Do you want to run faster? Have you set a specific time goal for a running event or do you just want to increase your running pace? Then in this article I have a few simple but effective tips for you that you can use to achieve just that.

If you have just started  exercising, you can make rapid progress without much effort and make rapid progress. After a while, however, progress will slow down. If you want to increase your pace further in order to achieve your goal, then your running training needs a little more planning and precision.

Especially as a hobby or amateur runner, your training can be optimized with a few simple tricks so that you can quickly make further progress. I have put together the best tips in my opinion that will help you run faster.

Of course, if you are just about to start jogging, there is nothing wrong with   following some of the following tips directly in order to make rapid progress particularly effectively right from the start.

Have fun reading and implementing the tips in your running training! 🙂

Run faster Tip 1: run at intervals

In my opinion, one element that should not be missing in any running training plan is interval running. No other training method has the potential to give you such a boost in your running pace as interval running training. The secret lies in the controlled alternation between stress and recovery phases. As a result, you train your load limit again and again and thus raise it.

The stress phases are already above your anaerobic threshold, so that you are definitely approaching your limits. So you have to leave your comfort zone for effective interval training . However, you don’t always have to take it to the extreme with a Tabata interval .

By the way, in order to be able to increase your speed quickly and effectively, you should do so-called intensive interval training. The stress in the stress phases is high and at the same time the recovery phases are shorter. In preparation for my next half marathon, for example, I do the following interval training:

10 rounds of 60 seconds exercise + 30 seconds recovery

I always keep the speeds at the same level during a training session and try to increase them regularly in small steps.

Incidentally, this training method can be carried out particularly well on a treadmill. Here you have precise control over your running pace. This makes the short, precise changes and a targeted progression much easier than when running outdoors. However, the treadmill should definitely support a speed of 20 km / h so that you have some potential in the long term to challenge yourself in the stress phases. With most good gym tapes, that’s not a problem. If you want to get a treadmill for home, then you should make sure you get a decent treadmill

What I find particularly practical about interval runs is that I can do them wonderfully as my cardio unit after strength training .

Running faster Tip 2: Driving games

In principle, a simple variant of interval training that you can integrate wonderfully into your running training are so-called driving games. The precision that I like to use in interval training is not required here. Strictly speaking, it is not even wanted at all, because driving games should above all be fun. Driving games should have a positive training effect, i.e. help you run faster and at the same time combine your training with more fun running. I think that’s a great thing.

In the driving game, you specifically determine how long and how fast you run. For example, you can specify that you start walking faster at each bank until you get to the next bank. You can also start running as fast as you can at each sign until you can no longer. These are just a few examples of how you can playfully incorporate short phases at an increased pace into your running unit.

Increase running pace Tip 3: Increase runs

Another simple yet effective instrument with which you can enrich your running training and do something for your running pace are so-called increase runs. Incidentally, these are not to be confused with incline runs, in which you specifically integrate positive and negative inclines into your running training. 😉

Increase runs are about increasing your speed in a targeted manner over a short distance. You could say that progressive runs are short (intermediate) sprints with a run-up. Over a distance of approx. 80 to 100 meters or over a period of 20 to 30 seconds, you increase your pace from your normal continuous pace to a sprint in the last few seconds. Then you run comfortably again for 1 to 2 minutes and start the next increase run. You should repeat this at least five times.

By the way, you can do this wonderfully at the end of a (slow) endurance run and thus get a little more out of your training session.

Run faster Tip 4: improve your running technique

Good running technique is often underestimated when running, especially by beginners. In the case of experienced runners, on the other hand, it is more likely that they know how important good running technique is. Here, however, suboptimal elements have often crept into personal running technique over time.

Basically, I recommend doing sprints regularly for good running technique, doing a running ABC and making sure that you keep an upright posture while running. In order to make really positive leaps in your technique, I recommend that you do a technique training with a professional running coach every now and then if you want to run faster. This is the only way to reliably ensure that you develop a solid technique or unmask errors that have crept in.

Tip:  By the way, I would make sure that your running training also includes a video analysis with subsequent advice and a check-up after a few months. In my opinion, this is how you recognize a really good and hard-working running coach. 🙂

Increase running speed Tip 5: strength training

Strength training should always be a central part of your running training plan. Especially if your goal is to be able to run even faster, you should plan for regular strength training. This has a positive effect on your running performance as well as in terms of the prevention of injuries and complaints that can occur as a result of running.

Therefore, do intensive strength training for your leg and core muscles at least once a week, or better twice a week. You shouldn’t neglect complex basic exercises, such as squats and the deadlift, in a very targeted manner. This will help you to develop the necessary strength and stability.

Run faster Tip 6: lose weight

While some   want to lose weight by jogging , you can increase your running pace by losing weight.

Basically, if you are overweight, losing weight will help you run faster. How much that is actually effective cannot be answered without further ado. That depends very much on your body composition.

Although there are studies that linearly correlate a loss of body weight with an increase in running pace, this connection is not that easy to determine. At the same time, for example, an increase in muscle mass has a positive effect on your running performance. Both in combination also have a positive effect on your VO2 max (oxygen uptake ability). This, in turn, is also useful if you want to run faster.

So if you can do without a few pounds of body fat and want to become a faster runner, then I can only advise you to lose a few pounds and gain some muscle mass at the same time . This not only makes you faster, but also does something good for your joints.

Increase running speed Tip 7: Long, slow runs

Even if this may seem counter-intuitive at first, long, slow runs are an extremely important training element if you want to increase your running pace. Especially if you train for longer runs and want to complete the long distance faster, you should include long, slow runs in your training plan and do them regularly. Without a long, slow endurance run during the week, nothing works when preparing for long running events.

Endurance is always the basis for a higher speed on longer distances. If you have not created this basis sustainably, you will find it difficult to increase the speed on longer distances.

The right training range is the so-called basic endurance with a maximum pulse rate of 75-80% of your maximum heart rate. The primary aim here is  to extend your running distance in your marathon or half marathon training at this load level until you have reached the target distance  .

Your conclusion on running faster

As you can see, there are a few things you can do if you want to run faster. So if you haven’t been making progress with your running pace for some time, then there is no reason to despair. Just try one of the tips. A change in your training alone can often provide the necessary impetus to break through established patterns and move forward with your training.

Do not shoot yourself at one measure, but look for the combination of measures that fit well into your training program. Many things can be combined, so you don’t even need a separate training session to implement each tip.

Of course, you also have to overcome your inner weaker self in order to make these changes and change your habits sustainably  . Because even these increases in speed do not come overnight, but over time.

Otherwise, it won’t hurt you to take a break from training every now and then  . If you implement the tips and still make no progress, you may be overtraining and therefore not making any progress. I know some runners who, when preparing for a running event, think that  daily training  is what they need now. Three to four running units per week are absolutely sufficient to make solid progress.