How to Become a Faster Runner
Becoming a Faster Runner: The No-Shortcuts Guide to Real Speed
Most people who want to run faster do one of two things: they either run themselves into the ground chasing pace, or they go down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos and end up more confused than when they started.
Neither works.
Here's what I've learned after 14 years of coaching: speed isn't just a physical thing. It's a skill. It's a habit. And it's built the same way every other good thing in life gets built: one honest session at a time.
Whether you're a complete beginner trying to break through 10-minute pace for your next 5k, or a seasoned runner trying to shave minutes off your half marathon, the truth is the same. Speed is available to you. But you have to earn it the right way.
Let's get into it.
Why Most Runners Never Get Faster
Before we talk about what to do, let's talk about what doesn't work.
Most runners plateau because they do the same thing over and over. Same route, same pace, same distance for years on end. They show up, which is great, but they never challenge the body in new ways. And a body that isn't challenged doesn't adapt.
You can't just run fast, and you can't just run slow. If you only run fast, you risk injury. If you only run slow, you never teach your body the mechanics of faster running. It's learning how to intelligently balance both.
The other trap? Overthinking the data. Heart rate monitors, GPS splits, VO2 max estimates… none of that matters if you're not showing up consistently. I see it all the time. People drowning in information, starving for a plan that actually fits their life.
Sound familiar?
Good. Because that's exactly what we're going to fix.
The Foundation: Run More, but Run Smart
Here's something that sounds almost too simple to be true: the number one way to become a better runner is to run consistently at an easy pace. Running fitness is built on the steady accumulation of easy running. It’s like small deposits into a bank account that add up over months and years.
That means before you add intervals, before you obsess over tempo workouts, before you do anything else, you need to be running regularly. At minimum, three times a week, with most of your miles at an easy, conversational pace.
What does "easy" mean? If you can't hold a conversation, you're going too hard. Simple.
Easy running builds your aerobic base, conditions your connective tissue, and teaches your body how to move efficiently over time. It's not glamorous, but neither is rebuilding from an injury because you pushed too hard too fast. I've been there. Trust me on this one.
As a general rule, increase your weekly mileage by no more than 10% each week to avoid injury. Patience here is a strategy. This has been a long time piece of advice, stemming back into the Jack Daniels coaching days, but it does work. With that also goes intensity, so keep that in mind.
Speed Work: The Part Everyone Wants to Skip To
Okay. You're running consistently. You've got a base. Now it's time to actually run fast.
Incorporating tempo runs and interval training into your training is a proven strategy to boost performance. Tempo runs involve running at a challenging but sustainable pace for a set distance or time, then jogging, then picking up the speed again (if you’re doing intervals; straight time otherwise), improving your ability to maintain a faster pace for longer.
These are not speed workouts though. Read that again.
Interval training uses shorter bursts of high-intensity effort followed by periods of rest, conditioning your body to handle faster speeds and recover more quickly. These can be done in Fartlek form, on the track or just a specific place in your neighborhood or local park.
These can be speed workouts, depending on your intensity chosen for that workout. A lot of times, though, these turn into VO2max workouts over speed. Hard, yes…but they aren’t speed in terms of “speed speed.”
This is the most important part of the article right here!
Real speed that I’m talking about (that isn’t just something faster than what you plan on racing at, especially you marathoners!), is everything from very short intervals, with long rest, all the way to sprinting. Sprinting is often forgotten in most people’s training. Especially if they’ve gotten older. A lot of people think sprinting is something for young people. If you can run, you need to start training this area of speed.
Lastly, the reference I just made on short fast intervals with long rest. Think like 4 x 200, or 6-8 reps depending on the pace and how long you’ve been training this area of your body. Start with the lower volume workouts and then add on as you go, relative to your other training variables and fatigue levels. Rest at least 90 seconds for most of these. Standing rest too. You want this to be SPEED. Not just hard running that makes you feel like it’s speed, just because it’s hard.
Start small. One quality session per week is enough when combined with easy running, especially for beginners. Most runners see meaningful improvements within 4 to 8 weeks, with significant changes after 12 to 16 weeks of consistent training.
Here are the three main types of speed work worth knowing:
Intervals: Short, hard efforts (think 400m to 1 mile repeats) with rest or easy jogging in between. These build raw speed and teach your body to handle discomfort.
Tempo Runs: Sustained efforts at a "comfortably hard" pace. Roughly the effort level you could hold for an hour in a race. These build your lactate threshold, which is your ability to run fast before your legs start screaming.
Fartlek: A Swedish word meaning "speed play." You mix surges of fast running with easy running in an unstructured way. It's one of my favorites because it keeps things honest without making every run feel like a test.
Speed: Again reread the above “most important part of the article.” Don’t afraid to use hills here too, but for speed, not just a hard workout.
The formula is simple: consistency + easy running + one quality workout per week + good recovery. That's it. That's the whole system. Everything else is fine-tuning. Eventually work up to one speed workout every other week and maybe upwards of one time per week, depending on your overall volume. Otherwise intervals and speed can be done both once a week. Or a tempo run and speed workout.
Fix Your Form: The Free Speed Most Runners Leave Behind
You can train hard and still be slow if your form is fighting you.
Running speed is a mathematical product of two things: stride length multiplied by stride frequency. If you can increase your power at push-off, you'll take more strides per minute at the same stride length, and you'll be faster.
Most recreational runners overstride without realizing it. That means their foot is landing out in front of their body on every step, which acts like a brake. Runners who overstride tend to lock their knees and slam their heels into the ground, slowing them down and creating a choppy, bouncy gait that puts extra pressure on muscles and bones.
The fix isn't complicated, but it takes awareness:
Land with your foot under your center of mass, not out in front
Lean slightly forward from the ankles, not the hips
Keep your arms at 90 degrees, swinging forward and back, not across your body
Relax your hands and face. Tension in your upper body wastes energy
Oh and do more speed work if I didn’t already make that clear. Speed, and most important sprinting, helps fix your form over time more than anything else.
On cadence: research shows that increasing your natural cadence by just 5-10% reduces impact loading by 10-20% without forcing an unnatural gait pattern. You don't need to chase some magic number. Just take slightly quicker, lighter steps and see how it feels. Cues like "quick feet" or "soft landing" can promote midfoot striking and better overall form.
Small changes here create big returns over miles and months.
Strength Training: The Thing Runners Keep Skipping
I know. You came here to run faster, not to lift weights. But this might be the single most underused tool in a runner's toolbox, outside of sprinting and real speed focused workouts.
The stronger your legs are, the more power they can generate, which translates into faster running. Strong runners waste less energy with every step. Strength really turns your fitness into free speed.
The research backs this up hard. A 2024-2025 umbrella review confirmed that strength training enhances key endurance determinants including economy, lactate threshold, and maximal aerobic speed. And importantly, these benefits are not limited to elite athletes. Recreational runners also demonstrate meaningful performance gains.
One study found a 6.9% improvement in running economy in well-trained triathletes after just 14 weeks of strength training twice per week. That's not marginal. That's real improvements with not that long of a commitment.
You don't need to become a powerlifter. Two sessions a week focused on the following is enough:
Squats and lunges: for leg strength and power and single-leg stability.
Deadlifts and hip hinges: for glute and hamstring strength (your engine).
Single-leg work: step-ups, Bulgarian split squats, because running is single-leg sport.
Core work: planks, dead bugs, anti-rotation to keep your form efficient as you fatigue.
Calf raises: your calves absorb and return enormous amounts of force with every step.
High-load strength training and plyometric work have both been shown to improve running economy, with plyometric training being particularly effective for building efficiency all around.
Box jumps, bounding drills, single-leg hops are simple examples of plyometrics (real bounding is hard though, so don’t forget that!). These teach your body to produce and absorb force quickly. That's exactly what faster running demands.
Variety: Stop Doing the Same Thing Forever
I'll say something that might ruffle a few feathers: doing only one thing over and over again is not a training philosophy. It's a habit dressed up as one. Or insanity. Pick your description.
I see it constantly. Runners who only run. Every day, same route, with roughly the same efforts. And then they wonder why they're stuck.
The body thrives on variety, challenge, and change. That applies to runners as much as anyone. Running on different terrain challenges your body in distinct ways and can make you a stronger, more versatile runner, while also making running more interesting and fun.
Hill repeats, for example, build leg strength and power without the high impact of flat speed work. Trails force your feet and hips to stabilize in ways the road never demands. Track workouts give you precise feedback on your pace.
Intentionally mix it up. Every type of running teaches your body something different. That variety is what makes you adaptable, which is what makes you fast over the long haul.
Most importantly, plan out your season and don’t just run whatever you feel like.
Recovery: Where the Gains Actually Happen
Here's something most people get backwards: you don't get faster during your runs. You get faster during recovery.
The training is just the stimulus. Sleep, nutrition, hydration, and rest days are where your body actually adapts.
Even a slight water loss of 2% of your body weight can negatively affect your stamina and make running harder. Start your day with water. It's a small act of discipline that signals you're serious about how you feel on and off the road.
On rest days, do something easy. Walk. Stretch. Foam roll. Do some mobility work. Switch up what you do on active recovery days to target different parts of your body. Rest doesn't mean collapse. It means strategic recovery so you can show up hard when it counts.
Sleep is non-negotiable. Your legs don't get stronger while you're awake. They get stronger at night, when your body repairs what the work broke down.
And food? Stop seeing every meal through shame. Fuel yourself like the athlete you're becoming. Carbohydrates aren't the enemy. They're your primary energy source for running. Protein is what rebuilds your muscle after every hard session. Eat with intention, not anxiety.
The Mental Side: Showing Up When It's Hard
Everything I've said above works, but only if you show up.
That's the piece nobody wants to talk about, but it's the whole game. Speed isn't built in a week or a month. It's built session after session, especially on the days when you didn't feel like going.
I went through a period in my life when everything fell apart. And what I learned during those years has shaped every conversation I've had as a coach since. Resilience isn't something you either have or don't. It's built through the small act of deciding to keep going, even when you're not sure it's working.
Running will test you the same way. There will be hard sessions. Bad weeks. Races that disappoint you. That's not a sign you're doing it wrong. It's a sign you're in it.
The fastest runners I've coached weren't always the most talented. They were the most consistent. They showed up in the rain. They showed up after bad days at work. They showed up when the plan felt hard. And over months, that consistency compounded into something real.
Mental preparation plays a crucial role in becoming a better, faster runner. Give yourself a small pep talk before hard sessions. Remind yourself why you started. Because the mindset you bring to the run shapes the result.
Putting It All Together: A Simple Weekly Framework
You don't need a complicated training plan to get faster. Here's a framework that works for most runners:
Monday: Easy run (30–45 min at conversational pace)
Tuesday: Strength training (lower body + core)
Wednesday: Speed work (intervals or tempo; one quality session)
Thursday: Easy run or rest
Friday: Strength training or mobility
Saturday: Long run (easy pace, longer distance)
Sunday: Full rest or light walk/stretch
Adjust for your schedule and your life. This is a framework, not a prison. The goal is sustainable progress, not perfect adherence.
How Long Before You See Results?
Real talk: most runners see meaningful improvements within 4 to 8 weeks, with significant changes after 12 to 16 weeks of consistent training.
That's three to four months of showing up. That's it. In the timeline of your entire life, that is nothing. But it feels long when you're in it, which is why most people quit before they get there.
Don't be like most people.
Final Word
Speed is not a gift. It's a result.
It's the result of running consistently, training intelligently, getting stronger, sleeping enough, eating well, and refusing to quit when progress feels slow.
I'm not here to sell you a magic program or a shortcut. There aren't any. And anyone telling you otherwise doesn't have your best interests at heart.
What I'm offering is simpler and harder than that: a commitment to the process.
Move well. Train smart. Rest hard. Show up again and again.
That's where the real change happens.
Being able to run is a gift though.
Coach Jeff