Speed Development for Distance Runners - StrengthRunning

Aug 13, 2025

Intro: This is a quick summary of Speed Development for Distance Runners from StrengthRunning. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the workout today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.

Key Points:

Speed development (maximal velocity) can dramatically boost race performance, even for marathon‑type runners.
You can improve speed on easy‑run days with strides and hill sprints; advanced runners can add track sprints, hammer reps, and short hill repeats.
Keep the work short and intense, with long recoveries to keep the focus on pure speed.

Workout Example:

Strides – 2‑3× per week after easy runs: 4‑6 strides, each 20‑30 seconds. Start at a jog, accelerate to ~95‑98 % max speed, hold 2 seconds, then coast to stop.
Hill Sprints – 1× per week: 6‑10 seconds all‑out uphill on a steep hill, walk back down, 90‑120 seconds recovery. 4‑6 reps.
Formal Speed Development – every 7‑10 days: 4 × 20‑meter sprints at max speed, 2 minutes walking recovery between reps.
Hammer Reps (advanced): during a regular interval workout (e.g., 5 × 1 km at 5K pace), make the 4th or 5th rep a max‑effort sprint, then return to normal pace for remaining reps.
Short Hill Reps – 30‑45 seconds at 3‑5 k race pace on a steep hill, 2‑3 minutes recovery. 4‑5 reps.

Closing Note: Try adding one of these speed‑focused drills this week—adjust the paces to match your own training in the Pacing app, and watch your speed rise! 🚀