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Most runners eventually reach a point where their pace stops improving. That plateau can feel frustrating, but it usually means your body has fully adapted to your current routine. If you want to move past it, a few smart adjustments can help you build more speed and show up stronger on race day.
Use these tips to safely push your pace and work toward your next personal best.
1. Test out faster running
One of the first steps in running faster is simply learning what “faster” feels like. During an easy run, add short bursts where you deliberately pick up the pace, then return to your normal rhythm.
Expect to feel more winded than usual at first. Pay attention to your breathing and notice the difference between normal workout discomfort and sharp or worsening pain. If something hurts in a way that doesn’t feel right, back off.
Over time, these short efforts build mental stamina and physical comfort with running outside your usual pace zone, so harder workouts and races feel more familiar rather than intimidating.
2. Run more often
In many cases, increasing your weekly mileage helps boost speed by improving your aerobic base.
If you’re only running once a week, add two or three more days of running and spread them out through the week. Aim for at least two to three runs weekly if your goal is to get faster.
If the weather is rough, you can use a treadmill rather than skipping a session.
If you already run frequently, vary both distance and intensity—some days shorter and easier, some days longer or faster—to avoid overuse injuries and burnout.
Regular, consistent running is the foundation that makes speedwork and hard efforts more effective.
3. Do speed work
Speed work is one of the most direct ways to get faster. Structured intervals on a track or treadmill help you practice running at your target race pace or slightly faster.
Example: After a 5–10-minute warm-up, run 400-meter repeats at around your 5K race pace, alternated with one easy lap of jogging or walking. Start with two or three repeats and build up to five or six as your fitness improves.
These targeted efforts teach you how race pace feels, improve your ability to hold that pace, and train your body to clear fatigue more efficiently during recovery jogs.
4. Develop your anaerobic threshold with tempo runs
Your anaerobic threshold is the effort level where your body shifts from mostly aerobic energy production to more anaerobic work. Once you pass that point, fatigue builds quickly. Raising this threshold lets you hold faster paces for longer.
Tempo runs help. These are steady efforts at a “comfortably hard” pace—roughly your 10K race pace or a pace you could hold for about 45–60 minutes. You shouldn’t be chatting easily, but you also shouldn’t be gasping.
Example: Jog 5–10 minutes to warm up, then run 15–20 minutes at your tempo pace (about 10 seconds per mile slower than 10K pace, or effort-based if you don’t race), then cool down for another 5–10 minutes.
One tempo run per week is enough for most runners.
5. Practice fartleks
Fartlek, Swedish for “speed play,” is a flexible form of interval training that doesn’t require a track or precise measurements. It’s a simple way to add bursts of faster running to an everyday route.
Example: After warming up, pick a landmark—such as two lamp posts, a tree, or a street sign—and surge to it at a strong pace. Then run easy to another landmark and repeat. You can also use song choruses or mailbox counts as informal intervals.
These short, spontaneous pick-ups help you get comfortable with transitioning in and out of faster speeds, which is useful on varied terrain and in races where pace naturally shifts.
6. Incorporate hill training
Hill running builds leg strength, power, and efficiency, all of which contribute to faster flat running. It also trains your body to work hard while maintaining good mechanics.
Once you have a basic endurance base, add hill repeats once a week.
Example: Warm up for 10–15 minutes with easy running, then find a hill with a moderate slope about 100–200 meters long. Run up at a hard but sustainable effort, focus on driving your knees and keeping your posture tall, then walk or jog back down to recover.
Start with five or six repeats and add one each week, up to about ten. You can also combine hill segments with tempo sections for a more advanced workout.
7. Follow a structured training plan
If you’re not sure how to combine speedwork, long runs, and easy days, a simple training plan can keep you organized and prevent you from doing too much or too little of any one type of workout.
Choose a plan tailored to your goal distance—5K, 10K, half marathon, or marathon—and your current fitness level. Plans designed for specific races will include the right blend of speed sessions, tempo runs, long runs, and recovery days.
Target one race distance at a time. Using a 5K-specific plan when you want a faster 5K, for example, will usually produce better results than relying only on longer-distance training.
8. Work on your form
Efficient running form lets you use less energy at any given pace, which frees up more effort for speed. Small adjustments can make a noticeable difference:
- Relax your shoulders and avoid hunching.
- Let your arms swing naturally, close to your body, with elbows bent at about 90 degrees.
- Keep your torso tall but not rigid, and look ahead rather than down at your feet.
When your body moves smoothly and efficiently, you waste less energy fighting poor mechanics. That extra energy can go into maintaining a stronger pace, especially late in a run or race.
Related: 9 Drills That Instantly Improve Your Running Form
9. Improve stride turnover
Stride turnover, or cadence, is the number of steps you take per minute. Many newer runners have a slower turnover and compensate by overstriding, which can waste energy and increase impact.
To find your current turnover, run at a pace you could hold for about 3 miles and count how many times your right foot hits the ground in 30 seconds. Double that number for steps per minute on one side, or double again if you want total steps per minute.
Then practice increasing it: run for 30 seconds at your usual pace, jog a minute to recover, and repeat 30-second intervals where you focus on quick, light, short steps rather than long, heavy strides. Repeat several times, aiming for a slightly higher step count each round.
With practice, a quicker, more efficient turnover will start to feel natural during regular runs.
10. Do strength exercises and lift weights regularly
Strength training builds stronger muscles and connective tissues, which can improve running economy and help prevent injuries. Moreover, a strong core supports better posture, more efficient breathing, and smoother leg drive, all of which influence running speed.
Aim for at least one or two short strength sessions per week focusing on major muscle groups: legs, hips, core, and upper body. Squats, lunges, planks, deadlifts, step-ups, push-ups, and rowing movements are all useful. You can use bodyweight, dumbbells, or resistance bands depending on what you have available.
Even a short routine—5–10 minutes of focused strength exercises—can pay off when you’re trying to maintain pace late in a race or hard workout.
11. Cross-train to build balanced fitness
Stepping away from running a day or two each week and doing other activities can actually help you get faster in the long run.
Cycling, swimming, rowing, elliptical sessions, and classes like spin or functional training build cardiovascular fitness while stressing your body in slightly different ways. Cross-training can also improve flexibility, joint mobility, and mental freshness.
Using these sessions lets you maintain or even improve endurance while reducing repetitive impact, which helps you stay healthy enough to keep working on speed.
12. Let your body recover
Running hard every day won’t make you faster; it will most likely make you exhausted and more prone to injury. Rest and easy days are where your body adapts to training and gets stronger.
Plan at least one rest day per week with no running, and keep some days truly easy so your legs can absorb the harder workouts. Skipping recovery stalls progress and raises injury risk.
Also, aim for enough protein to repair and build muscle, carbohydrates (especially complex carbs) to fuel runs and speed sessions, and healthy fats to support joint health and hormone balance. If you’re unsure where to start, a sports-focused registered dietitian can help fine-tune your approach.
Fast runners tend to be well-rested runners. Sleep is when much of your physical repair, muscle rebuilding, and nervous-system recovery happens. Most adults do best with about 7–9 hours per night. Experiment within that range to find the amount that leaves you feeling alert and strong on your runs.
Eating and sleeping well can help you recover faster, feel stronger in workouts, and ultimately run faster.
Putting it all together
If your goal is to run faster and set new race PRs, you don’t need a complete overhaul of your training. Small, consistent changes—more frequent running, structured speedwork, supportive strength training, better recovery—add up over time.
With consistency, these strategies will help you break through plateaus and see your times start to move in the direction you want.
Listen to your body as you increase intensity. Any workout that causes sharp or unusual pain is a signal to stop and reassess. And if you have medical conditions or concerns, talk with your healthcare provider before significantly changing your routine.
