How to Increase Running Speed – ACE Method Coaching

Running Speed vs Running Faster

Learning how to increase running speed is synonymous with learning How to Run Faster. I recommend also checking out that article. This article will walk you through the steps to increase your running speed.

The Biggest Factors to Increase Running Speed

There are many things that someone can do to make small improvements to their running speed, but the big things fall into only 3 categories: Running Technique, good training plan, strength training.

Learn Proper Running Form (Running Technique)

Learning to run faster starts with learning to run properly. Running with bad technique limits how fast you can make your legs turn over. There are things that all runners can do to run faster immediately.

Tall and aligned: You should run with your entire body stretched as tall as possible and your head, spine and pelvis in alignment.

No Limbs Crossing the Mid-line of the body.

Arms and legs move in a forward/backward plane. No moving across the body.

Legs and feet moving in a circular or elliptical motion. No shuffling.

Strike the ground under your center of mass rather than out in front.

For a more detailed list, you can check out How to Run Properly, How to run Faster or download my Running Technique Cheat Sheet. Also, for technical aspects specifically for sprinters, see below.

A Good Training Plan to Increase Running Speed

Your training program should be 3-6 days per week and should include a variety of distances and speeds. This ensures that you develop the various energy systems of your body. For example:

For Sprinters

Mondays: Multiple sets of 250m at 800 pace

Tuesdays: Strength training

Wednesdays: Multiple sets of 75m at 90% top speed

Thursdays: Strength training

Fridays: Multiple sets of 150m at 400 pace

Saturdays: Strength training

Sundays: Rest

For Distance Runners

Mondays: Long distance at easy pace

Tuesdays: Multiple sets of 200m at 80% top speed

Wednesdays: Easy recovery run

Thursdays: Multiple sets of 6 minute runs at tempo (comfortably fast) pace followed by easy running

Fridays: Recovery run or rest

Saturdays: multiple sets of 600m at mile pace

Sundays: Rest

Of course, these are just examples. Your individual training plan needs to be well thought out and consider your fitness level, race calendar, race distance, etc.

Get Stronger to Run Faster

The last of the top 3 things to focus on to increase your running speed is your strength. Simply put, the stronger you are the faster you will be. You will have more power, endurance, leg-turnover capability, and decreased chances of injury. All runners should be involved in a strength program 2-3 days per week. The routine should mostly consist of full-body, functional movements rather than using machines that isolate muscles. Check out my Strength Training for Runners.

Other Proven Methods to Run faster

Increase power

This might seem like a repeat of the Get Stronger paragraph, but it’s not. Power is related to strength, but with the element of time. In other words, moving a load faster. So, in addition to working on strength, you should also do fast movements such as squat jumps, medicine ball pushes, bounding drills, etc. These movements are included in my strength training for Runners program.

Run Downhill

Running down a slight downhill makes your legs turn over faster, which in turn trains your nervous system to turn over your legs faster. It’s a similar concept to running with a bungee cord pulling you forward.

Run with Resistance-Pushing or pulling

This is the opposite idea to running with assistance (downhill bungee, etc.). Running while pushing or pulling a load can help because it overloads your muscles while you move fast forcing them to adapt and become more forceful.

Decrease Unnecessary Body Weight

We can’t have an honest discussion about getting faster without talking about body fat. This is always a tricky subject to broach as coach, especially with female athletes. To be clear: I’m not suggesting you lose weight and I’m definitely not telling you to skip meals to get skinny. In fact, those examples are actually counter-productive because you could lose energy, get sick and decrease performance. You might also lose muscle which could have long term implications to your strength and speed. What I am saying is there is a relationship between strength and weight. It is referred to as the strength: weight ratio. Simply put, the more you weigh, the stronger you will need to be to move your body quickly and vice versa. With this in mind, there are two things a runner can do to move faster: increase strength or lose unwanted mass (body fat). I suggest doing both, if possible. This assumes you actually have some fat to spare. It’s always a good idea to consult with a trainer, coach or medical professional who can assess your percentage of body fat to determine if it’s safe for you to attempt to lose body fat.

Special Considerations for Sprinters to Increase Running Speed

Sprinting is much more technical than distance running. In addition to the tips above, sprinters need to focus on minimizing the recovery phase of their stride and maximizing the front phase. See other article on sprinting.

I hope this article helps you. I have many videos on my YouTube channel that address running faster. Here are a few. Also, if you’d like me to help you, I provide online coaching services where I can examine your form and help you create a training plan to help you reach your individual running and racing goals. You can learn more about that.