5 Track Workouts to Help You Run Longer

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Improving your ability to run longer isn’t just about logging more miles. It requires a comprehensive approach that goes beyond running, incorporating things like intentional recovery and a solid nutrition plan.

Another key component of well-rounded distance training is high-intensity workouts that build speed endurance, helping you maintain strength and stamina during the later stages of a race like the half or full marathon. Doing this type of training on the track eliminates the distractions and unknowns of the road and allows you to home in on efficient, powerful speed that will be there for you in the late stages of your race.

Hitting the oval once a week is a great way to break up the monotony of road running and work on speed endurance in a controlled, easily-measurable environment. As for what to do when you get there, the following five interval workouts will help you run faster for longer and chase down a new PR in no time.

Why the Track?

The 400-meter flat loop of the track offers the perfect setting for focused, uninterrupted speed endurance training that roads and trails cannot provide.

Former Olympic steeplechase runner and current RRCA-certified run coach with McMillan Running, Andrew Lemoncello, uses the word “rhythmic” to describe the consistency you can easily attain while running around the oval. “When you’re out on the roads, you don’t get those markers that you do on the track,” Lemoncello says. “So if you can get really rhythmic on the track, it can usually translate to the road.”

The ability to evaluate your running, to make changes, and to find what works for you in a controlled environment is the essence of why the track is such an important tool for marathon and half marathon runners to use in training. “Without those distractions, you can work on your biomechanics, your footing, and your form,” says Mindy Solkin, USATF-certified run coach and founder of The Running Center.

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5 Speed Endurance-Boosting Track Workouts

It’s easy to get lost in the loops and prescribe yourself too much or too little effort on the track. With years of experience in the field, our experts have you covered with five track-tailored workouts that use the repetition of the oval to help you run longer, while maintaining or pushing your speed.

Each workout includes guidance using RPE (rate of perceived exertion) as a pacing metric. RPE is measured on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 representing an all-out effort. This approach ensures that you can tailor the intensity of your workout to your fitness level to maximize benefits.

1. 400-Meter Repeats

Why it works: Lemoncello calls 400-meter repeats a benchmark workout for any type of runner because of the manageable interval distance and customizable variables like pace and number of reps. “It’s a very recognizable distance for someone to attack,” Lemoncello says. “You really can learn how to run quicker through the reps over time and you can find what works well for you and what allows you to get through the workout as strong as possible.”

A 12-lap workout would be ideal for anyone from milers to 5K or 10K enthusiasts. As you tack on more and more reps on tired legs, the workout helps build the speed endurance that benefits half and full marathoners, with 20 reps equating to five miles of high-intensity effort. Just remember to work your way up in reps—don’t go from zero to 20 right away.

Up for a challenge? Lemoncello says that running the last two or three 400-meter reps faster than your first few is a great way to test your tired legs. Say you ran your first 10 reps at 5K pace (8-9 RPE), try and finish out the workout by running the last two at mile pace or slightly slower (9 RPE).

How to do it:

1. 15- to 20-minute easy warmup jog with form drills and strides
2. 12-20 x 400 meters (1 lap) at 5K pace (8-9 RPE) with 200-meter (½ lap) recovery jog between
3. 15-20 minute easy cooldown jog and stretching

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2. 1,000-Meter Repeats

Why it works: For runners with long-distance goals (10K or longer), 1,000-meter repeats are a great way to gain both speed and endurance benefits. The goal of the workout, according to Lemoncello, is to get you comfortable sustaining a consistent, fast pace over longer intervals.

“I’ve seen people do 20 reps of this workout and be able to hit that pace over and over to the second,” says Lemoncello. “It translates to a great half or full marathon because you’re able to be consistent without even thinking about it.” (Don’t worry, you don’t actually need to do 20 full reps to gain the benefits; stick to the rep range below and make sure to work up to that distance.)

As Lemoncello mentioned earlier, you want to get rhythmic with this one, meaning even pacing. “If your pace is fluctuating too much in a race, typically you’re going to tire out quicker,” he explains. “So if you can learn to dial in and repeat 2.5 laps on the track, your body becomes so good at being consistent.”

Once you’ve nailed down consistency, Lemoncello suggests progressing the workout by finishing a bit faster toward the end of each rep, which can help you score a negative split come race day.

How to do it:

1. 15- to 20-minute easy warmup jog with form drills and strides
2. 8-12 x 1,000 meters (2.5 laps) at 10K pace (7-8 RPE) with 200-meter recovery jog between
3. 15-20 minute easy cooldown jog with stretching

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3. The 90s

Why it works: This workout combines elements of fartlek runs with more structured speed intervals. Solkin says this workout teaches runners how to manage pace fluctuations within your marathon.

Because you’re not a robot and won’t be able to execute the entire race at the same pace, Solkin says it’s important to know both how to speed up and—perhaps more importantly for distance efforts—how to slow down so you don’t burn out too quickly. It’s also a helpful skill to practice if you tend to go out too fast.

How to do it:

1. 10- to 15-minute warmup jog with stretching and form drills
2. 1,600 meters (4 laps), alternating 20 seconds at 5K pace (8-9 RPE) and 70 seconds at 10K pace (7-8 RPE)
3. 800 meters (2 laps) at half-marathon pace (6 RPE)
4. 4-5 minutes rest
5. Repeat steps 2 and 3
6. 10- to 15-minute cooldown jog

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4. Short Pyramid

Why it works: Solkin’s second workout is tailored to marathon runners earlier in the training cycle. The pyramid starts with 200-meter repeats and works up to 800-meter repeats—all done at faster speeds than marathon pace. But between each interval, you’ll practice your marathon race pace as a recovery.

This allows runners to practice marathon pace after different intensities, helping them get a better feel for the effort. This way, when race day comes around, you’ll be able to tell if you’re going too fast or too slow for your goal.

How to do it:

1. 10 to 15-minute warmup jog with dynamic stretching and form drills
2. 200 meters (½ lap) at or above mile pace (9-10 RPE), then 200-meter (½ lap) recovery at goal marathon pace (4-5 RPE)
   1. 60-90 second rest
3. 400 meters (1 lap) at 5K pace (8-9 RPE), then 200-meter (½ lap) recovery at goal marathon pace (4-5 RPE)
   1. 60-90 second rest
4. 600 meters (1.5 laps) at 10K pace (7-8 RPE), then 200-meter (½ lap) recovery at goal marathon pace (4-5 RPE)
   1. 60-90 second rest
5. 800 meters (2 laps) at half marathon pace (6 RPE), then 200-meter (½ lap) recovery at goal marathon pace (4-5 RPE)
6. 4-5 minute rest
7. Repeat steps 2-5
8. 10 to 15-minute cooldown jog

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5. 5K Simulation

Why it works: Although ideally geared toward 5K specialists because it allows you to dial in your pace at the distance, this workout is speed endurance at its finest—fast pace, manageable intervals, minimal recovery—and can improve your endurance at a faster speed, no matter your upcoming race distance, says Lemoncello.

“Once you learn to run at an intense pace at a shorter distance, that makes 10K pace feel like cruising,” says Lemoncello. “Same thing with marathons: If you do a whole bunch of faster work, marathon pace feels really steady because you’re used to running at a quicker pace.”

Lemoncello recommends tweaking the reps with speed pickups for a tougher test. Maybe the first time you do the workout you cruise through the first 700 meters and ramp up for the last 100 of every rep to average your 5K pace. Next time, try taking the bends slower and opening up on the straightaways.

How to Do It:

1. 15- to 20-minute easy run warmup
2. 7 x 800 meters (2 laps) at 5K pace (8 or 9 RPE) with 30-second rest between reps
3. 15- to 20-minute cooldown jog