How To Run Faster: 10 Steps to Improve Running Speed

Are you looking to beat your personal best on a marathon, 10K or park run? Knowing how to get faster at running is essential. 

Many runners find that they hit a plateau where they cannot seem to improve their personal times. This can be frustrating - but the good news is that there are plenty of techniques you can implement which will help you run faster.  

Let's look at how to get better at running fast and beat your personal best - whatever your preferred race type.

Table of contents:

1. Track your times properly

2. Creating a plan for fast running

3. Focus on your form

4. Build weight training into your schedule

5. Include speed training too

6. Focus on your diet

7. Choose the best equipment

8. Lose weight

9. Know the course

10. Learn how to sprint faster

Secrets to running faster

The following 10 tips provide a guide to how to make your running faster. There is no single key to running faster - it is about a combination of techniques, planning and lifestyle factors. Read on to learn how to become a faster runner. 

1. Track your times properly

You won't know if your times are improving without having a good record of your existing running speeds/times. Fortunately there are many running apps which help you log your running performance. This means that you can look back and monitor your progress. Besides simply recording running times, you can also write notes in your diary so you can remember how you felt during your training. This can be really motivating as you progress and your runs get easier.

2. Creating a plan for fast running

It is much easier to improve your race times if you stick to a plan designed to improve your racing speeds. Set yourself a target for your next marathon or running event then use the steps and techniques below and build them into your training schedule. By tracking improvements, you should start to notice a difference over time.

3. Focus on your form

Good form is one of the most important secrets to running faster. Running correctly can shave minutes of your race times and help you beat your personal best with relatively little extra effort.

For longer distance running, good form is all about landing on the middle of your feet, maintaining a good posture and focusing on fast turnover of your feet. This reduces the amount of energy that you use to cover ground. 

You should also focus on your breathing so that it is relaxed and steady - try to breathe in for three strides then breathe out for next two strides, then repeat. 

4. Build weight training into your schedule

While runners do not want to be bulky, working on your strength is really important if you are thinking about how to become a faster runner. Strength training will build up your muscles and make them more resilient. It will also mean that they can push off with more power.

Typical runner strength training exercises include lunges, squats, donkey kicks and several other workouts.

Learn more:Read our guide to strength training for runners

5. Include speed training too

Unsurprisingly, speed training is key to running faster. Speed training exercises will mean that your body becomes more efficient at using oxygen and pushes up your lactate threshold so that you can go further without being overwhelmed by fatigue. There are several different kinds of speed workouts that you can do. These include:

• Interval training
• HIIT running on a treadmill
• Tempo runs
• Fartlek training
• Running hills

6. Focus on your diet

A good diet is one of the biggest secrets to running faster. If you are doing more speed and strength work, your body will need more protein to build up the muscles. At the same time you will need certain kinds of fat to support your joints and of course plenty of carbs to give you the energy boost you need.

It is also sensible to eat some kind of carbohydrate filled snack around one hour before you begin your next racing event, as this will give your body the energy it needs when it comes to sprint running towards the end of the race.

7. Choose the best equipment

Your running equipment is an important element when you’re looking at how to run faster. Choose lightweight but durable trainers and professional running clothes which will draw moisture away from your skin and dry quickly - this avoids you carrying any unnecessary weight. 

8. Lose weight

Your body weight can also play a significant role in your speed. If you are overweight consider going on a diet that will help you shed a few pounds - this will make training for speed much easier.  

9. Know the course

One of the biggest secrets to running faster is to memorise the course that you will be racing on. You can improve your race time by having a mental map of where water stations are located when hills will be coming up, as well as knowing where the route curves. Running tangents can help cut off some distance on the race and allows you to improve your running time too.

10. Learn how to sprint faster

Sprinting is about much more than just ‘running faster’. If you want to get the best results - especially at the end of a race, it’s vital to learn proper sprinting form. While sprinting, you need to:

• Have a tall, upright posture with your head and shoulders above the hips (almost like you’re marching)
• Your shoulders should be relaxed
• You shouldn’t be leaning forward
• It’s OK to swing your arms, but they should be locked at a 90 degree angle 

How to run faster

There is no single key to running faster, however, with a good plan in place, effective exercises, appropriate equipment and the right lifestyle choices, you should start to notice your personal best improving in no time.