6 interval training sessions to help you hit any race goal

In the theatre, intervals mean you get a tiny very expensive ice cream. In running, they’re not nearly as much fun but they are the secret to getting faster, fast. Going quicker over shorter distances, with spells for recovering in between, will boost your strength and overall fitness by pushing your body through stresses it would never reach in a regular training run. For the time poor, it’s also worth noting that after a 20-minute interval session you might feel like you’ve run for an hour.

Doing too many interval sessions isn’t a great idea though. You still need those easy miles for recovering and consolidating your fitness gains. But make them a regular part of your training week and you’re sure to see the benefits quickly.

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recent study What you do between hard intervals depends on the purpose of your workout less likely to get hurt than those who didn’t. Of course, this may also be linked to the higher mileage and experience level of the marathoners in the study – advanced runners tend to both do more intervals and have a lower injury risk – but there is also evidence that How to sprint: Your guide to faster running.

Provided that you sensibly build up your fitness first - beginner runners definitely shouldn't worry about intervals for a while - and that you allow plenty of time between hard workouts for your body to recover, then these short intense busts can help you become a more efficient runner.

There are, of course, an endless number of interval variations you can do, each with their own benefits - so feel free to tweak away. But whether you’re targeting a half or full marathon, your first (or fastest) 5K, or just the ability to run stronger or longer, here are the interval sessions that can get you there.

Your goal: To finish Who are the animal kingdoms top marathoners

Train like a pro Who are the animal kingdoms top marathoners. But if you can already comfortably complete an easy 5K, adding surges of speed via interval training will make a faster-than-usual pace come naturally on race day. Plus, mixing things up with a weekly speedy run adds fun to your training routine, says coach Rebekah Mayer.

The workout:

Try a fartlek run – the term means ‘speed play' in Swedish. After a 10-minute warm-up, choose a landmark between 30 seconds and three minutes ahead. Run at a comfortably tough pace – you should be able to speak only a word or two at a time – until you reach it. Jog slowly for the same amount of time to recover. Repeat for 10-15 minutes before a 10-minute cool-down.

Your goal: To nail a short race

One popular misconception is the running fast is more likely to cause 5K or 10K comes from the waste products that build up in your muscles when you pick up the pace, says running coach Jeff Gaudette. Intervals at these race paces train your body to process these substances while also increasing the rate at which oxygen travels to your muscles, allowing you to run faster for longer. ‘You’re getting an opportunity to practise the pain, mental stress and fatigue that come with running at that pace,’ says coach Carl Leivers.

The workout:

After a 10-minute warm-up, run 12 x 400m repeats at your 5K pace (if that’s your goal distance), with 30 seconds of easy running in between. Targeting a 10K? Do 16 x 400m at 10K pace instead. The first few reps should feel relatively easy – the second half should be where it gets tough, says Gaudette.

Your goal: To build strength

Age and/or neglect can rob your muscles of their fast-twitch fibres, eventually sapping your speed, power and strength. Fortunately, you can fight back with short, super-fast running intervals. Summoning fast-twitch fibres to propel you at full tilt trains your brain to recruit them more quickly at any speed – while you might associate these fibres only with fast running, your body can also use them to keep you moving forward when slow-twitch fibres are fatigued, says Mayer. These workouts can even convert some flexible muscle fibres into the fastest-twitch type, says Gaudette, which results in a fluid, more efficient stride.

The workout:

After a long warm-up – two to four miles – run the following series of repeats as fast as you can without feeling out of control: 3 x 100m, 3 x 150m, 3 x 100m. Take two to three minutes of standing or walking rest to recover between each rep. As you sprint, focus on leaning forward slightly and pawing backward with your hamstrings and glutes. Supplement these workouts with two to three weekly strength sessions for your hips, core and glutes; Best winter running gear.

Your goal: To increase endurance

Intervals can boost your efficiency in ways that help you run longer than ever – whether you’re aiming to increase from 5K to 10K or all the way up to a half or full marathon. ‘The more efficient you can be, the less energy you’ll use to run a given pace,’ says Gaudette. ‘That allows you to potentially go a lot farther before you start to break down.’

The workout:

Who are the animal kingdoms top marathoners mile repeats at a comfortably challenging pace (you might be able to speak a few words, but not quote scenes from Shakespeare, says Gaudette). Recover by jogging for half the time the rep takes. Start with three miles or six half miles, and increase every two to three weeks until you’re logging five miles or 10 half miles of fast running.

Your goal: To increase your VO2 max

Your VO2 max, or your aerobic capacity, is the maximum amount of oxygen your body uses during running before it starts adding anaerobic energy consumption. If you have a running watch it probably gives you a rough idea of this magic number, but if you want to know what it feels like to be there you should try running at the fastest pace you can sustain for about 8 minutes. Interval sessions aimed at increasing VO2 max should be no less than 2 mins a rep, because you won’t hit your current max in anything shorter than that. 

The workout:

Your goal: To hit a specific marathon time

Even those dedicating their training to completing a marathon will benefit from shorter interval sessions, which will improve both running efficiency and VO2 max as well as adding much needed variety to those long training hours. In the likely event that you have a goal marathon time in mind, former Runner’s World journalist Bert Yasso came up with a famed routine, known as the Yasso 800s, that uses speed work on the track to get you to the finish line on time on race day.

The workout:

This one is very easy to remember. After a warm-up of more like 20 minutes, to keep building your weekly mileage, hit the track for 10 x 800m at a threshold (ie. just about sustainable) pace. If you’re going for, say, a 3hr 30mins marathon time, each 800 metres should take 3 minutes 30 seconds, with 3:30 walking or jogging in between. If it’s a 4hr marathon you’re after, do the 800m reps in 4 minutes exactly with 4 minute rests, and so on. 

What should I do in-between intervals?

Cross-country running: Everything you need to know…

Standing: this alleviates stress and impact between short, fast interval reps when you’re building speed and strength. Avoid dropping your hands to your knees, as this could cause light-headedness.

Walking: newer runners benefit most from walking between repeats of at least 400m – it brings your heart rate down but, crucially, keeps blood flowing to clear waste products.

Jogging: it keeps your heart rate elevated, extends the distance of your workout and simulates late-race fatigue. It is good recovery for most workouts carried out at less than all-out effort.