Posted on March 20, 2015 by Jenny Cromack

I believe that becoming faster at running and improving your running speed is harder than improving your endurance to be able to run for longer. I don’t mean this from a physical point of view as we all have the capacity to get faster. I mean from a psychological point of view, let’s be honest, adding an extra 2 mins or 1/2 mile each time you go out for a run isn’t that much harder, BUT, running faster takes a lot more effort and can often put people off trying to improve their speed. I hate to say it though, without dedicating some time to improving your speed you will never get significantly faster so here are our top tips to improving your running speed.

1. Embrace The Hills – Hill training will make your legs stronger and faster on the flat. If you’re out for a regular run, turn this into a fartlek session where you sprint up every hill you reach and recover down hill, running at your normal pace on the flat. Or try our hill sprint programme which we blogged about earlier this week.

2. Interval Training – I am afraid you can’t get faster without including some intervals into your training plan. If you really shy away from doing intervals then do them with a friend to encourage and push each other!

I like using this interval session – Sprint x 1 min, turn around and sprint back x 1 min. You should reach the same point where you started. Rest x 1 min. Repeat x 5-6. Rest for 3 mins then repeat the sprints another 5-6 times. Each time you sprint you should aim to reach the same turning point and start/finish point.

3. Tempo Runs – Tempo runs are amazing for improving your speed as they push you out of your comfort zone and develop your lactic threshold. You need to improve your lactate threshold in order to improve your running speeds.

If you’re new to running tempo runs should be performed over shorter distances, try 4-5k first. If you’re unsure of your tempo pace check out this pace calculator on Runners World.

4. Get To The Track – Running tracks are not just for elite athletes, they are great for anyone wishing to improve their running speeds. Tracks are flat which means you can run at a fast pace, and everyone else there is normally there working on their speed too so there is a good vibe and sense of belonging! If you’re nervous of going to the track by yourself many running clubs will have a weekly track session so think about joining a running club.

5. Step In Time – For optimal running speed and economy you should be running at a cadence of around 180 steps per minute. The next time you go out for a run count how many times your right foot strikes the floor for 60 seconds, then double it and you will have your steps per minute.

If you’re not hitting 180spm try doing the following Fast Feet drill as part of your warm ups:

Fast Feet  – You need a 10m section of pavement. Use short, quick strides and take as many steps as you can in 10 meters. Keep contact with the ground as short as possible and your steps nice and light. Jog back. Repeat five times.

Include a tempo run, and some interval or hill sprints into your training and see your running times improve and smash your PB the next time you’re in a race. Enjoy!