Most of us know that feeling of crossing the finish line of a 10K, checking your watch, and realizing you just missed a personal best. Frustrating, right? To shave time off of your PB, you not only need to log the miles, but you also need to train smarter. These three sessions aren’t your typical “just run faster” advice—they’re designed to make you stronger, sharper and ready to smash that PB. If you want to break through that plateau, you need workouts that push your speed, endurance and mental grit.
Perfect pyramid intervals
Pyramid intervals build speed endurance by challenging different energy systems throughout the workout, and help you practise running fast on tired legs.
Warmup: 10 minutes of easy running, followed by some dynamic drills.
The workout: 400 metres at 5K race pace.
800 metres at 10K race pace.
1,200 metres at half-marathon race pace.
800 metres at 10K race pace.
400 metres at 5K race pace.
Rest for 2 minutes between intervals.
Cooldown: 10 minutes of easy running.
Long hill repeats
While we love to hate hill repeats, they’re a worthwhile investment of training time—they build leg strength, power and mental toughness, crucial for maintaining both speed and form on race day.
Warmup: 10 minutes of easy running followed by some dynamic drills.
The workout: Find a hill that takes about 2-3 minutes to run up.
Run uphill for 2-3 minutes with a steady effort, so that you’re working hard but can maintain a consistent pace.
Jog or walk down to recover.
Start with 4 repeats and build up to 6-8 repeats over time.
Cooldown: 10 minutes of easy running.
Tempo run with surges
This workout improves your ability to sustain a fast pace over a longer distance, while the surges help to simulate race conditions and improve your ability to handle changes in pace.
Warmup: 10 minutes of easy jogging, followed by some dynamic drills.
Workout: 20 minutes at tempo pace (just under your 10K race pace).
Every 5 minutes include a 30-second surge at 5K race pace.
Cooldown: 10 minutes of easy running and static stretches.
Remember to take a rest day or a very easy running day following any harder workout (like these), and fuel well before and after your training session.
