What is a Tempo Run and How Do You Do It?

If your training weeks are all easy jogs and the occasional all-out sprint, you're missing the spicy middle. Tempo runs sit right between a super easy run (like a recovery run) and an all-out effort, and they're one of the best tools for getting faster over longer distances. In a seven-year study of 85 elite runners, tempo run volume was one of the strongest predictors of long-distance performance, and the importance of doing them grew as time went on.

If you're training for a marathon, trying to crush a 10K PR, or have a totally reasonable goal of just not feeling like you're dying at mile three, you'll want to hit up tempo workouts on the regular. Here's what a tempo run actually is, how to do one with proper form, and how to fit it into your week.

What Is a Tempo Run?

A tempo run is a sustained effort at a pace that feels comfortably hard. You're working, you know it, and holding a full conversation would be tough, but you could still get out a sentence or two between breaths. In training terms, you're running near your second lactate threshold (often shortened to LT2), which is the fastest pace your body can maintain before fatigue-causing byproducts start stacking up faster than your body can clear them.

If you compare your effort to your car’s tachometer, staying below the redline lets you cruise for miles, but pushing past it can make the motor overheat. Tempo runs help you get that redline to creep up higher, so what was hard before will be far easier later.

Why Tempo Runs Work

Tempo runs teach your body to use oxygen more efficiently and clear lactate faster, which means you can hold faster paces before fatigue sets in. They also improve running economy (how much energy it costs to run at a given speed) and help you lock in your pace during races, since tempo efforts are pretty close to what long distance racing actually feels like.

When researchers looked at world class Kenyan runners, they found these athletes logged significantly more tempo miles than their European counterparts, which likely helps them hold steady, fast paces in competition. You don't have to be an Olympic hopeful to see the benefits, though, just spend more time training at your threshold, and you'll get faster and more durable.

How to Do a Tempo Run

The correct technique for a tempo run isn't so much about foot strike or arm swing as it is about nailing the right effort level and holding it steady. Here's how to do a tempo run step by step.

• Warm up for 10 to 15 minutes, starting with easy jogging and a few strides to get your legs turning over. Jumping straight into tempo pace is a great way to feel terrible immediately.
  
  
• Settle into tempo pace, which is roughly your half-marathon race pace, or the pace you could hold for about 45 to 60 minutes in a race. On the effort scale, aim for RPE 7 to 8 out of 10. You should be able to say a short sentence but wouldn't want to narrate a podcast.
  
  
• Hold steady for 20 to 40 minutes. For most runners, 20 to 30 minutes at tempo pace is the sweet spot, though more experienced runners can push toward 40 to 45 minutes. The key is consistency. If your pace is all over the place, you're probably going too hard at the start.
  
  
• Cool down for 10 minutes with easy jogging followed by some light stretching. Your legs earned it.
  

Tempo Run Heart Rate

If you train with a heart rate monitor, your tempo run heart rate should generally land around 80 to 90 percent of your max heart rate for trained runners. The catch is that generic heart rate zones can be off for a lot of people. An individual lactate test or a solid field test (like a 30-minute time trial where your average HR for the last 20 minutes becomes your threshold HR) gives you a more accurate target. Don't let heart rate determine everything, though. If the effort feels right and you can sustain it, you're in the zone.

How Long Should a Tempo Run Be?

Recreational and intermediate runners will get the most from 20 to 30 minutes at tempo pace. Once you're advanced, you can build up to 30 to 45 minutes near threshold. If you're just starting out, even doing 15 minutes of a tempo effort within a longer easy run is good enough to build the habit. You can also break the tempo portion into intervals (like 3 x 10 minutes with short jog recoveries) and still get the training benefits without the mental grind of one long block.

How to Add Tempo Workouts to Your Training

The most successful distance runners use a pyramidal intensity setup which is made up of lots of easy running at the base, some tempo and threshold work in the middle, and a small amount of really hard interval training at the top. In long-term training, tempo runs often make up about 20 percent of total distance in successful elites, layered on top of a big base of easy miles.

Most runners will only need one to two workouts per week. If you run four to five days a week, a weekly structure might look like 2-3 easy runs (most of your mileage), one tempo run, and one day of shorter, faster intervals. That covers all the bases without cooking you.

A curved treadmill is a useful option for tempo days, since the self-powered belt naturally let's you have better control over your speed. If you prefer running outside, go for a flat, uninterrupted route (like a bike path or road loop) where you can hold an even pace.

Keep in mind that tempo runs don't replace your other training, but they are a huge help. Add them in along with a strength program specifically for runners that builds your hip, core, and leg strength so that you won't break down when you start feeling tired.

Also remember that these runs are supposed to fill the gap between your easy runs and your more intense runs, so while they are super beneficial for runners, don't go adding a weighted vest to your temp runs since they'll take the intensity up too high.]

[Read More: Running In the Cold, Tips from a CPT]

Takeaway

Tempo runs are comfortable but hard sessions that do more for your running than almost anything else. If you add them into your run training, your lactate threshold is sure to go up. Plus, you'll eventually find you have better pacing instincts and your race pace will feel more manageable over time.

FAQs

How fast should tempo runs be?

Tempo runs should feel comfortably hard, roughly your half-marathon race pace or the fastest pace you could sustain for about 45 to 60 minutes. On a 1 to 10 effort scale, aim for a 7 to 8. If you can belt out your favorite song, speed up. If you can barely breathe, slow down.

Can tempo workouts improve my running speed?

Tempo workouts can absolutely improve your speed over distance because they raise the pace you can sustain before lactate builds up, improve your running economy, and help you hold even splits during races. Over time, paces that used to feel hard start feeling routine.

How do I properly perform a tempo run for optimal results?

Warm up for 10 to 15 minutes with easy jogging and a few strides, then keep a steady effort (RPE 7 to 8) for 20 to 40 minutes, keeping your pace even the whole time. Cool down with 10 minutes of easy jogging. The perfect tempo run feels controlled from start to finish, with no heroic surges at the end.