7 Exercises to Improve Running Speed
7 Exercises to Improve Running Speed is most useful when each item connects to a real training or coaching decision. A longer list is not automatically a better one.
Running progress depends on the relationship between workload and recovery. New tools or methods should earn a place in the plan rather than simply making each session harder. The next sections turn that principle into specific decisions.
1. The Wall Sit
The wall sit is an excellent isometric exercise for improving your running speed and endurance. It works the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and core muscles, all of which are necessary for running faster and farther.
- Stand with your back flat against a wall and place your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Slowly slide your back down the wall until your thighs are parallel with the ground.
- Make sure that your knees stay in line with your toes.
- Hold the position for 30 to 60 seconds, depending on your fitness level.
2. The Squat
The squat is a great exercise for improving running speed and explosiveness. It works the muscles of the lower body to help build power and strength, allowing you to move faster and more efficiently.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place your hands either on your hips or in front of your chest.
- Lower yourself down until your thighs are parallel to the ground, keeping your knees behind your toes.
- Hold this position for a few seconds before rising back up.
- Ensure that your back remains straight throughout the entire motion.
3. The Lunge
The lunge is an important exercise for improving running speed and endurance. It works the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, which are all muscles used for running.
- Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Step forward with one leg, bending the knee while keeping your back straight and chest lifted.
- Lower your body until the front thigh is parallel with the floor.
- Press back up to the starting position, then switch legs.
4. The Calf Raise
The calf raise is an essential exercise to improve running speed as it strengthens the calf muscles, which help you to push off the ground and propel yourself forward.
- Stand with your feet together and your hands on a wall for balance if needed.
- Slowly raise up on your toes, hold for a few seconds, and then lower back down to the floor.
- Keep your knees straight during the exercise.
5. The Leg Curl
Leg curls are a great exercise to improve running speed and overall leg strength. This exercise can be done with a resistance band or free weights.
- Start by lying on your stomach and extending your legs in front of you.
- Bend one leg, bringing your heel towards your glutes, then straighten it back out.
- Repeat this motion for 8-12 reps with each leg, keeping your core engaged and back flat on the floor.
6. The Toe Raise
The toe raise is a simple yet effective exercise for improving running speed. This exercise can be performed with or without weights.
- Stand on one foot with your toes pointed out at about a 45-degree angle.
- Slowly lower your heel until it just touches the ground, then raise your body back up onto the toes of your raised foot.
Perform 10-15 repetitions on each foot and repeat the sequence three times per foot.
7. The Knee Tuck
The knee tuck is a great exercise to help improve your running speed and build muscle strength in your lower body. This exercise strengthens the muscles around the knees, helping to protect them from injury while running.
- Begin in a standing position with feet hip-width apart and arms outstretched in front of you.
- With one foot slightly forward, bend both knees and lower your body into a crouching position, with your arms extended for balance.
- Raise your rear knee up as high as you can, bending it at the knee. Hold for a few seconds, then slowly lower your leg back down.
- Do 10 reps of this exercise on each leg.
Sample Weekly Running Speed Workout Plan
Here’s how you can incorporate these exercises into your weekly training routine:
Day 1: Strength and Endurance
- Warm-Up: 5-10 minutes of light jogging or dynamic stretching.
- Wall Sits: 3 sets of 30-60 seconds. For added difficulty and to target specific muscle groups, consider using an exercise ball.
- Squats: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Cool-Down: 5 minutes of stretching focusing on all muscle groups, including the quads, hamstrings, and calves, for a well-rounded fitness regimen.
Programming Considerations
Programming note: Change weekly volume, speed work, hills, or external load gradually. Persistent pain, altered gait, or symptoms that worsen during or after running are reasons to stop and seek individualized guidance.
The Practical Takeaway
Treat the method as a tool, not an identity. Keep what improves the plan and remove what does not.
Limits and Safety
Exercise should be adjusted for the participant's experience, symptoms, environment, and available supervision. Stop for sharp pain, dizziness, chest discomfort, sudden weakness, or loss of control, and seek appropriate professional guidance when symptoms are persistent or concerning.
Start With the Decision That Matters
A strong plan for 7 Exercises to Improve Running Speed connects technique with programming, recovery, and the participant’s current level of control.
Decide whether the priority is skill, strength, muscle development, mobility, work capacity, or general activity. That choice affects exercise order, range of motion, resistance, repetitions, rest, and frequency. A program becomes harder to evaluate when several goals are pursued in the same set without a clear priority.
What to Change—and What to Keep Stable
The main programming variables are exercise selection, setup, range of motion, resistance, repetitions, sets, tempo, rest, frequency, and proximity to fatigue.
- Reduce range, resistance, speed, or complexity when quality begins to change.
- Change one major variable at a time so the response can be interpreted.
- Keep technique standards consistent when load or repetitions increase.
- Use a version that fits the available equipment and the participant’s current control.
A Better Way to Increase Difficulty
Progression is not limited to adding weight. Better control, a smoother range of motion, a longer pause, improved balance, or the same work at a lower perceived effort can all represent progress. Choose the next step that fits the goal. An advanced variation is not an upgrade when it changes the exercise so much that the original objective is lost.
Create a Useful Feedback Loop
A practical review includes:
- where technique first changed
- whether the target goal improved across several sessions
- whether fatigue interfered with other training
- the variation and setup used
When the response differs from the expectation, revisit the setup and assumptions before adding more volume, restriction, or complexity.
