Why runners should do more tempo runs!

A crucial factor in improving running performance is speed.

Only through regular, fast running can we improve our speed in the long term. Although most training kilometers in endurance sports are completed in a moderate base zone, which is also sensible, intensive training sessions should by no means be neglected – regardless of whether you're a professional athlete or a recreational runner.

Study compared the training of many elite athletes

An article published in the European Journal of Sport Science once again emphasizes the importance of tempo runs in training. A study compared the volume of systematic training and the various training activities of a group of elite long-distance runners. These athletes trained professionally for events ranging from 5 kilometers to the marathon distance and were on average 29 years old.

The runners were divided into three groups: national elite runners, European elite runners, and global elite runners (mainly Kenyans), including former marathon world record holder Wilson Kipsang.

Very interesting results

For this comparison, the training logs of all runners were analyzed exactly ten weeks before their most important competition of the year. At this point, all elite runners were already in the specific preparation phase for the race. Although all three groups consisted of highly professional athletes, there were distinct differences in their training results.

The world-class runners not only had a higher volume of kilometers but also placed more emphasis on tempo runs – not only in absolute terms, but also proportionally. When we talk about tempo runs, we're referring to longer runs at consistently high speeds, not the classic interval training (alternating between high and low intensities).

When comparing the intervals, there were no differences in the length of the intervals, but it was noticeable that world-class runners covered more distance in short interval sessions. Short intervals were runs at a pace that the athletes could sustain in competition over distances of 1,500 meters to a maximum of 5,000 meters. Long intervals, on the other hand, corresponded to a pace that could be maintained in a race over 5,000 meters to 10,000 meters. Therefore, world-class runners completed a "higher number" of short tempo intervals.

Difference in training: World-class runners compared to the rest of the world

In summary, how does the intensive training of world-class runners differ from that of other elite athletes?

• Higher total mileage (in absolute terms)
• Greater proportion of tempo runs (in relative terms)
• Higher number of short, high-intensity intervals

How can recreational runners benefit from this?

In principle, copying the training of elite runners is of course not sensible for recreational runners, or only to a limited extent. However, insights from such studies can certainly be incorporated into your own training.

This applies especially when preparing specifically for the most important race of the season, which begins about 12 weeks before the event. During this period, high intensity should definitely not be neglected. Although we should run about 70-80% of our weekly mileage in the easy base zone (= 70-80% of maximum heart rate), at least 20% of the mileage should also involve high intensity.

And this is where we can certainly benefit from the findings of the study mentioned above, even if the training should always be tailored to the individual base.

Training: Proportion of intensive kilometers

Increasing the proportion of intensive kilometers can also improve performance, but it carries risks, especially for recreational athletes (injuries & overtraining). According to the study, world-class runners completed only 60% of their total mileage in easy base runs. The rest was split between tempo runs (25%), short intervals (10%), long intervals (5%), and races (1%).

What stood out was the difference in the volume of tempo runs. National elite athletes only completed 10% of their total mileage as tempo runs, but did 70% as easy base runs, 6% as short intervals, 12% as long intervals, and 2% in races.

There was a particularly large difference in the volume of tempo runs (25% vs. 10%). Also interesting were the differences in the length of intervals. World-class runners relied more on short intervals (10% vs. 5% long intervals), while national athletes focused more on long intervals (12% vs. 6% short intervals).

Important note: "Tempo runs" are often done at the anaerobic threshold or just below it. Therefore, they are not as fast as the fast sections in interval training.

Our tip

What can we learn from the distribution of training volume in world-class runners? Even among ambitious recreational runners, long intervals often dominate over short intervals, with a reduced volume of tempo runs.

However, this may not be the most successful strategy, as this study impressively showed. Therefore, for recreational runners, it’s worth considering reducing the volume of long intervals and instead integrating more tempo runs into the training, while focusing more on short intervals during interval sessions.

This doesn’t necessarily require an increase in the total volume of intensive kilometers (meaning the risk of injuries or overtraining doesn’t significantly rise), but it does alter the distribution of intensive kilometers, which can lead to surprising improvements in running performance.

Conclusion

• More tempo runs
• Fewer long intervals
• More short intervals

This could indeed be the key to success – even for recreational runners. Of course, always tailored to individual circumstances.

Note: The term "interval" technically refers to the rest period between tempo runs. However, in running jargon, "interval" is often used incorrectly to refer to the tempo run itself. In this article, we have adapted to the "running jargon" to avoid complicating the topic unnecessarily.