The primary purpose of track workouts for distance runners is to help develop your speed, comfort running faster, familiarity with race pace, and aerobic and anaerobic capacity., depending on the nature of the intervals you are running and the relative intensity.
But what are the best track workouts for distance runners?
In this article, we provide 5 great track workouts for distance runners to help you get faster and stronger as a runner. The workouts are modifiable for different fitness levels, allowing you to progress as you improve your condition.
We will cover:
- What Are Track Workouts?
- 5 Great Track Workouts For Distance Runners
Let’s dive in!
What Are Track Workouts?
Track workouts are speed workouts that take place on a standard running track so that you can run timed intervals at specific paces to improve your speed.
A standard outdoor running track is 400 meters, which is just under 1/4 of a mile, so there are just over four laps per mile.
An indoor running track is typically 200 meters, so there are just over eight laps per mile.
By having a controlled environment and set distance per lap, you can use a stopwatch to set pace goals and check periodically through the interval that you are running at the right pace.
This can be really helpful for runners who do not use a GPS running watch. It also helps train your sense of pacing so that you know what it feels like to run at different speeds, and you can condition your body to find what a 7-minute pace or 5:30 pace, etc., feels like.
There are lots of different formats for track workouts for distance runners, with intervals run at different race paces or intensity levels and with different distances or amounts of time permitted for recovery.
Some track workouts for distance runners include running intervals that are the same distance. These are called “repeats.“
For example, you might do a track workout that involves 6 x 800-meter repeats at your 5K race pace with a 200-meter jog recovery in between each one.
Ladder workouts for distance runners involve running intervals that increase or decrease in distance over the course of the workout.
For example, you might do a short ladder workout that involves one repeat of each of the following: 1600 meters, 1200 meters, 800 meters, 400 meters, and then 200 meters.
This is a descending ladder, and typically, you will run each subsequent interval at a slightly faster pace per mile because the distances are getting shorter.
Ascending ladders are more challenging because you start with the shortest distances and have to work your way up to longer intervals.
Another common structure for track workouts for distance runners is the pyramid workout.
This is essentially an ascending ladder followed by a descending ladder, with intervals increasing in length up to a maximum and then decreasing back down using the same distances.
The benefit of pyramid track workouts for distance runners is that they require a tremendous amount of mental toughness, and they train your body to pick up the pace even when you are fatigued. As you work your way back down the pyramid, you typically decrease the pace per lap.
So, for instance, you might work your way up the pyramid running a 5k race pace and work your way back down the pyramid intervals running a mile race pace for the last several intervals.
Aside from the actual intervals that you will run in a track workout for distance runners, there will also be a warm-up and cool-down that prepare your body for running fast and then help you flush out metabolic waste products to facilitate recovery.
5 Great Track Workouts For Distance Runners
There aren’t necessarily any rules when it comes to how to structure track workouts for distance runners, as even the term “distance runners” is quite broad.
Track workouts for someone training for a 5k might look pretty different than track workouts for marathon runners or anywhere in between.
With that said, all distance runners, regardless of the target race distance, can benefit from doing track workouts at VO2 max pace, 5k race pace, or even mile race pace to work on turnover, leg speed, and anaerobic and aerobic capacity, and to improve anaerobic threshold and VO2 max.
Here are some examples of the best track workouts for distance runners:
#1: 400-Meter Repeats
400-meter intervals are a staple track workout for distance runners training for anything from the mile to the marathon.
It is also one of the best track workouts for beginners because it is easier to focus your efforts on running hard for a single lap at a time rather than having to work on pacing yourself for multiple laps and staying focused, pushing through discomfort for longer intervals.
400 meters is one full lap of the track. When you run 400-meter repeats, you will typically take anywhere from 100 to a full 400-meter recovery, depending on the pace of the intervals you are running as well as your fitness level.
As you get fitter or when you run at a slower relative pace, you can truncate the recovery to 100 to 200 meters of active recovery, which means slow jogging before the next interval starts.
If you take a 200-meter recovery jog, you will begin every subsequent repeat on the opposite half of the track.
Here is an example of a 400-meter repeat track workout or distance runners:
- Warm up by running 1 to 2 miles easy, either to the track or on the track.
- Run 4-12 400 meters at 85% of max heart rate or max effort.
Beginners should start with 4 to 6 repetitions, taking a full 400 meters to jog slowly in between each hard repeat. Advanced runners can work up to 12 repetitions and can shorten the recovery to just 200 meters.
Cool down for 1 to 2 miles at an easy pace.
#2: 800-Meter Repeats
A similar workout to the 400-meter interval track workout for distance runners can be performed with 800 meters repeats.
800 meters is two full laps of an outdoor track.
Again, typically you will take 200 to 400 meters of recovery, depending on the relative intensity and fitness level.
Aim to run 4 to 8 repeats, depending on the distance that you are training for and your fitness level.
Try to run each repeat about 15 to 20 seconds per mile faster than your 5k race pace.
For example, if you can run a 5k in 22 minutes, your pace per mile in the 5k is just about 7 minutes per mile.
Therefore, you should strive to run the 800-meter intervals at a 6:40 pace, which works out to 3:20 per repeat or 1:50 per lap.
#3: Pyramid Track Workout for Distance Runners
A good example of a pyramid track workout for distance runners would be something like 600 meters, 800 meters, 1000 meters, 1200 meters, 1600 meters, 1200 meters, 1000 meters, 800 meters, 600 meters, and 400 meters.
Run each interval at your 5k race pace, and take 200-400 meters for recovery in between each one.
Warm-up and cool down with 1 to 2 miles of easy running.
#4: Ascending Ladder Workout for Distance Runners
An advanced ascending ladder workout for distance runners might involve 2 x 400 meters, 2 x 800 meters, 2 x 1000 meters, 2 x 1600 meters, and then 1 x 2000 meters.
The goal might be to run all of your intervals at 5k race pace or faster, or if it is a VO2 max pace interval workout, you will run all of the intervals at your VO2 max pace.
Warm-up and cool down with 1 to 2 miles of easy running.
#5: Descending Ladder Track Workout for Distance Runners
This is a challenging track workout for distance runners training for a 10k, half marathon, or marathon.
- Warm up with 1 to 2 miles of easy running
- Run 3200 meters (8 full laps) at 10k race pace
- Jog 400 m (1 full lap) to recover
- Run 1600 meters (4 full laps) at 5k race pace
- Jog 400 m (1 full lap) to recover
- Run 1000 meters (2.5 laps) at a mile race pace
- Jog 200 meters to recover
- Run 600 meters as fast as possible
- Jog 200 meters to recover
- Sprint 200 meters
- Cool down by jogging 1 to 2 miles at an easy pace
Track workouts are very demanding on your cardiovascular, muscular, and metabolic energy systems, so it is important to space out your track workouts and take recovery days with easy running, cross-training, or rest days.
As such, most distance runners do not run more than one or two track workouts per week at most.
If you are looking for different types of workouts to spice up your training plan, check out our guide to tempo runs: Tempo Runs: What Is A Tempo Run + How To Do Them.
