Kenyan Hills Tempo
Workout - Kenyan Hills Tempo
- 10min @ 6'00''/km
- 2 lots of:
- 15min @ 4'30''/km
- 2min rest
- 10min @ 7'00''/km
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The Running Channel covers How To Run Kenyan Hills in their video. The essential takeaways are below so you can put this into practice right away. Watch the full video for context and coaching cues.
Key points
- Kenyan Hills are a tempo-style workout, not traditional hill repeats. You run a continuous loop with varied terrain, holding consistent effort across uphill, downhill, and flat sections.
- Any loop works. 400 m to 1 mile is typical. Repeat it for a set duration or distance.
- Target around 90% of max heart rate (threshold) for the whole session. Descents may bring HR down slightly, but you stay well above recovery levels.
- The workout builds leg strength, toughens connective tissue, and improves aerobic capacity with less pounding than short, hard repeats.
- Scouting your loop and bringing a partner adds structure and accountability.
Workout example
- Warm-up: 10–15 minutes easy to the loop.
- Main set: 30 minutes of steady running on the loop (or two 15-minute blocks split by 2 minutes of easy jogging). Effort should feel the same climbing, descending, or on flat ground.
- Cool-down: 5–10 minutes easy.
- Adaptation: Short on time? Use a shorter loop for 20 minutes. Have more capacity? Extend or add another round.
Next steps: Try this workout, scaling loop distance and total time to your fitness, and use the Pacing app to set effort against your HR bands.
References
- How To Run Kenyan Hills - YouTube (YouTube Video)