How to run faster?

All kinds of people are involved in running. Some do it for the sake of surpassing oneself, in order to break a 10 km record or to complete a first marathon. Some just run for fun, without a performance goal. In both cases, being able to run faster (or at the same speed with less effort) is an advantage.

How can you run faster? This is the question that one recently published study.

What parameters allow us to run faster?

The three main factors that influence your ability to run fast are: your race economy, your VO2 Max and your endurance. To improve these different parameters, most training programs will offer a mix of the following types of training:

What types of training allow you to run faster?

The study published in 2019 analyzes the link between different types of training and the improvement of high performance athletes. In fact, researchers have tried to find what types of workouts are most likely to cause athletes to improve over a 7-year period.

So here are, in order, the types of training that caused the most improvement over the long term:

  1. Training performed at low intensity (r = 0,68)
  2. Fast continuous training (r = 0,58)
  3. Short interval training (r = 0,56)
  4. Long interval training (r = 0,22)
  5. Competitions (r = 0,03)

The R value is a statistical measure of the link between two parameters which varies between 1 and -1. An r which equals 1 implies two perfectly related variables while an r which equals 0 implies 2 completely unrelated variables. An r which would be equivalent to -1 would imply 2 variables which would be perfectly inversely related.

Note that in this study, this is a correlation and not proof of a cause and effect relationship. On the other hand, as this agrees with the results of other studies, one can probably think that the three types of training which allow the most improvement are:

  1. Training performed at low intensity;
  2. Fast continuous training;
  3. Short interval training.

Obviously the article leaves open several questions such as:

  • Is the same type of training distribution ideal for amateur athletes?
  • What is the good training volume for me?
  • How many interval sessions should athletes do?

It is in these questions that the beauty of training lies. There is no perfect answer, just an adequate answer for all of us!

Good training for all those who would like to run faster or with less effort!

author avatar
Daniel Riou General director
Managing Director of Challenge Group, Founder of Corporate Challenge and co-founder ofAltterre. I love anything related to physical activity and overall health. Holder of a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology from'Laval University Various trainings by The Runner's Clinic Emergence ProgramBeauce School of Entrepreneurship National Coaching Certification Program Level 2 in Badminton National Coaching Certification Program Level 1 in Weightlifting

7 thoughts on “How to run faster?”

  1. Hello. To add to this article, I recommend the book “Running at the right pace” by Jean-Yves Cloutier and Michel Gauthier. The trainings found there are based on this principle and the information is relevant for both beginners and more advanced. I have seen great improvements by following the proposed training programs.
    https://www.archambault.ca/livres/courir-au-bon-rythme/jean-yves-cloutier-michel-gauthier/9782923681627/?id=1151902&gclid=CjwKCAjwuvmHBhAxEiwAWAYj-EM1SHcH8Ty51RNzd9Qhzew_Xuj1Q3jmXQf9nsvkdFOrcc9JPGV5shoCrU8QAvD_BwE

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