.
Calculate Your Pace
Enter any two values to calculate the third—your distance, time, or pace.
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Run More Often
In many cases, increasing your weekly mileage will help to increase your overall speed. If you usually run once a week but participate in workout classes most other days of the week, you may notice improvements in your pace if you swap a few of those workout days with running days.
If your goal is to increase your running pace, you should be running at least two or three days each week.
If you’re already running more often than that, vary the distance and intensity of your workouts to avoid injury or burnout.
Should You Run Every Day of the Week?
Work on Your Form
Proper running form can make you a more efficient runner, which will help you go faster.2
Making even minor adjustments to your posture and gait helps your body move with less exertion and more ease. The result is that you have more energy available to help fuel a faster running pace.2
Relax your shoulders and allow your arms to swing naturally as you run.
Count Your Strides
Counting your strides can help increase your stride turnover, which is the number of steps you take every minute you run. Doing so will help you run faster.
Run for about 30 seconds at a pace that you can sustain for three miles, and count each time your right foot hits the ground. Double the number to get your overall stride turnover rate.
Many runners target a turnover rate of about 180. This number is highly variable, but new runners generally tend to have a stride rate on the lower end. So you’ll likely get faster by simply improving your turnover rate.
Increase Stride Turnover
Start by running for 30 seconds at your current pace. Then jog for a minute to recover and run for 30 seconds again, trying to increase the count.
Focus on taking quick, light, short steps—as if you’re stepping on hot coals. Repeat five to eight times, trying to increase your rate each time. Eventually, a faster turnover rate will feel natural during your longer runs.
Develop Your Anaerobic Threshold
The anaerobic threshold is the exertion at which your body switches from aerobic metabolism to anaerobic metabolism. Your ability to maintain effort while using anaerobic systems is limited.3 By improving your fitness, you won’t hit this point as quickly.
Tempo runs, or runs at a slightly slower pace than you’d typically use, can help develop your anaerobic threshold,4 which is critical for running faster. Many fast runners schedule at least one tempo run each week.
Your tempo run pace should feel “comfortably hard,” similar to a 10K race pace. You shouldn’t be running so slow that you could carry on a conversation, but you shouldn’t be gasping for air.
How to Tempo Run
To do a tempo run, start with five to 10 minutes of running at an easy pace, then continue with 15 to 20 minutes of running at about 10 seconds slower per mile than your 10K pace (or a pace you could sustain for 6 miles). Finish with a five- to 10-minute cool-down.
Do Speed Work
Not surprisingly, speed work is one of the most effective ways to improve your pace. This is because speed exercises are designed to help you move faster. One way to do speed workouts is to practice structured intervals.
For example, run 400-meter repeats on a track. After a warm-up of five to 10 minutes, alternate between running a 400-meter lap at a 5K race pace and jogging one slow, easy recovery lap.
Start with two or three 400-meter repeats (with a recovery lap in between each one), and work your way up to five or six. If you plan to run a race, it helps to run at the specific pace that you’ll be running during your next event.
Try doing this or another speed workout once a week. Use a track or treadmill so you can accurately measure distances in your intervals.
Practice Fartleks
Fartlek is a Swedish word that means “speed play.” fartleks are simple, quick bursts of speed that vary in distance.
You can use fartlek training if you don’t have access to a track or another measured space to run specific intervals. Use lamp posts or telephone poles to mark intervals if you’re running on the road.5
After warming up, try sprinting for two lamp posts, then recover for two, and keep repeating the pattern until you’ve covered a mile. These speed “pick-ups” help you learn how to get comfortable running faster.
If you like to listen to music while you run, sprint for the duration of the chorus of your favorite song. If you’re running in your neighborhood, sprint past 10 mailboxes, then recover for another 10.
Incorporate Hill Training
Running hills helps improve your running economy and efficiency,6 translating into faster running.
Hill repeats (repeatedly running up a hill and jogging or walking down) are a great way to help you run faster. Incorporate hill training into your running program after building an endurance base.
Once a week, start with a 10- to 15-minute warm-up of easy running. Find a hill with a moderate slope about 100 to 200 meters long. Run up the hill with a hard effort. Keep your effort consistent, and don’t let your running form fall apart. Recover by walking or jogging down the hill at an easy pace.
Start with five or six hill repeats and add one repeat to your training regimen each week, with a maximum of 10 repeats. You can also combine hill repeats with a tempo run.
Run on a Treadmill
While most runners prefer training on the open road, you can also use a treadmill to improve your speed. In general, treadmill running is easier than running outside.
On a mechanized treadmill, the belt moves on its own underneath your feet, so less effort is required from you. Also, there are no obstacles such as wind or variations in terrain to challenge you. You can, however, set your treadmill’s incline to between 1% and 2% to simulate such elements.
One benefit of using a treadmill is that you can train yourself to turn your legs over quickly with greater ease. This will help you to transfer the skill to your outdoor runs. Also, treadmills allow you to structure interval runs and hill runs with more precision.
Let Your Body Recover
Don’t assume that running hard every day will make you faster. Rest is critical to your recovery and injury prevention efforts. You may find that you run more quickly when you take at least one day off each week.
You can still participate in physical activity on your recovery days, but keep it easy and enjoyable. Your brain can benefit from a break from high-intensity activities, improving your emotional health.7
Your muscles build and repair themselves during your rest days. If you run every day without taking days off, you won’t see much improvement.
Why Athletes Need Rest and Recovery After Exercise
Follow a Training Plan
If it feels overwhelming to think about scheduling different speed- and endurance-boosting running workouts, a simple training plan can help you stay organized and focused.
Choose a plan that targets the specific distance you want to train for. For example, if you want to run a faster 5K, use a training plan specifically designed for that distance. You’ll also find plenty of training plans for longer distances, but you should only target one race at a time, starting with shorter races first.
Although training for a half marathon or a full marathon will prepare you to go the distance of a 5K, they won’t include 5K-specific speedwork. By following a training schedule specific to a designated race, you’ll be more likely to get results.
Consider Your Weight
Runners who are overweight may improve their speed by losing weight. Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to lose weight, especially if you are content with your size and your doctor has not advised you of any potential health concerns.
Consult a physician before undertaking a weight loss plan. Your doctor can help you determine how much weight you should lose, if any, and what methods are safe for you to use.
Improve Your Eating Habits
Research shows that improving your nutrition may also help increase your running speed.8 Both macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) and calorie intake are important.
Be sure you are consuming enough protein to build stronger muscles and the correct number of complex carbohydrates to provide adequate fuel for challenging workouts. It’s also vital to eat the right kind of fat to maintain healthy joints.
Evaluate your caloric intake and your macronutrient balance and see how it compares to recommended intakes for a balanced diet. Eliminate foods that don’t provide good nutrition.
Consider investing in a session with a registered dietitian specializing in sports performance to ensure you are getting the macro-and micronutrients you need.8
Limit empty-calorie foods (candy, sweetened sodas or tea, starchy fried snacks, baked goods, and other heavily processed foods) and build healthy, balanced meals around nutrient-dense foods such as lean proteins, leafy greens, whole grains, and healthy fats.
What to Eat Before, During, and After You Run
Wear Lightweight Running Gear
Some running gear adds excess bulk and weight, which could slow down your pace and hinder your performance. Invest in running gear made out of lightweight fabrics and materials. Also, consider getting a pair of lighter, faster running shoes6 (unless your feet benefit from additional support).
Of course, there is some gear you don’t want to run without, especially on long runs. Things such as a cell phone to call for help if you need it and water to stay hydrated on a hot day are often non-negotiable. Your health and safety are more important than improving your running time.
Stretch Regularly
Inflexible joints can hinder a faster running pace.9 You’re not likely to move efficiently when your body has a limited range of motion. Tight muscles can also make you more susceptible to injury.10 If an injury sidelines you, your pace will probably pay the price until you recover.
Try to stretch after every run. Spending five to 10 minutes after your runs doing simple calf, hip flexor, and quadriceps stretches will help keep your body functioning optimally.
Essential Stretches to Do After You Run
Strengthen Your Core
Believe it or not, the strength of your core muscles can affect your running pace. Stronger abdominals improve your running posture for more efficient breathing and free up your legs to work harder.11
So to get faster, add core exercises to your exercise routine. Practice doing planks, and work up to being able to hold them for one minute or more.12 Or add abdominal curls, bicycle crunches, or basic bridges to the end of your runs.
Prioritize Sleep
Fast runners are often well-rested runners. So, one of the smartest ways to improve your running performance is to get enough shut-eye.
The National Sleep Foundation recommends that most healthy adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep per night.13 Experiment with this range to determine the best amount of sleep for you.
To maximize your sleeping time, practice smart sleep hygiene.14 Try to go to bed at the same time each night. Make your bedroom a device-free zone by keeping electronics in another room and decreasing the temperature slightly to get a better night’s rest.
