Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Health & Fitness

This is why runners are picking up the pace with tempo runs

Train your body to run at a faster pace for longer distances with tempo running.

By
Man running on a trail with mountains in the background
Brian Metzler / Unsplash

Tempo running isn’t just about running fast; it’s a specific type of workout that will improve your endurance if you stick with it. Runners are setting off on tempo runs to boost cardiovascular health, mood, running efficiency, and more. Tempo running is one of the tools that helps elite runners build enviable endurance and missile-speed. Let’s look at the benefits of tempo running and if it makes you run faster for longer periods of time. 

What is tempo running?

man running through trees on path wearing red jacket
Arek Adeoye / Unsplash

Tempo runs or threshold runs involve running at a pace that’s around 25-30 seconds per mile slower than your 5K race pace or 15 to 20 seconds per mile slower than your 10K race pace. Just like a musical composition or phrase remains at the same tempo, you’ll stay at the same pace until you complete your tempo run. You should be able to keep the same pace for about 20-30 minutes without slowing down or walking. Tempo runs are more challenging and should be performed at about 85-90% of your maximum heart rate. In other words, tempo running requires holding a steady, specific pace for a certain duration.

Recommended Videos

What are the benefits of tempo running?

man running on mountain outside
Alessio Soggetti / Unsplash

Including tempo running in your training plan can make you faster over time. 

Related

The following are some of the many benefits of tempo running:

  • Improve running efficiency.
  • Train your body to run at a faster pace for longer distances.
  • Improve your mood and cardiovascular health.
  • Help your body become more efficient at clearing lactic acid and using energy and oxygen.
  • Enhance your endurance and athletic performance.
  • Add variety to your training schedule.

Top tips for tempo running

Man with red shorts legs running on track with shadow behind him
Clem Onojeghuo / Unsplash

If you’re a beginner and you can’t continue the pace for 20-30 minutes, you can try a shorter duration until you develop more strength and stamina. Make sure you stretch before setting off on foot and stay hydrated.

Maximize your results by tracking your pace with a smartwatch or heart rate monitor. If you’re using a heart rate monitor, warm up for 10 minutes and figure out your average heart rate for the last 20 minutes of your run to give you a good starting point. You can increase your tempo running pace every three weeks or when you feel ready. 

As a runner, it’s best to challenge yourself over time by trying different paces and types of workouts. Tempo running is a worthwhile training technique that increases your anaerobic threshold.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Steph Green
Steph Green
Steph Green is a content writer specializing in healthcare, wellness, and nutrition. With over ten years of experience, she…
To quit or not to quit? New data shows the top reasons why people quit the gym
The data reveals that the average gym visit lasts 1 hour and 9 minutes.
Man on treadmill with sleeveless shirt in gym

We all see the gym become progressively quieter in the second and third months of the year. According to a 2023 poll from Forbes Health, just under one in 10 people, or 8%, said their new year resolutions only lasted one month, while 21.9% reported two months. 22.2% reported their resolutions lasted four months, and only a small 1% said they managed to keep up with their goals for 11 or 12 months. 

Why do people quit the gym? In the past, I remember quitting the gym when life got too busy, and I was traveling a lot. Looking back, I wish I had made more time to prioritize gym sessions and working out in different ways because that’s when I probably needed it the most to keep up with my fast-paced schedule. Strengthening my body with exercise could have helped me keep up with the demands of frequent travel.

Read more
New data shows why so many people are avoiding the gym
This large UK Survey reveals the top 10 most annoying things people dislike about the gym.
A tired man with towel sitting on a bench in a gym.

January is the time when gyms are busier as people push through with those new year fitness resolutions. By the time mid-February hits, eager gym-goers have already started trailing off, and you don't need to wait for a machine. People might avoid the gym for various reasons, from feeling too busy to lacking motivation or energy. 

On the one hand, the gym can be an encouraging place where surrounding yourself with weights and machines motivates you to stick around and sweat. On the other hand, it can be a place where you feel judged by some of those more muscular, sculpted humans pumping weight after weight. Many gym owners recognize this; some are taking action, such as Planet Fitness, with their ‘judgment-free zone.’ Interesting new data shows one of the biggest reasons why so many people are avoiding the gym, so if you feel others are a little judgy in the gym sometimes and it’s putting you off coming back, you’re certainly not alone. 
New data

Read more
Research shows why you should try military fitness workouts — even as a beginner
Military workouts usually involve a combination of strength training, bodyweight exercises, cardio, and flexibility stretches.
A man doing a box jump in a gym.

When you hear military fitness workouts, you might envision an intense exercise session with agility drills, buckets of sweat, and officers barking orders. The military resembles strength and endurance. Military fitness workouts are all the rage on social media; even British Prince William has been touting the benefits for years. Many people are drawn to the rigidity, discipline, and structure of this type of workout that provides the benefits of cardio along with strength training. Let’s look at what military workouts involve, the possible benefits, and the research.
What are military fitness workouts?

Military workouts usually involve a combination of strength training, bodyweight exercises, cardio, and flexibility stretches. These workouts might also be called high-intensity functional training, and they’re designed to prepare military personnel for the real-world challenges and physical demands they might be up against during military training and operations. These types of group exercises have been used for hundreds of years. Military workouts aren’t just for the military; gyms and coaches worldwide have adapted similar routines.
What exercises are involved in military fitness workouts?

Read more