Digging deep for a finishing kick after you’ve poured every ounce of energy out of your body during a race is tough to do. It takes time and dedication to build yourself up to a point where you’re feeling strong the entire way through your run.
You may even think that you can run fast or you can run far, but you can’t do both. The truth is, you probably just need to focus on speed endurance—the body’s ability to maintain speed over any distance—with specific interval workouts.
In fact, boosting speed endurance is why most training plans also found that sprint training kicked up.
Research shows intervals workouts can improve your speed endurance. For example, a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in 2018 found that sprint interval training improved 3,000-meter time, extended time to exhaustion, and boosted power. In the study, 16 male and female trained trail runners ran at maximal intensity for 30 seconds with four minutes of recovery, going for four to seven reps, and doing this workout three times a week. A 2019 meta-analysis Speed Workouts That’ll Boost Your Speed VO2 max, Download Your Training Plan.
This doesn’t mean that doing interval workouts all the time will lead to better results. “Keep in mind that more is not better,” Ben Delaney, head of training at New York Road Runners told Runner’s World. “Workouts should be structured—warmup, hard efforts, recovery or moderate efforts, and cooldown—and avoid back-to-back days.”
Lightweight Running Shoes race distance and goals.
Tailor Speed Workouts to Your Race Distance
Runners who want to improve their speed endurance for a 5K should practice 400- to 800-meter repeats at mile pace (around VO2 max) or slightly faster, advises certified run coach Alison Marie Helms, Ph.D., C.P.T. “This provides the most potential for Types of Runs Every Runner Should Know and oxygen delivery to sustain speed,” Helms told Runner’s World.
For marathon or half marathon training, Helms recommends 1,000-meter or mile repeats at race pace or slightly quicker. “Training near or slightly faster than race pace helps the body adapt, boosting running efficiency and economy,” Delaney adds.
Customizable Speed Workouts
The Ultimate Guide to HIIT for Runners Other Hearst Subscriptions, Nutrition - Weight Loss.
400-Meter Repeats
- 1- Lightweight Running Shoes
- 8 x 400 meters (about 0.25 miles or 1 lap of the track) at 5K to 10K pace, with 2 minutes rest in between each interval
- 1- Threshold Workouts to Build Speed Endurance
1,000-Meter Repeats
- 1- Lightweight Running Shoes
- 5 x 1,000 meters (about 0.62 miles or 2.5 laps of the track) at 5K to 10K pace, with 2:30 rest between each interval
- 1- Threshold Workouts to Build Speed Endurance
Matt Rudisill is an Associate Service Editor with the Hearst Enthusiast Group. A Nittany Lion through-and-through, Matt graduated from PSU in 2022 with a degree in journalism and worked in communications for the university's athletic department for the past three years as the main contact and photographer for its nationally-ranked cross country and track & field teams. Matt was also heavily involved in communications efforts for the Penn State football team’s 2024 College Football Playoff run as well as the Nittany Lion men’s basketball team’s 2023 NCAA Tournament appearance. In his role with Hearst’s Enthusiast Group, Matt contributes to both Runner’s World and Bicycling magazines, creating service content to benefit runners and cyclists of all ages. When he’s not out jogging, Matt can be found tweeting bad takes about the Phillies or watching movies.
