The Dynamic Magic Of Running Diagonals

As a footballer in my younger days, our no-nonsense coach had us run laps of the pitch as part of our general conditioning.

Some days, we ran continuously to improve our endurance, but it usually consisted of a mix of slow running and some form of sprinting or full-gas running.

Sprints followed by short recovery periods were our staple, and we became a formidable team to play against.

The memories of this come back as I am finishing off my weekly diagonals session. The sport may be different, but the feeling of sprinting on the nicely cut grass brings it all back.

Let’s look at the diagonals training session, its benefits, and how best to incorporate it into your training plan.

What Are Diagonals?

Diagonals are a form of running that involves a mix of pure anaerobic sprints and aerobic recovery jogs. They are normally performed on a standard-size football pitch.

They have also been called Union Jacks. As the name suggests, you stride the diagonals from one corner to another and then use the widths as a recovery.

Kenyan runners are said to be very fond of this type of session and usually perform it on the mud/clay surface of the football pitch nestled within their running track.

The aim is to sprint from one corner of the football pitch to the other (1 diagonal), jog the width as a recovery, and then repeat.

This continues until the predetermined duration of the session is completed. The ability to run diagonals improves over time, and it takes a lot of experience before you can complete 20-30 minutes of this type of session.

The reason is that you will be running anaerobically during the diagonals, and with the associated buildup of lactate acid, your body will eventually run out of steam.

Elite runners aim for this duration because as professional athletes, they have conditioned their bodies over many years to cope with the intensity of this type of training session.

Why Are Diagonals An Important Part Of A Training Plan?

There are many benefits from diagonals sessions. Let’s look at the most significant ones.

• Help train your body to run anaerobically and reinforce good running technique.
• Develop the ability to switch from slow-twitch muscle fibers of aerobic running to the fast-twitch muscle fibers of anaerobic running.
• Improve your efficiency and running economy.
• Increase your ability to tolerate high levels of lactate acid.

Physiologically speaking, during the diagonal sprints or strides, you’ll work in the anaerobic zone, and your body will produce high lactate levels.

When lactate levels reach a point where they cannot be reabsorbed and used in energy generation, the chemical formula changes and it becomes lactic acid.

One benefit of repeated diagonal workouts is that they improve lactate tolerance. This allows you to run close to your maximal speed for a longer duration.

Changing from fast to slow running can develop an ability to handle surges in races, whereby you are able to increase the pace to pass another runner and then settle back into a steady rhythm.

In addition, diagonals are also a great way to improve your biomechanics and efficiency when running aerobically. By training your body to run at quicker paces, you’ll increase your ability to feel comfortable and in control while running at your training paces. 

Evidence suggests¹Quittmann, O. J., Foitschik, T., Vafa, R., Freitag, F. J., Sparmann, N., Nolte, S., & Abel, T. (2022). Is Maximal Lactate Accumulation Rate Promising for Improving 5000-m Prediction in Running? International Journal of Sports Medicine, 44(04), 268–279. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1958-3876 that those with a higher lactate tolerance are better able to produce a finishing kick at the end of races. Therefore, one benefit of these sessions is that you could find yourself in a position to win a race if you unleash a quick turn of pace!

Overall, diagonals offer a safe way to introduce a little speedwork into your training routine, with the added advantage of not putting the same stress on your body as running on a track would.

As they are run on soft grass, the impact on your body is lower, and therefore, you’ll be less likely to pick up niggles and injuries.

In addition, they don’t require the same recovery time that you would need post-high-intensity training sessions.

How Can I Build Diagonals Into My Training Plan?

The first question you need to ask is how familiar you are with anaerobic running. If you already incorporate some form of interval sessions into your weekly plan, then you can try replacing a diagonals session for one of these sessions.

Important considerations: if you aim at longer distances (marathons and half marathons), you can incorporate some strides after your training runs if you don’t have the time to fit in a full diagonals session.

Also, incorporating this type of training will be more important if you are looking to run shorter distances like 1500/3000m on the track.

We recommend you gradually build up the session duration, starting with 10 minutes and working up to a 30-minute over two months.

Remember, the main purpose is to improve running economy and lactate tolerance, so starting with a 30-minute session may jeopardize these goals.

The following are suggestions for the diagonals sequence based on current fitness and familiarity with anaerobic running and interval sessions:

By alternating between a stride and a sprint, you can gradually build into the session and withstand the initial 10-minute duration.

Tip: If you find that you are not recovering from the diagonals, then after jogging one width, jog one length of the pitch, too, and then start your next diagonal from the other corner.

Also, if you need to walk the widths to help you fully recover from the strides and diagonals, do that.

A 2014 study in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness²Devlin, J., Paton, B., Poole, L., Sun, W., Ferguson, C., Wilson, J., & Kemi, O. J. (2014). Blood lactate clearance after maximal exercise depends on active recovery intensity. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 54(3), 271–278. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24739289/ reported that active rest – which includes walking as well as jogging – is more effective at clearing lactate, a waste produced during intense exercise, from the blood.

This workout is similar to the novice runner but only adds a stride after you have completed three full diagonal sprints. Also, a runner at this level shouldn’t require the additional recovery of jogging one length of the football pitch.

A runner with a high level of fitness and used to running with high levels of lactic acid in their body should be able to perform a full diagonals session with no need to stride or add an additional recovery.

What Are Good Variations If You Can’t Fit Diagonals Into Your Training Plan?

Strides

As discussed above, strides are a great way to improve your running form. They can be performed after one of your normal easy runs when your muscles are warmed up.

Find a 50 to 100-meter stretch and start the stride easily, gradually accelerating to about 85% of your maximum speed. 

Repeat this stride five times or up to nine times if you are a more experienced runner. Remember to take as long a recovery between them as you need to ensure you maintain good running form.

Streetlamp Intervals

Emil Zatopek famously used the streetlamp posts as a means of running intervals. He would mix up his session by alternating between efforts of the distance between two lampposts with an equal jog recovery.

Then, as his fitness improved, he would run intervals of 3 lampposts and alternate between that and 2 and 1. A novel approach to work on change of paces and his ability to surge during races.

If you don’t have access to the football pitch, you can use your imagination and design your own system of diagonals. This will make it fun, and you’ll be more likely to repeat it.

Set a duration for yourself and alternate between different durations of the efforts followed by a jog recovery.

Barefoot Running

A few minutes of barefoot running at the end of a run, executed as strides on grass, is a wonderful way to strengthen your foot and calf muscles and help you land properly on your feet.

And, you will get a nice foot massage from running over soft grass and feeling the uneven ground under your feet. So, choose a nice place with grass or sand—free of stones or anything else that could hurt your feet—and have some fun.

So, regardless of your current running stage, a diagonals session can take you to the next level.

Remember never to strain when running diagonals. Instead, run fast while staying in control and focusing on good technique.

Try our recommended sessions above, and hopefully, you’ll see a newly improved running economy and the ability to run at faster paces.

For some more tough speedwork sessions, check out this next guide:

The 5 Best Hill Sprint Workouts For Explosive Speed

References

• 1
  Quittmann, O. J., Foitschik, T., Vafa, R., Freitag, F. J., Sparmann, N., Nolte, S., & Abel, T. (2022). Is Maximal Lactate Accumulation Rate Promising for Improving 5000-m Prediction in Running? International Journal of Sports Medicine, 44(04), 268–279. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1958-3876
• 2
  Devlin, J., Paton, B., Poole, L., Sun, W., Ferguson, C., Wilson, J., & Kemi, O. J. (2014). Blood lactate clearance after maximal exercise depends on active recovery intensity. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 54(3), 271–278. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24739289/