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Practical guide

Best running workouts

A practical guide to the best running workouts: which workout types matter, when to use them, and how to build a week that improves fitness without burning out.

Updated Mar 20, 2026

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Most runners don’t need more workouts — they need fewer, better ones

A simple week that works for many runners:

  • 1 quality workout (tempo/interval)
  • 1 long-run focus
  • easy runs truly easy
  • 2 short strength sessions

The 8 workout types (and what they’re for)

  1. Easy runs (recovery + volume)
  2. Long run (durability)
  3. Strides (speed without fatigue)
  4. Tempo/threshold (sustainable speed)
  5. Intervals (VO₂-ish stimulus)
  6. Hills (strength)
  7. Progression runs (discipline)
  8. Cutback weeks (injury prevention)

If you’re training for a race, start with a plan hub:

Related:

Put this into action

Open the plan and tool that match this guide

Worksheet

Use this before you choose

Weekly structure worksheet

  • • My quality workout day is: ____
  • • My long-run day is: ____
  • • My easy days are: ____
  • • My strength days are: ____
  • • My cutback rule is: ____ (every 3–4 weeks).

Checklist

Check your choice

Workout selection checklist

  • • I do one quality workout per week by default (not two+ hard days).
  • • I protect the long run and keep it effort-first.
  • • I keep easy runs easy so workouts stay repeatable.
  • • I use cutback weeks to avoid overuse spikes.
  • • I adjust when sleep/stress is poor (recovery is training).

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FAQs

How many workouts per week should I do?

Many runners do best with one quality workout plus one long-run focus. Add more only if recovery is stable and you’re not accumulating niggles.

What’s the best workout for marathon training?

The best ‘workout’ is consistency: long runs you can repeat, plus one quality session you can execute without breaking recovery.

Should easy runs have a pace target?

Usually no. Use effort cues (conversational). Chasing pace on easy days is a common reason workouts become unrecoverable.

Keep going

Running Pace Calculator (with Splits)

Convert distance and time into pace per kilometre or mile and generate a splits table for workouts and race planning.

18-Week Marathon Training Plan

A 18-week marathon training plan with week-by-week structure, workouts, adaptation rules, and built-in pace and fueling tools. Variations are included on one page.

12-Week Half Marathon Training Plan

A 12-week half marathon training plan with week-by-week structure, workouts, adaptation rules, and a pace calculator. Variations are included on one page.

Sources