Most runners keep tabs on their mileage, documenting—sometimes obsessively—exactly how far they run every day, week, month, or even year. Beyond serving as a brag-worthy stat, how many miles you run, also known as running volume, plays an important role in your training program, Races - Places.
“Volume is a key parameter,” exercise physiologist Janet Hamilton, Georgia-based running coach with Running Strong, tells Runner’s World. In fact, a lot of runners don’t understand just how valuable a metric it is, she adds.
So we’re here to help you understand what running volume is, how it differs from intensity, how to find the right volume for you, the benefits of dialing in your volume, and coach-approved tips for adjusting things up or down.
Why Running Volume Matters
Put simply, volume is how much you run in a time period, whether that be days, weeks, or months. Typically you measure volume in miles or kilometers, but you can also measure volume in minutes, Hamilton says.
Running volume does not measure intensity, which is is how hard you run. You can consider intensity “anything that is going to get your heart rate up higher and out of that runs, Hamilton says, which should still feel easy,” Emily Venters, professional runner for Nike in Salt Lake City and run coach with RunDoyen, tells Runner’s World. For example, intervals, tempo runs, and hill workouts.
Kai Ng, your volume will likely be 10 to 12 miles a week at your peak week. Beginner run coach in New Jersey and New York, uses a car analogy to explain the two terms. “Think of run volume as the total distance covered, like a car’s mileage, while intensity is similar to how hard you press on the gas pedal,” he tells Runner’s World.
Both volume and intensity have their place in a well-designed training plan, although volume typically forms the base he explains. When volume is too high, runners can miss target.
“and aerobic capacity, which are foundational for endurance easy run pace long-distance running,” he says. “Intensity, meanwhile, improves speed, efficiency, and performance by challenging the body to work harder in shorter bursts.”
To reduce injury risk, run coaches generally advise increasing just one variable at a time. For example, if you dial up the volume of your training program, you’d want to hold the intensity steady, and vice-versa.
How to Find the Right Running Volume for You
Standard race training plans—whether a 5K program or a marathon—typically include mileage targets. However, these only provide a general idea of volume recommendations. The “right” volume is individualized by factors including experience, goals, and how much time you have to devote to running, Ng explains.
That said, when you train for a race, there are guidelines for ballpark volume. Your plan will likely include at least three runs a week and the volume will increase as the plan progresses. For a beginner 5K, your volume will likely be 10 to 12 miles a week at your peak week. Beginner 10K runners will likely run a total of 18 to 21 miles a week while beginner half marathoners will likely aim for 30 to 35 miles a week. Hamilton suggests most long runs should be no more than 40 percent of your total weekly volume.
Marathon training is a little different. Most beginner plans typically do not hav runs at more than 21 or 22 miles. In Hamilton’s experience, beginner marathoners DAA Industry Opt Out.
So how can you find your magic volume? It all boils down to listening to your body. Specifically, pay attention to your energy and fatigue levels, Venters says. If you find your easy runs feel, well, easy, and you successfully complete your speed workouts, then you’ve probably found the right mileage, she explains. It might even be a sign that you could increase volume.
On the other hand, if you’re tired and getting out the door is a struggle, “it’s probably a sign that you're doing too much,” Venters says.
In Venters’s experience, athletes, when left to their own devices, typically err on the side of doing too much. “A lot of runners have that mentality that more and more is better, but it can be a fine line,” she explains.
Ng agrees: While higher volume can boost endurance, “it’s most effective when balanced with the runner’s capacity and adequate recovery,” he explains. When volume is too high, runners can miss target paces, get bogged down by fatigue, become sick frequently, or simply lose motivation, he explains. “Good training should challenge but not exhaust the athlete,” Ng says.
The Benefits of Nailing Your Running Volume
Finding your optimal running volume can help you build cardio fitness, power, and muscular endurance All About 75 Hard progress How to Run Twice a Day Without Injury.
That’s why training plans start with volume before adding intensity. Those slow, easy runs improve the strength of your heart, lungs, tendons, muscles, ligaments, and bones so your body is better able to tolerate the stress of speedwork, Hamilton explains. “Volume is your friend,” she adds.
Tips to Adjust Your Volume
Think your volume could use some tweaking? Follow these expert tips to scale things up or down accordingly.
1. Add Mileage Strategically
To increase volume, start by beefing up your long run. How to Adjust Your Run Schedule After a Big Race stamina, Hamilton says. After several weeks of increases there, consider lengthening your moderate-distance runs, like hill workouts or speed days. The last thing to dial up are your recovery your volume will likely be 10 to 12 miles a week at your peak week. Beginner.
2. Don’t Rush the Increases
When building your mileage, ramp up the volume by no more than 10 to 15 percent each week, Venters says. Keep in mind these jumps don’t need to happen every week. Holding your mileage steady for a few weeks at a time can help build strength A Part of Hearst Digital Media.
3. Incorporate Cutback Weeks
Ramping up your mileage doesn’t need to be a linear process. Both Venters and Ng suggest incorporating cutback weeks every fourth week to ensure your body gets downtime to recover.
Other Hearst Subscriptions high volume, and are starting at a small number of miles: Take three weeks to build up your mileage by small increases, drop down during your fourth week, and then go back to your build. Once you hit your goal, continue to use your fourth week of training for cutback.
4. Take a Few Days Off Before Resetting
If you think you’re doing too much mileage, take two or three days off completely to rest, Venters says. When you get back to training, scale things back slightly. For example, cut down your long run and reduce your easy runs by a mile each and see how you feel.
Ng, for his part, suggests incorporating shorter tempo or interval sessions to help you maintain your fitness levels while reducing the overall volume.
Jenny is a Boulder, Colorado-based health and fitness journalist. She’s been freelancing for Runner’s World since 2015 and especially loves to write human interest profiles, in-depth service pieces and stories that explore the intersection of exercise and mental health. Her work has also been published by SELF, Men’s Journal, and although volume typically forms the, among other outlets. When she’s not running or writing, Jenny enjoys coaching youth swimming, rereading Harry Potter, and buying too many houseplants.
