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Eight Different Running Workouts - Why and How You Need to Do These Workouts

There are eight main types of running to know, and seven of them are workouts: tempo running, interval running, fartlek (a Swedish word meaning speed play, where fast and easy stretches are mixed freely), goal pace running, Billat's 4 x 5, Yasso 800s and strides. The eighth, easy running, is not a workout but the base of every training plan, and it should make up most of your mileage. Below: when a training run becomes a workout, how many workouts to do per week, and a why-and-how breakdown of each of the eight, with links to more detail.

If you want to run faster, you need to understand your running workouts — not just do them blindly.

Every type of running stresses your body in a different way. Different speeds, different body systems — and each one adapted differently as a result.

So, to get better, you need two things:

a) Understand why you do different workouts.
b) Actually do them. :)

One note on the count: of the eight types of running below, seven are workouts and the first — easy running — is not. I've included it on purpose. Easy running is the basis of everything else in a training plan. It should make up the bulk of your mileage, so it is where every training plan starts and where I'd like you to start here too.

Also have a look at this video, which explains why we do different types of workouts:



Check out the breakdown below — and click the links for more detail on each workout.

When Does A Training Run Become a Workout?

Workouts are any runs that include faster running. That can be structured — run faster for a set time or distance — or unstructured, like sprinting from one letterbox to the next.

I'm starting this page with easy running, which is not a workout. But because it should make up about 70–90% of your running, it makes sense to start there.

How Many Workouts Should You Do Per Week?

With the bulk of your running being easy running, a natural question is: how many runs per week should include faster running? I'll keep my answer as short as possible.

The number of workouts you do in a week is generally 1 or 2 — but can sometimes be 0, and occasionally as high as 3.

When would you do 0 workouts per week?
When you are new to running, or in a period of pure base building made up entirely of easy running, then 0 workouts per week is right. That said, pure base building can feel a little dull — so most of us build in a tempo run here and there to break it up.

When would you do 3 workouts per week?
Let's be direct: three workouts is a lot. I'd only recommend it for more advanced runners who run 5 or 6 days per week — and even then, only within a structured programme where most weeks contain just 1 or 2 workouts.

That said, if we define workouts as any running that is faster, an advanced runner's week could look like this:

Mon: Easy
Tue: Workout 1: Tempo Run
Wed: Easy
Thu: Workout 2: Intervals
Fri: Easy
Sat: Easy
Sun: Workout 3: Long Run with part of the run at Goal Pace

This is a tough week — the kind you might see during marathon or half marathon training. Variations are possible, but you get the idea. That is one way to reach three workouts in a week.

No single rule applies to every runner. But my advice is clear: don't go to three workouts if your weekly load is fewer than 5 or 6 days of running. More easy running will serve you better than more fast running.

When would you do 1 or 2 workouts?
In almost any other circumstance not described above.

Now, let's get into the workouts themselves.

Running Non-Workout #1: Easy Running - Building Your Base

As I mentioned, we start with a non-workout: easy running. Easy running is the foundation of your running. Think of it like the foundations of a building — the quality of everything above depends on what's below.

A flaw in the foundations of a building? Cracks appear. Eventually, it comes down.

The same applies to your running. Without a solid base, speedy legs are nearly useless. Being fast matters — but in middle and long distance running, you need to be fast for a sustained period of time. Without base building, you will be out of breath within minutes and forced to slow down or stop.

Easy running gives you the depth your training needs. Build your base before you build your speed.

Click on the link to learn more:

Base Training for Runners - The Foundation of Your Running.

Running Workout #2: Tempo Running

Tempo running is a brilliant way to train both your body and your mind for race day.

Base building via easy running is the absolute number one priority. Tempo running follows closely behind.

Tempo running pace is traditionally defined as the pace you can sustain for one hour — steady, and somewhat uncomfortable. For faster runners it sits close to half marathon pace. For middle-of-the-pack runners, it aligns more with 15k pace. For slower runners, it is closer to 10k pace.

As we learn more about how elite runners train — whether the Kenyans or the Norwegians — tempo running consistently features as a central part of their programmes.

A tempo run trains your body to move at a constant, reasonably fast pace for an extended period. Tempo running is also known as lactate threshold pace — you run just below the point at which lactic acid builds up significantly in your legs. The trick is that this pace trains your body to clear lactic acid more efficiently.

Click on the link to learn more:

Tempo Running - Reasons Why We Do It and Top Tempo Workouts Explained

Running Workout #3: Interval running

Interval running is running at anaerobic pace. Interval running is taxing — but it delivers real results, so I'd recommend you include it in your programme.

The main purpose of interval runs is to raise the ceiling on how much oxygen your body can use. At high speed, your heart works harder — pumping more oxygenated blood to your muscles. Your muscles also adapt, getting better at using that oxygen to keep functioning well.

Before you start doing intervals, I'd recommend that you can already run at easy pace for at least 45 minutes to an hour.

I make that recommendation to underline how important easy running and tempo running are. Without a strong foundation, intervals simply cannot do as much for you.

Interval sessions are hard, taxing sessions. Too many in a single week leaves no room for other demanding workouts — long runs, lactate threshold runs — in your schedule. I'd always recommend a maximum of one interval session per week.

Not sure which type of interval session fits your current training phase? I've broken that down for you in choosing the right interval workout for your training phase.

Click on the link to learn more:

Interval Running - The Workout You Love and Hate

Running Workout #4: Fartlek

Fartlek is a sensible introduction to speed work for beginners.

The principle is straightforward: you head out, warm up, and run at varying speeds for varying periods of time.

You finish with an easy-paced cool-down.

There are several ways to approach it — and every fartlek session is different. One example: run 5-4-3-2-1 minute efforts with 2 minutes of floating in between. Floating means keeping up a moderate speed — no recovery jog, no walking.

You can also make it far more free-flowing, speeding up and floating whenever you feel it is right.

It is an excellent way to build up a feel for speed work.

Click on the link to learn more. On that page I've also included a special workout from Australian long distance runner Steve Moneghetti:

Fartlek Workouts -- Speed Play for Beginners (and the Advanced!)

Running Workout #5: Goal Pace Running

Goal pace running is a key workout when you are seriously working towards an important race. It is focused entirely on race pace itself.

Doing goal pace running will prepare you for a tough race day — and give you a clear, honest indication of whether your goal is attainable.

Click on the link to learn more:

Key to Success :: Goal Pace Running

Running Workout #6: Billat's 4 x 5

Veronique Billat is an expert on improving running performance. She ran for the French university cross-country team herself, has coached elite runners, and is a renowned exercise physiologist.



Her lab studies of intermittent running at the speed that elicits VO2 max, published in journals including the European Journal of Applied Physiology and Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, are why her workouts became popular. The 4 x 5 workout targets maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) — the same function as interval running. This is the most oxygen your body can use per minute. A higher VO2 max helps you run faster, though it is only one piece of the puzzle.

The session is straightforward. Run four times for five minutes with a 2.5-minute recovery jog in between — at a pace between tempo and interval pace, which normally sits close to 5k race speed. It is a tough workout. Worth every second of it.

Click on the link to learn more:

Special Running Workouts: Billat's Four by Five and the Thirty-Thirty

Running Workout #7: Yasso 800

The Yasso 800 is named after Bart Yasso, a Runner's World editor — and it has gained considerable popularity over recent years. During marathon training, you build up your 800-metre repeats each week, starting from around four and progressing to ten. Your goal is to run each repeat at a consistent pace.

The time you run each 800 metres in minutes predicts how fast you can run your marathon in hours. Run your Yasso 800s at 3:30 per 800 metres — with a 3:30-minute recovery jog in between — and your predicted marathon time is 3 hours 30 minutes. Run them at 2:50 per 800 metres — recovery jog of 2:50 minutes — and your predicted marathon time is 2 hours 50 minutes.

The Yasso 800 is a solid workout, though its predictive accuracy has its limits.

Click on the link to learn more:

Yasso 800 :: The Marathon Pace Workout with a Twist

Running Workout #8: Running Strides

Do strides count as a workout? I'm going to say yes — and include them here. Not enough runners do them consistently. They matter. And because you do them at higher speed, I'm calling them a workout for the purposes of this page.


Strides are a relatively easy way to build running speed. Many runners have discovered that adding a few strides to their easy runs makes a real difference. Strides are short efforts of 60 to 100 metres — you pick up the pace considerably, but it is not an all-out sprint. Fast, but controlled.

For long distance runners who log a lot of easy miles, strides are essential. They remind your legs how to move quickly — simple as that.

Strides improve your running economy — essentially, the amount of energy you use while running. The less energy you burn per stride, the longer you can go.

There is another reason to do strides: at the end of a race, you need to find another gear and pick up the pace. Strides train exactly that.

Click on the link to learn more:

Why Running Strides Makes You Faster


That is a basic overview of the workouts — and the one non-workout — that should feature in your training.

There are all kinds of variations you can layer on top. A few worth mentioning:

You can combine tempos and intervals into one session. For example: 20 minutes tempo, followed by 10 x 1-minute intervals.

Progressive long runs or long runs with a faster finish. Start easy and go progressively faster as the run goes on — or build in a fast finish, such as a 15-mile long run with the last 3 miles at tempo pace.

Most variations ultimately come back to the workouts described on this page. They are the building blocks.

Workouts are the more exciting part of your programme — I won't pretend otherwise. And done properly, as part of a complete training plan, they will take your performance to another level. But never lose sight of this: easy running remains the most important part of your training. Without a strong base, all the fast workouts in the world can only do so much.

To work out the race pace for your workouts, enter a recent race result into my race conversion calculator and see what time it predicts at the distance you are training for.

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