RunFast
Running guides

How to run faster: what the research says

There is no single way to run faster. Reviews found no clear best mix of easy and hard running, heavy strength training can improve distance runners' performance, and changing form or step rate isn't shown to help.

By RunFast · Updated · 9 min read

How to run faster has no single answer in the research, but reviews of distance runners do suggest where to start. A 2024 meta-analysis found that strength training with high loads can improve performance in middle- and long-distance runners, and a 2022 one found that heavy resistance training may improve running economy and time trials more than plyometric training.1, 2 In marathon training logs, the fastest runners tended to run large volumes, mostly easy.3 On how to mix easy and hard running, two network meta-analyses found no distribution with a clear advantage over polarised training.4, 5 And changing your foot strike can’t be recommended for an uninjured heel striker, while the evidence on changing step rate is insufficient.6, 7

Many of these reviews were in trained athletes: the 2024 strength meta-analysis, for example, pooled moderately, well and highly trained athletes.1 The closest to a recreational runner are 150 recreational athletes within one pooled analysis of 348, and one trial of 20 middle-aged recreational runners.4, 8 So when a lever hasn’t been tested in people like you, read that as unproven, not disproven.

This page takes each lever in turn, says what the research found and in whom, and links to the guide that covers it in depth. It doesn’t promise a result or a time frame.

What the research can and can’t tell you

A 2026 systematic review of 66 studies of non-elite runners, over distances from 5 km to ultramarathons, found training variables, physiological determinants and social variables positively related to performance.9 Most of its studies used correlation or regression models, so that is a link between training and performance, not proof that the training caused it.9 What mattered also differed with distance, with physiological factors becoming less important at the marathon and ultramarathon.9

So read each finding below as a direction, and check who was studied before you assume it applies to you.

Run mostly easy, and run enough of it

If you want to know how to run faster and longer, the closest evidence is observational. In training logs from 151,813 marathons by 119,452 runners, the fastest runners featured large training volumes, achieved mainly by doing more running in zone 1, the study’s easiest zone.3 The most common distribution was pyramidal, adopted by more than 80% of the runners with the fastest marathon times.3 These are logs of what runners chose to do, so they show an association, not that easy running made anyone faster.3

A 2025 panel of 14 applied sport scientists and professional coaches placed zone 2 training at intensities immediately below the first lactate or ventilatory threshold.10 The panel also said the adaptations it expects from zone 2 might not be unique to it.10

In practice, keep most of your running easy and conversational, and build how much you run gradually. The guide to what the research says about 80/20 running explains polarised and pyramidal training, and what zone 2 running is covers how easy is easy.

Does the exact mix matter?

A 2024 meta-analysis of 17 studies and 437 people found polarised training better than other distributions for VO2peak (peak oxygen uptake), with a small effect size.11 That advantage appeared only in interventions shorter than 12 weeks and in highly trained athletes, and the other performance measures, such as time trials, were similarly affected by polarised and other distributions.11

A 2025 network meta-analysis of individual participant data found no statistically significant difference between polarised training and any other distribution.4 In a subgroup analysis, which its authors hedged, recreational athletes may have improved VO2max more with pyramidal training, and competitive athletes with polarised.4

So choose a mostly easy week you can keep up, rather than chasing an exact split.

Add some harder running

Intervals

In a meta-analysis of randomised trials in endurance runners, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) improved running economy, how much energy a given pace costs, more than moderate-intensity continuous training.12 The same review found a larger effect on VO2max for moderate continuous training.12 In well-trained distance runners, a review of seven studies found the effect of interval training on VO2max equivocal.13

Which kind of harder running?

A 2026 Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomised trials in endurance athletes found that no other distribution showed a definite advantage over polarised training.5 It ranked high-intensity interval training as the most likely to optimise time-trial performance, a ranking rather than a definite effect.5 So which harder session works best is still an open question.5

Use both kinds: read what a tempo run is and how to pace it and how to set up an interval session. This guide gives no session length, rep length or recovery, because the sources here don’t set one for recreational runners.

Lift heavy things

The 2024 meta-analysis found that strength training with high loads can improve performance, measured as time trials and time to exhaustion, in middle- and long-distance runners.1 It rated the certainty of that evidence very low to moderate.1 Plyometric training alone was not found to have a significant effect on performance in that review.1

A companion meta-analysis found that high-load, plyometric and combined strength training may improve running economy in middle- and long-distance runners.14 In 22 studies of long-distance runners, from recreational to national level, heavy resistance training, especially with near-maximal loads, may improve running economy and time trials more than plyometric training.2

One trial in recreational runners randomised 20 middle-aged runners to plyometric or resistance training: both improved running economy, but not necessarily 5 km time.8 The guide to strength training for runners covers the exercises, loads and how to fit sessions around your running.

Form, step rate and foot strike

Across 51 observational studies with 1,115 participants, most spatiotemporal measures, the timing and length of your steps, showed trivial and non-significant associations with running economy.15 A 2020 meta-analysis concluded that changing foot strike cannot be recommended for an uninjured runner who lands heel first.6 A 2022 one found insufficient evidence to conclusively determine the effects of changing step rate on injury and performance.7

If you run without injury, leave your form alone while you work on the other levers. The guides to running form and running cadence go into the detail.

How to apply it

Levers in the order the evidence supports them; trained and competitive athletes unless stated
Lever What reviews found Who and how sure Read more
Heavy strength training High-load strength training can improve time trials and time to exhaustion in middle- and long-distance runners1 Moderately to highly trained athletes; certainty very low to moderate1 Strength training for runners
Mostly easy running The fastest marathoners in training logs ran large volumes, mostly in the easiest zone3 119,452 marathoners; an association, not a trial3 80/20 running, zone 2 running
Mix of easy and hard No statistically significant difference between polarised and other distributions4 150 recreational and 198 competitive endurance athletes4 80/20 running
Intervals HIIT improved running economy more than continuous running; its effect on VO2max in well-trained runners is equivocal12, 13 Endurance runners; well-trained runners for VO2max12, 13 Interval training, tempo runs
Form and step rate Changing foot strike can’t be recommended for an uninjured heel striker; evidence on changing step rate is insufficient6, 7 Uninjured heel strikers; too little evidence on step rate6, 7 Running form, running cadence

If you are wondering how to train to run faster, these tips turn the table into an order of work:

  1. Change one thing at a time, so you can tell what helped.
  2. Keep your easy runs easy before you add anything harder.
  3. Treat heavy strength training as the lever with the most support here.
  4. Add some harder running, a tempo run or intervals, and keep the rest easy.
  5. Leave your form alone unless you have a reason to change it.

To run a faster 5K, the 5K training plan lays out the weeks and the 5K pace chart gives paces by finish time. For longer races, see the 10K training plan, half marathon training plan and marathon training plan. The pace calculator works out your training paces from a recent race. Caffeine and other supplements are a separate topic, not covered here.

In RunFast

RunFast’s README describes a periodised plan, through base, build, peak and taper phases, with a deload week every 4th week and weekly volume rising by about 6–10%, capped by your goal and level. It describes about 80% easy running, with 0–2 quality sessions a week, a tempo or threshold run or intervals, depending on phase and level, and one long run a week. Paces come from Daniels’ VDOT model, worked out from a recent race or your fitness level: easy pace is a range, while threshold and interval paces are single paces. RunFast’s App Store version plans your running only: strength sessions are being tested and aren’t in it yet.

Get RunFast on the App Store

Where the evidence is thin or mixed

Much of this evidence comes from trained athletes: the strength meta-analysis pooled moderately, well and highly trained athletes, and rated its certainty very low to moderate.1 The small VO2peak advantage for polarised training showed only in highly trained athletes and in interventions shorter than 12 weeks.11 The strength trial in recreational runners read for this guide had 20 people, and it found better running economy but not necessarily a faster 5 km.8 The findings linking form to running economy come from observational studies, which show links rather than causes.15

None of the research read for this guide tested how long it takes to get faster, how much a given runner will gain, or what happens when you change several things at once. Fixed numbers you will see elsewhere, such as 170–180 steps per minute or a 10% weekly increase in volume, aren’t supported by any source read for it. In practice, change one thing, give it time, and judge it by your own races.

Common questions

Do I need speed work to run faster?

Some harder running is worth including, though the reviews haven’t settled which kind. In endurance runners, intervals improved running economy more than continuous running, while continuous running did better for VO2max.12 Two network meta-analyses found no distribution with a clear advantage over polarised training.4, 5 If you want to run faster without getting tired, keep most of your runs easy so you come to the harder ones fresh.

Will strength training make me faster?

It may. High-load strength training can improve time-trial performance in middle- and long-distance runners, in trained athletes and with very low to moderate certainty.1 In 20 middle-aged recreational runners, plyometric and resistance training both improved running economy, but not necessarily 5 km time.8

Should I change my cadence or foot strike?

If you are uninjured, the evidence doesn’t support it. Changing foot strike can’t be recommended for an uninjured heel striker, and there is insufficient evidence on what changing step rate does for injury or performance.6, 7

Is zone 2 running the answer?

Not necessarily. An expert panel defined zone 2 as just below the first lactate or ventilatory threshold, and said its expected adaptations might not be unique to it.10 The guide to zone 2 running covers it in depth.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. If you have an injury, a health condition or are pregnant, ask a doctor or physiotherapist before changing how you train or eat.

Sources

  1. Llanos-Lagos C, Ramirez-Campillo R, Moran J, Sáez de Villarreal E. The Effect of Strength Training Methods on Middle-Distance and Long-Distance Runners' Athletic Performance: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Sports Medicine. 2024. doi:10.1007/s40279-024-02018-z
  2. Eihara Y, Takao K, Sugiyama T, Maeo S, Terada M, Kanehisa H, Isaka T. Heavy Resistance Training Versus Plyometric Training for Improving Running Economy and Running Time Trial Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Medicine - Open. 2022. doi:10.1186/s40798-022-00511-1
  3. Muniz-Pumares D, Hunter B, Meyler S, Maunder E, Smyth B. The Training Intensity Distribution of Marathon Runners Across Performance Levels. Sports Medicine. 2025. doi:10.1007/s40279-024-02137-7
  4. Rosenblat MA, Watt JA, Arnold JI, Treff G, Sandbakk ØB, Esteve-Lanao J, Festa L, Filipas L, Galloway SD, Muñoz I, Ramos-Campo DJ, Schneeweiss P, Sellés-Pérez S, Stöggl T, Talsnes RK, Zinner C, Seiler S. Which Training Intensity Distribution Intervention will Produce the Greatest Improvements in Maximal Oxygen Uptake and Time-Trial Performance in Endurance Athletes? A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis of Individual Participant Data. Sports Medicine. 2025. doi:10.1007/s40279-024-02149-3
  5. Li H, Yang Q, Wang B. Effects of Different Training-Intensity Distribution Models on Maximal Oxygen Uptake and Time-Trial Performance in Endurance Athletes: A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2026. doi:10.1519/jsc.0000000000005415
  6. Anderson LM, Bonanno DR, Hart HF, Barton CJ. What are the Benefits and Risks Associated with Changing Foot Strike Pattern During Running? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Injury, Running Economy, and Biomechanics. Sports Medicine. 2020. doi:10.1007/s40279-019-01238-y
  7. Anderson LM, Martin JF, Barton CJ, Bonanno DR. What is the Effect of Changing Running Step Rate on Injury, Performance and Biomechanics? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Medicine - Open. 2022. doi:10.1186/s40798-022-00504-0
  8. Eihara Y, Takao K, Sugiyama T, Maeo S, Kanehisa H, Isaka T. The effects of plyometric versus resistance training on running economy and 5-km running time in middle-aged recreational runners. European Journal of Sport Science. 2024. doi:10.1002/ejsc.12197
  9. Thuany M, Silva M, Fernandes M, Knechtle B, Weiss K, Rosemann T, Gomes TN, Rolim R, Santos MAMD. A Systematic Review of the Factors Associated with Performance in Non-Elite Runners. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology. 2026. doi:10.3390/jfmk11010124
  10. Sitko S, Artetxe X, Bonnevie-Svendsen M, Galán-Rioja MÁ, Gallo G, Grappe F, Leo P, Mateo M, Mujika I, Sanders D, Seiler S, Zabala M, Valenzuela PL, Viribay A. What Is "Zone 2 Training"?: Experts' Viewpoint on Definition, Training Methods, and Expected Adaptations. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. 2025. doi:10.1123/ijspp.2024-0303
  11. Silva Oliveira P, Boppre G, Fonseca H. Comparison of Polarized Versus Other Types of Endurance Training Intensity Distribution on Athletes' Endurance Performance: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Sports Medicine. 2024. doi:10.1007/s40279-024-02034-z
  12. Feng Y, Li D, Liu Y, Tang D. High-Intensity Interval Training and Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training Affect Running Economy in Endurance Runners: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Human Kinetics. 2026. doi:10.5114/jhk/205427
  13. Parmar A, Jones TW, Hayes PR. The dose-response relationship between interval-training and VO2max in well-trained endurance runners: A systematic review. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2021. doi:10.1080/02640414.2021.1876313
  14. Llanos-Lagos C, Ramirez-Campillo R, Moran J, Sáez de Villarreal E. Effect of Strength Training Programs in Middle- and Long-Distance Runners' Economy at Different Running Speeds: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Sports Medicine. 2024. doi:10.1007/s40279-023-01978-y
  15. Van Hooren B, Jukic I, Cox M, Frenken KG, Bautista I, Moore IS. The Relationship Between Running Biomechanics and Running Economy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Sports Medicine. 2024. doi:10.1007/s40279-024-01997-3