Think you’re too busy to run? Think again! If you’re short on time but still looking to get a good workout then here are 10 great running workouts you can do in under 45 minutes and they can boost your fitness, speed, strength and endurance – and you can do all these workouts during your lunch break!
Running Workouts To Do In Under 45 Minutes!
We get it. You’ve got a long to-do list, meetings to attend, stuff to get sorted, but you still want to run, and you want to add some quality speed work.
These workouts are ideal for when you have a short window in which to fit in your run, or if you’re just looking for an efficient workout. You don’t need to do long workouts to feel big performance benefits.
We’ve got VO2 Max workouts, tempo runs, progression runs, pyramid workouts, classic running workouts and hill reps, so there’s a mix of runs, for all running abilities – just adjust your pace and rest as you need to.
10 TIPS FOR THESE 10 WORKOUTS
🤓 Train smarter and harder. By training in a smart and structured way, and knowing what you want to achieve from each run, you can see performance benefits even in runs of less than 45 minutes.
📆 Do these once or twice a week. These are ideal to fit into your schedule on one or two days a week. Remember to keep the right balance of easy runs and long runs as well as your faster runs. Aim for not more than 20% of your weekly distance to be at a fast pace.
🍌 Start fuelled. Have a snack before your run. Go for simple carbs like a banana, bagel, toast or an energy bar.
🥤Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water before your runs. Dehydration can make these runs feel harder than they should feel.
📈 Warm up. Don’t lace up, hit start on your watch and speed straight up into tempo pace. You need to have a warm up. Jog for around 10 minutes and add a few strides. It’s important to be well warmed up before running fast.
📉 Cool down. Don’t finish your final rep outside your front door. Give yourself at least five minutes to jog or walk to get your heart rate back down to normal.
🫵 Make these work for you. Use paces, rep ranges and recovery times which work for you and your current training. Every workout below is adaptable to you.
⛰️ Choose your terrain. You can do these workouts on the road, track, trail or treadmill. You can even do many of them as crosstraining if you have a bike and want to reduce the impact.
⌚ Have more time? If you’ve got a little extra time then increase the warm up or add 5 x 30 second (hill) reps to the end.
🛌 Recover well. Take the rest you need, eat a good meal with protein and carbs after your run, drink more water (add electrolytes if it’s hot), manage your stress levels and get plenty of sleep.
Remember that you should do a 10 minute warm up and a few strides before all of these workouts.
1-1-1
Run steady (think tempo or marathon pace or 5-7 RPE) for one minute, run fast for one minute (8 RPE), walk for one minute. Repeat for as many reps as you’re comfortable doing in the time you have.
Why: Builds mental strength (as well as physical strength) to keep changing pace as the reps progress, plus you choose how long you think you can last in this one.
20 x 30 seconds
It’s only 10 minutes of work but it’ll be a hard 10 minutes. Run each 30-second rep at 9 RPE but don’t worry about the pace. Walk for 30-60 seconds recovery in each rep. Want it harder? Do 30 x 30 with 30 second rest.
Why: Builds VO2 Max and speed endurance which help overall fitness and performance, especially late in a race.
10 x 30 second hills
Find a hill that’s around 100m long and with a gradient of 4-8%. Start at the bottom and run hard (9 RPE) for 30 seconds. Walk back down for your recovery (75-90 seconds). Progress by doing 45-60 second reps, jogging back down.
Why: Great for strength and power, and uphill reps have lower injury risk compared to flat reps. They also help improve your form and general running effiency.
8-10 x 2 minutes (or 8-10 x 400m)
Two options here: Run the reps and then take 60 seconds to walk the recovery, or treat it like a fartlek session and do a steady jog for 60 seconds between reps.
Why: Solid session for improving speed and VO2 Max, made harder if you jog the ‘recoveries’.
5 x 1k
A classic workout for all runners or all distances. Aim for between 5k and 10k pace on the reps. Walk or jog 60-90 seconds between each rep. Do 6-8 reps if you want more volume.
Why: Helps boost VO2 Max and improves efficiency at clearing lactate.
Tempo sandwich
Run 3 x 2 minutes hard (1 minute jog or walk recovery). Jog 2 minutes. 10 minute tempo. Jog 2 minutes. Run 3 x 1 minute hard (1 minute jog or walk recovery).
Why: Teaches you to run fast when your legs are tired, and then to pick up more speed when you’re even more tired.
5k progression
Run faster each kilometre without taking any rest. Start at a tempo pace and aim to finish around 10k pace (try to be 5-10 seconds quicker per kilometre). Faster runners or those with more time can do 6-8 x 1km or 5 x 1 mile.
Why: A hard effort and good for learning pace control, so make sure you don’t speed up too much, too soon!
Tempo cut down (12-8-4)
Run 12 minute tempo, jog for two, run eight minute tempo, jog for two, run four minute tempo. Progress the reps so they get quicker. Adjust the times if necessary (i.e. 10-6-2).
Why: Getting faster as you get more fatigued is a great way to improve endurance.
Speedy pyramid workout
Run 1-2-3-2-1 minutes with one minute jog between. Run the shorter reps faster than the longer ones. A higher volume alternative includes: adding 4 (and 5) minute reps to the one above or try 200-400-600-800-1000-800-600-400-200 (all metres).
Why: Pushing faster as you get more tired is a good challenge, plus you’ll help improve your recovery from hard efforts.
5k or 30-minute time trial
Run a 5k or 30-minute time trial. Run as hard as you can sustain for the full distance or time.
Why: It’s a great chance to push really hard for an extended time, boosting endurance and setting a benchmark of your current fitness.
FAQS ON THE BEST QUICK WORKOUTS FOR RUNNERS
What’s the easiest way to become a faster runner?There are no shortcuts. But do lots of easy runs, make gradual progress in the distance you run each week, and add 6 x 20 second strides to the end of two runs a week. Then start trying the workouts above.
How do I track progress with short runs?Doing a benchmark time trial can give you an idea of progress. Run 3k or 5k and then repeat it again a few months later.
Can short workouts help with marathon?Absolutely! These workouts help to build speed, endurance and general fitness, and you get those benefits from only 15-30 minutes of total quality work in one session. They can make you a better overall runner, and that’ll help you in a marathon.
AUTHOR BIO
Mark is a runner who has learnt to do short and efficient workouts because he’s usually late for work.
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