6 Track Workouts to Improve Your Speed

Push the Straightaways

This is a great intro workout for those who are new to track workouts. It's simple. After a couple of laps at an easy pace to warm up, start to push the pace on the straight sections of the track (known as the straightaways) and then recover (at an easy pace) on the turns.

If you're training for a specific race, such as a 5K, you can do your race pace on the straightaways. Start with four laps and add another lap each week until you work your way up to 10 laps.

Ladder Intervals

This track workout will help build your speed, confidence, and endurance, no matter what race distance you're training for. If you're not sure what your 5K (3.1 miles) race pace is, use a race pace estimate calculator. Beginners should start with one sequence, while more advanced runners can repeat the sequence once they've worked through it.

1. Warm-up: Five minutes at a walk/slow jog
2. Work interval: 400 meters (1 lap) at 5K race pace
3. Rest interval: Recover (easy pace) 400 meters 
4. Work interval: 800 meters (2 laps) at 5K race pace
5. Rest interval: Recover (easy pace) 400 meters
6. Work interval: 1,200 meters (3 laps) at 5K race pace
7. Rest interval: Recover (easy pace) 400 meters
8. Work interval: 1,600 meters (4 laps) at 5K race pace
9. Rest interval: Recover (easy pace) 400 meters
10. Cooldown: Five minutes at an easy pace

Mile Test

Doing a timed mile on a track is a great way to assess your fitness and give yourself a goal to work toward. Run a hard mile (4 laps) at a fast but steady pace. You want to go as fast as you can, but maintain an even pace for each lap.

For example, if you are aiming for a 6-minute mile, your goal would be to run each lap in 90 seconds. Make a note of your time and use it as a benchmark to test yourself against every month as you ​​​train to run a faster mile. Try to run all four laps at the same pace instead of starting out too fast and slowing down.

Fartleks

Fartlek is a Swedish word that translates literally to "speed play." While other track workouts are more prescriptive, fartlek workouts can be more intuitively-guided and based on how you feel in the moment. Try to be creative in the challenges you set up for yourself. You can decide to run at near-max exertion for one lap and then slow down to rest for another lap. Or you could run as fast as possible until the dog across the park stops barking.

Mile Repeats

Mile repeats are one of the best speed workouts you can do to improve your race times and build your running confidence. Here's a workout you can do once a week:

• Start with 2-mile repeats (1 mile equals four laps) in the first session. Run each mile at your 10K or half-marathon pace.
• Recover (at an easy pace) for a half-mile (2 laps) in between repeats.
• Make sure your breathing and heart rate have recovered before you start your next repeat.
• Add another mile repeat the following week. Try to maintain that same pace (10 to 15 seconds faster than your realistic goal marathon pace) for each one.
• Try to work up your way up to six repeats if you're an advanced runner; intermediate runners may want to stop at four or five repeats.

Tempo Runs

Designed to help you run faster with more endurance, tempo running involves running at a consistent effort and speed over a longer mileage. After you warm up, begin running at a pace just under the pace you want to perform at on race day. Unlike other more variable track workouts, tempo runs should fall into a rhythm. Continue at this pace for 20–40 minutes. Don't forget to cool down.