How do I get faster at running?

Usain Bolt, “the fastest man alive”, makes sprinting look easy; almost as though he doesn’t have to try. Yes, he is a natural runner but that alone did not accelerate him to a speed of 27.8mph! Lightning Bolt became an Olympic legend mainly because of his rigorous training regime. In his words, “There are no secrets, you just have to develop strength, power, acceleration and technique.”

Well the good news is, there are numerous things you can do to increase your running speed:

1. Strength and conditioning training such as heavy resistance training (e.g. barbell squats, deadlifts, step ups, lunges and isometric calf exercises), explosive resistance training (e.g. squat jumps and Olympic weightlifting) and plyometrics (e.g. depth jumps, skipping, hopping and speed bouncing) have been shown to improve running economy by up to 8% and speed by up to 5%. 1
2. Flexibility helps with stride length and by doing exercises which target your hip flexors, they drive your knees higher for a faster, longer stride. In fact, a study showed that sprinters were 9% faster after an eight-week hip flexion resistance-training programme.2 Variable speed cycling is also good for giving your hips a workout.
3. Popular training methods employed to increase your speed, endurance and stamina are fartleks, tempo runs and intervals, but they do this in different ways:
   Fartleks: Means ‘speed play’ in Swedish. A fartlek workout is quick bursts of speed intermixed with slower running. If you’re doing road running, you may for example, run faster between two lamp posts and then slow down again for a period. It is a form of continuous training in which the speed or intensity of the run is varied to improve both the aerobic and anaerobic systems.
   Tempo running is an important training method used to increase your anaerobic threshold. Tempo runs are run at a pace that an athlete could maintain for about 60 minutes. If you follow your heart rate while running, it’s good to stay out of your maximum heart rate zone. Ideally your tempo run should be a continuous run at a steady pace and heart rate and lasting for 15 – 30 minutes.
   Interval running involves running faster than your usual aerobic pace (running aerobically, you can talk in complete sentences while running) for a predetermined length of time, with a recovery slow jog, and repeated for several repetitions. It differs from tempo/fartlek running because you have a break between repetitions and your interval pace should be faster.
4. Acceleration when running is achieved by increasing stride length (pushing on the ground more forcefully) and step rate (pushing on the ground more frequently). Runners may have a dominant acceleration strategy and there is some evidence that gait re-training may improve performance by optimizing the step rate and improving propulsion.3
5. Improving core strength has many benefits for runners. Having a strong core can improve your running posture and speed. The increased stabilization in the torso allows the pelvis, hips and lower back to work together more smoothly with less rocking and therefore less energy expended.
6. Dorsiflexion (curling toes upwards towards the shin) as you run means your foot is in a position to absorb the shock of landing and tenses your muscles to bound forward into the next step which means reduced contact time on the ground and therefore a quicker stride turnover. This allows you to run faster and more efficiently.
7. Although the jury is out as to whether stretching prevents injuries, there is no doubt that daily stretching, particularly of hip flexors, will increase flexibility for better stride length. Yoga is also excellent for increasing flexibility.
8. It goes without saying that a healthy diet and a good night’s sleep are beneficial, but did you know that drinking coffee before a run can actually improve your performance? If Olympic athletes use caffeine before a run, it must work!

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1. Aagaard P, Andersen JL, Bennekou M, Larsson B, Olesen JL, Crameri R, Magnusson SP, Kjaer M. (2011). Effects of resistance training on endurance capacity and muscle fiber composition in young top-level cyclists. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 21, e298-307
2. Sunde A, Støren O, Bjerkaas M, Larsen MH, Hoff J, Helgerud J. (2010). Maximal strength training improves cycling economy in competitive cyclists. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24, 2157-2165
3. Isabel S. Moore (2016) Is There an Economical Running Technique? A Review of Modifiable Biomechanical Factors Affecting Running Economy Sports Med. 2016; 46: 793–807.