Whether you’re training for a marathon or trying to beat your personal best in your weekly Parkrun, there’s something gratifying about increasing your average running speed as you progress. Many people are under the impression that to improve running speed, you’ll need to run more frequently. Whilst this is a good starting point, this tactic ought to be paired with a structured training regime and some additional tips to help get your legs moving without fatiguing too early.
In this blog, we’ll take you through some of the best ways that you can increase your speed so that you can beat those PB’s and work towards a speedier overall average. Keep reading as we discuss these tips and offer running shoe recommendations to help you pick up the pace.
Tips for running faster
Running faster isn’t simply a matter of just doing so, if you go out on your runs and try out a new pace without structure you may find yourself short of breath, muscles fatigued, and you may have some discomfort or pain afterwards. As such it’s important that you do incorporate some structure to gradually increase your speed. If you want to test how it feels to run faster, make sure that you do this in short bursts before returning to your normal pace. With that being said, try incorporating the following tips into your routines for more sustained running.
Always warm up before your run
Whilst this one may seem obvious and somewhat cliche, it’s really important to warm up effectively and not skip straight to running. You should try to do a more intense warm up at a quicker pace when practising speed training as this will deliver more oxygen to the muscles and allow the body to adapt before you ask it to increase running pace.
Gradually build speed
You should practise running at faster speeds for shorter distances, running only a little bit faster than your current pace each time. You can do this in bursts of up to 400m on your run. Once you’ve mastered these short bursts, you can gradually work your way up to longer distances of 800m at a faster pace.
You will need to focus on increasing the distance by what you can maintain. For example, if you can only run 100m at a faster pace, stick to this before progressing and increasing the distance that you can run at your improved pace. It’s also advised that you incorporate some hill training, especially if your running event won’t be on flat ground. This will help you to maintain a more fluid running pace over different terrains.
Incorporate strength and plyometric training
Many who are new to running may not realise that core muscle strength can affect your running pace. This is because a stronger core can help improve your running posture and stamina which will also help you to breathe better, allowing your legs to work harder. Core shouldn’t be the only focus though, you should also strength train other parts of your body to help improve performance. Additionally, by engaging and training these muscles, you’ll reduce your risk of injury when running faster. Plyometric exercises are a good choice for runners, this includes exercises such as box jumps, burpees, and jump squats.
If you don’t have access to a gym, or you don’t like lifting weights, there are plenty of exercises you can do at home, and these strength training sessions only need to be short bursts a few times a week. Alternatively, you can opt to cross train which means that you could try different sports to accompany your running such as spin class, crossfit, or swimming.
Switch up your running playlist
The BPM of your music can have an effect on your performance. We’ve created a dedicated blog about the effects of BPM when running which goes into more detail, but to summarise the key points, some studies suggest that running to music with a high bpm can help improve your running speed, with runners showing an increase of between 4-8%.
Practise interval training or fartleks
Whilst both of these things are quite similar in terms of improving speed, there are some key differences. Fartlek (Swedish for ‘speed play’) is for being unpredictable, only doing what you can by playing with speed. If you don’t have a goal in mind, you can use anything to measure, and there doesn’t really need to be any structure. For example, you can use lamp posts to mark out where you want to increase your pace, or you can do a circular route and change your speed every time you finish a lap.
Interval training is calculated, planned and specific. You can plan these out yourself or you can find a workout that is best for you online. Regardless of which method you prefer, it’s best to incorporate some form of speed training into your runs.
Best running shoes for speed training
If you’re looking to increase your speed as much as you possibly can, we’d recommend using carbon plate running shoes. We have a dedicated guide to carbon plate running shoes which details how and why they work, as well as some shoe recommendations. However, to sum it up the midsole foam and carbon plate work together to create an underfoot performance with more spring which returns more energy back to the user when compared to a regular running shoe. They also help to improve forward momentum and propulsion, which can add to your running speed.
It should be noted though that this type of shoe does not share the lifespan of a regular running shoe, and it will lose this performance with increased usage. As such, it’s best to work on improving your speed using other techniques and reserve these shoes for running events, if carbon plate shoes are permitted.
With that being said, the two recommendations that we would suggest for improving speed would be the Endorphin Pro 4 and the Deviate Nitro Elite 3 running shoes which both feature a full-length carbon plate that can significantly improve propulsion. We’d suggest using these shoes in rotation with your regular running shoes on training days to improve speed as they are suitable for both tempo runs and race days. This will help you to get the feeling of running in these shoes and prepare you for your event.
 |
 |
| Endorphin Pro 4 | Deviate Nitro Elite 3 |
It may also be worthwhile investing in a running watch if you don’t already own one. For example, the Garmin Forerunner 165. This watch will accurately track your pace, distance, and heart rate to help you calculate your improvements and which speed you should be running at. This is the best way to see and track your progress as you continue training. You’ll be able to see how your workouts impact your fitness and understand the primary benefit achieved from your workout; whilst the recovery time lets you know how long you need to recover before your next run.
 |
| Garmin Forerunner 165 |
Improve your running speed with Start Fitness
Alongside these useful tips, it’s important to ensure that you’re properly equipped to run faster. That’s why we stock a wide range of running shoes designed for different types of gaits, as well as a selection of breathable and lightweight running clothing to make sure you get the most out of your run. Nutrition and hydration shouldn’t be forgotten either, so if you’re serious about improving your speed why not browse our range of water carriers, hydration gels, and nutritional snacks.