Track Speed Workouts

A speed workout program typically requires three types of training: intervals, fartlek and tempo runs. While variety in training sessions is crucial to improving speed, the duration and intensity of the sessions should increase step by step to avoid injuries.

  1. Intervals

    • An interval session consists of a succession of repetitive runs over set distances, ranging from 220 yards to a mile, with a short rest between runs. The interval distance depends on the runner's objective. To boost speed, the half lap on a standard track is an ideal short-distance drill. Two full laps condition the runner for 10K and under races. Used for marathon training, the mile length hones a runner's judgment of pace.

    Fartlek

    • Unlike an interval session, fartlek does not set distance or pace. Swedish for "speed play," fartlek requires surges of speed at varying distances. Some bursts can be as brief as 10 seconds or as long as three minutes. Between the speed runs, a runner slows to a recovery pace.

    Tempo Runs

    • In a tempo run, a runner maintains a fast pace throughout the entire run, which should approximate the distance of an upcoming race. Because the body is pushed to sustain an effort at or near its upper limit, it begins to grasp race economy.