How to Run Faster for Beginners: A Simple Training Guide
If you have recently started running, you may have already asked yourself the same question: How do I get faster?
At first, running faster seems straightforward. Just push harder, right?
Not quite.
If you try to run at your maximum effort every time you train, you will probably end up exhausted rather than faster. For beginners, improving running speed is usually about building a stronger aerobic base, learning to handle faster efforts, improving running economy, and giving the body enough time to adapt.
The good news is that you don't need an advanced training plan to start seeing progress.
A few simple changes to your weekly routine can make a noticeable difference.
How Do You Get Faster at Running?
Before worrying about your exact pace, it helps to understand what actually makes a runner faster.
Running performance is influenced by several factors, including:
- Aerobic fitness
- Running economy
- Muscular strength
- The ability to sustain a hard pace
- Training consistency
- Recovery
One important concept is running economy—essentially, how much oxygen and energy your body needs to maintain a particular running speed.
Two runners can have similar aerobic capacities but different performances because one may use energy more efficiently while running.
Research has found that strength training can improve running economy in trained runners, with systematic reviews reporting improvements of roughly 2–8% in some groups.
That means getting faster isn't simply about moving your legs more quickly.
It is about making the whole system more efficient.
1. Run Easy More Often
This sounds almost too simple, but it is one of the most useful things a beginner can do.
Not every run should be a speed workout.
Your easy runs should feel comfortable enough that you can hold a conversation. You may notice that your pace is considerably slower than the pace you would use in a 5K race.
That's normal.
Easy running allows you to build aerobic fitness while keeping fatigue relatively manageable. It also gives you the opportunity to accumulate training without constantly asking your body to perform at a high intensity.
What Should an Easy Run Feel Like?
Forget about chasing a particular pace at first.
Instead, pay attention to effort.
A useful target is around 3–4 out of 10 on a perceived-effort scale:
- Breathing is controlled
- You can speak in sentences
- Your legs feel relatively relaxed
- You finish feeling like you could continue
If your “easy” run leaves you completely exhausted, slow down.
It may feel strange initially, but learning to run slowly is actually an important part of learning to run faster.
2. Add Running Speed Workouts for Beginners
Once you are comfortable running regularly, you can introduce one faster workout each week.
You don't need to sprint.
A simple interval workout is enough to start.
Beginner Interval Workout
Try this:
Warm-up:
10 minutes of easy jogging
Main workout:
5 × 1 minute hard
2 minutes easy jogging or walking between repetitions
Cool-down:
5–10 minutes of easy jogging
The hard portions should feel challenging but controlled.
Think 7–8 out of 10, rather than 10 out of 10.
You should finish the workout tired but still feeling that you could have completed another repetition.
Research comparing interval and continuous endurance training has found improvements in running-related physiological measures from both approaches, although the results depend on factors such as training volume, workout structure, and the runner's fitness level.
For beginners, the important takeaway is simple:
Use speed training as a small part of your program, not the entire program.
3. Increase Your Running Distance Gradually
Another common beginner mistake is doing too much too soon.
Maybe you run 3 miles comfortably one week and decide to run 6 miles the next.
Your cardiovascular system might feel ready.
Your muscles, tendons, and joints may disagree.
Running is repetitive. Your body needs time to adapt to the mechanical stress of putting one foot in front of the other thousands of times during a workout.
Instead of dramatically increasing your training, make small changes.
For example, if you currently run three times per week, keep that frequency for a while and gradually increase the duration of one run.
You don't need to follow a rigid percentage rule every single week. Your progression should depend on your experience, recovery, and how your body feels.
A Simple Progression
You might move from:
Week 1: 25–30 minutes per run
Week 2: 30 minutes per run
Week 3: 30–35 minutes per run
Week 4: 30–35 minutes + one short speed session
The numbers are only an example.
The principle is what matters:
Progress gradually and avoid changing everything at once.
4. Strength Training Can Help You Run Faster
If your only training is running, adding strength work may be one of the easiest ways to improve your overall training.
You don't need to spend hours in the gym.
Two short sessions per week can be a good starting point.
Focus on movements that strengthen the muscles involved in running:
Lower-Body Exercises for Runners
- Squats
- Lunges
- Step-ups
- Glute bridges
- Calf raises
- Romanian deadlifts
You can also include simple core exercises such as planks and dead bugs.
Why does this matter?
Running requires you to repeatedly produce and absorb force. Stronger muscles can help you maintain your mechanics and produce force more effectively.
A systematic review of studies involving middle- and long-distance runners found that strength training was associated with improvements in running economy and several measures of running performance.
Another meta-analysis found that high-load resistance training and plyometric training can improve running economy in endurance runners.
This doesn't mean you need to lift extremely heavy weights.
It means that running faster isn't necessarily achieved by running more.
Sometimes, becoming a stronger athlete helps you become a better runner.
5. Improve Your Running Pace Without Racing Every Day
If your goal is to improve your running pace, resist the temptation to check your watch every few seconds.
Your pace naturally changes depending on:
- Weather
- Hills
- Sleep
- Stress
- Fatigue
- Nutrition
- Training load
A pace that feels easy on a cool morning may feel surprisingly difficult on a hot afternoon.
Instead of judging every run by your pace, look at trends over several weeks.
For example, perhaps you can eventually run the same pace while feeling less tired.
That is progress.
Or perhaps you can run 30 minutes continuously when you could only manage 20 minutes a month earlier.
That is also progress.
Use Effort Alongside Pace
For beginners, perceived effort can sometimes be more useful than a rigid pace target.
A simple framework:
Easy: 3–4/10
Moderate: 5–6/10
Hard: 7–8/10
Very hard: 9/10
All-out: 10/10
You don't need to spend much training time at 9–10/10.
In fact, beginners generally have plenty to gain from simply becoming more consistent with easy running and controlled speed work.
6. Try Strides to Learn Faster Running
Strides are another useful tool for beginners because they introduce speed without turning the session into a brutal workout.
After an easy run, find a flat stretch of approximately 60–100 meters.
Run smoothly and gradually accelerate until you reach a fast but relaxed pace. Then slow down and walk or jog until fully recovered.
Repeat 4–6 times.
The goal is smoothness, not exhaustion.
Think about:
- Relaxed shoulders
- Quick, light steps
- Good posture
- Controlled breathing
- Smooth acceleration
Strides can be especially useful if you are not yet ready for traditional interval workouts.
7. Give Your Body Time to Recover
Training creates the stimulus.
Recovery is when your body gets the opportunity to adapt.
If you stack hard workouts on top of one another, you may feel slower rather than faster.
A beginner's week might therefore include more recovery than expected.
A Simple 3-Day Running Schedule
Tuesday — Easy Run
30 minutes at a conversational pace.
Thursday — Speed Workout
10-minute warm-up
5 × 1 minute hard / 2 minutes easy
5–10-minute cool-down
Saturday — Longer Easy Run
35–45 minutes at an easy pace.
You could add strength training on Monday and Friday, leaving at least some separation between demanding sessions.
This isn't the only way to train.
It is simply a manageable starting point.
8. Don't Ignore Sleep and Nutrition
Training is only one part of improving performance.
If you consistently sleep poorly, eat too little, or never give yourself enough recovery time, harder workouts may not produce the results you expect.
You don't need a complicated diet.
Focus on the basics:
- Eat enough overall
- Include carbohydrates to support running
- Get adequate protein
- Stay hydrated
- Prioritize sleep
For recreational runners, consistency with these fundamentals is generally more useful than obsessing over supplements or complicated nutrition strategies.
9. How Long Does It Take to Get Faster at Running?
There is no universal timeline.
Some beginners notice improvements within a few weeks. Others need several months.
Your starting fitness, age, training history, body composition, sleep, training consistency, and previous athletic experience all influence how quickly you improve.
Don't expect your pace to improve every single week.
Instead, compare yourself over longer periods.
After 6–12 weeks, ask:
- Is my easy pace becoming faster?
- Can I run longer without stopping?
- Do intervals feel easier?
- Can I recover more quickly?
- Can I maintain good form when tired?
These are often better indicators of progress than one individual run.
Research on strength-training interventions also suggests that adaptations in running economy and performance generally require repeated training over multiple weeks rather than a handful of workouts.
Running rewards patience.
A Beginner's 8-Week Approach to Running Faster
If you want a simple framework, you can organize your training into three phases.
Weeks 1–2: Build Consistency
Run three times per week.
Keep almost everything easy.
Your priority is simply becoming comfortable with regular running.
Weeks 3–5: Introduce Speed
Continue with two easy runs and add one controlled interval workout each week.
You can also introduce 4–6 strides after an easy run.
Weeks 6–8: Build Capacity
Keep your easy running consistent and gradually make the speed workout slightly more challenging.
For example, you might progress from:
5 × 1 minute hard
to:
6 × 1 minute hard
or eventually:
4 × 2 minutes hard
You don't need to increase both the intensity and volume every week.
One small progression is enough.
The Biggest Mistake Beginners Make
If there is one mistake that repeatedly shows up among new runners, it is trying to prove fitness during every workout.
You don't need to prove anything.
A training run isn't a race.
The purpose of training is to create a stimulus that you can recover from and repeat.
If you run too hard today and cannot train properly for the next several days, today's impressive pace may not be helping your long-term progress.
A slightly slower workout that you can consistently repeat is often more valuable.
Final Thoughts: Getting Faster Takes Patience
Learning how to run faster for beginners doesn't require an extreme training plan.
Start with consistency.
Run easy enough to build your aerobic base. Add one controlled speed session each week. Include strength training. Increase your workload gradually. And most importantly, recover.
The science is fairly clear that running performance depends on much more than simply running at maximum speed. Aerobic fitness, running economy, strength, and the ability to sustain higher intensities all contribute to performance.
But you don't need to become an exercise scientist to apply the basics.
For now, remember four things:
Run easy.
Train fast occasionally.
Get stronger.
Be patient.
Do that consistently for several months, and the pace that once felt difficult may eventually become your comfortable pace.
And that's one of the best parts of becoming a runner: one day, you look at your watch and realize you're running faster without feeling like you're trying nearly as hard.
Scientific References
-
González-Mohíno, F., Santos-Concejero, J., Yustres, I., & González-Ravé, J. M. (2020). The Effects of Interval and Continuous Training on the Oxygen Cost of Running in Recreational Runners: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 50, 283–294.
-
Balsalobre-Fernández, C., Santos-Concejero, J., & Grivas, G. V. (2016). Effects of Strength Training on Running Economy in Highly Trained Runners: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis of Controlled Trials. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 30(8), 2361–2368.
-
Berryman, N. et al. (2018). Strength Training for Middle- and Long-Distance Running Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine.
-
Effects of Strength Training Programs in Middle- and Long-Distance Runners' Economy at Different Running Speeds: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis.
-
High-Intensity Interval Training and Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training Affect Running Economy in Endurance Runners: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
-
American College of Sports Medicine. Physical Activity Guidelines.