By Marnie Kunz, NASM-certified trainer, USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach

Whether you’re a beginning runner or a longtime marathoner, the tempo run is one of the best speed workouts to help you get faster. Tempo runs are sustained effort runs at a faster speed than your regular base runs. In contrast with intervals, another form of speed training, tempo runs are done at a steady pace. The tempo run trains your body to perform more efficiently and push through fatigue, helping you run stronger and faster as a result. Tempo runs can help you get faster for every race distance, from 5Ks to marathons. They’re especially helpful speed workouts to prepare for longer races like the 10K, half marathon, and marathon.

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What Is a Tempo Run?

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A tempo run is a run at a “comfortably hard” pace for a sustained effort. Tempo runs are a form of speed workout that includes a jog to warm up, a tempo run, and then a recovery run to cool down. The tempo pace should be at about 70% to 80% effort level, at a pace that you could sustain for one hour.

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Depending on what race or distance you are training for, your tempo run may range from a mile up to 6 or 7 miles if you’re training for a marathon. Tempo runs can benefit all levels of runners and anyone training for distances from the mile race up to a marathon or ultra.

If you want to become a faster runner, tempo runs are a must. Even if you are not training for a specific race, tempo runs will help you become a faster, more efficient runner.

Tempo Run Benefits

There are many tempo run benefits. Here are a few:

Better Running Efficiency

First and foremost, the tempo run trains your body to run at a faster pace and more efficiently so you are less affected by fatigue. Tempo runs train your body and lungs to operate more effectively, helping you to run stronger for longer. Running at tempo pace trains your legs to run at a faster pace for sustained periods, preparing you for racing.

Ability to Push Through Fatigue

Tempo runs also help your mind and body learn to push through fatigue. You learn what fatigue feels like and how to cope with it when running. This is especially helpful for races.

Improved Lactate Threshold

Tempo runs are often called lactate threshold runs because they help build your lactate threshold. Your lactate threshold pace is the highest speed you can run while your body is still able to clear lactate. Lactate is a build-up of lactic acid during intense workouts that leads to burning sensations and feelings of fatigue.

The more you practice tempo runs, the longer you can run before feeling the burn of lactate and fatigue. This is especially helpful for races, when intense efforts often cause runners to feel fatigued or like they’ve “hit a wall.”

More Mental Strength

In addition to the physical benefits of tempo runs, there are mental benefits as well. Tempo runs boost your mental toughness while running, helping your mind get used to pushing yourself even when you’re tired or fatigued.

Better Confidence

Many runners I coach suffer from a lack of confidence, and workouts like tempo runs help boost confidence by pushing you to rise to the challenge of running faster than your normal base run pace. The feeling of accomplishment after completing a tough tempo run is a great mental boost.

How to Do a Tempo Run

Before your tempo run, do some dynamic stretches to warm up. For your tempo run, you will need to calculate your goal pace or effort level. First, assess your running goals. Are you training for a specific race distance? Have you done speed workouts before, or is this your first speed workout?

If you are a beginning runner or this is your first speed workout, you’ll want to do a shorter tempo run, with a 10-minute warm-up and then 10 to 20 minutes of tempo run followed by a 10-minute cooldown. If you’re an advanced runner or training for a longer race, such as a marathon, your tempo run can be up to an hour long.

A good starting point for a tempo run is 20 minutes for the tempo run, plus a warm-up and cooldown. If you are training for a long race, you can gradually increase your tempo run duration.

Whatever distance you decide on for your tempo run, make sure you do your dynamic stretches and at least 10 minutes of slow running for a warm-up before the tempo run. Follow your run with 10 minutes of relaxed pace running to cool down and post-run stretching.

How to Calculate Tempo Run Pace

You can calculate your tempo run pace in a variety of ways. If you run by feel, your tempo run should be at 70% to 80% effort level. If you use heart rate training, do your tempo run at 80% to 90% max heart rate. Your tempo run pace should be one that you can sustain for one hour. A good rule of thumb is to aim for a pace that is close to your 10K race pace.

If you are training for shorter races, such as the mile or 5K, you will want your tempo run to be shorter in duration and higher in speed and intensity. So you may run your tempo run at an 80% effort level or 5 seconds faster than your 10K pace. Whereas if you are training for a marathon, you will have a longer, less intense tempo run. So you may run at 70 percent effort level or 10 seconds slower than 10K pace for a total of 6 miles.

Types of Tempo Runs

There are many variations of tempo runs, and it can get confusing to keep up with all the terminology runners use. Here are the main types of tempo run options:

Tempo Run or Threshold Run

A tempo run or lactate threshold run is a steady effort that is at a pace you would be able to maintain for an hour. The tempo run duration can range from 10 minutes to an hour, depending on what race distance you are training for. Most tempo runs are between 20 to 40 minutes long.

Progressive Tempo Run

A progressive tempo run is a tempo run that gets faster as you go. The progressive run is a great training exercise, as most runners have the natural tendency to start too fast and get slower as they run. For the progressive tempo run, you start at a pace slightly slower than your regular tempo pace, and with each mile, you increase your pace. For example, you may start by warming up and then running 1 mile at a 9:00-minute pace. Then, on the second mile, you step up the pace to 8:45 and finish with the third mile at an 8:30 pace. The progressive tempo run helps you perform better in races, training your body and mind to increase your intensity as you go so you can finish strong.

Tempo Intervals

Tempo intervals are a great way to ease into tempo runs. Instead of doing one steady effort at your tempo run pace, you do shorter intervals at tempo pace broken up by periods of slow, recovery running.

How Often To Do a Tempo Run

In general, I recommend doing one tempo run a week as part of your speed training. Since a tempo run is a form of speed workout and requires higher intensity, you should have a rest day or easy run the day before and the day after your tempo run.

If you want to get faster and add intensity to your running training program, do one tempo run per week and one interval workout. For a customized running program by a certified run coach and trainer (me), check out our training shop.😊

Have you tried tempo runs? Let us know which type of tempo run you like best in the comments, or tag us on the Runstreet Instagram to share your running progress. Happy running to you, and enjoy your tempo runs!

Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified personal trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach based in Brooklyn, NY. Marnie likes helping people get and stay active to enjoy a better quality of life. When she’s not doing fitness things, Marnie enjoys exploring with her dog, a mischievous rescue Akita.

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