Fartlek Training for Runners Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Running Beginners Fartlek Training for Runners Speed Play to Improve Your Pace and Endurance By Christine Luff, ACE-CPT Christine Luff, ACE-CPT Christine Many Luff is a personal trainer, fitness nutrition specialist, and Road Runners Club of America Certified Coach. Learn about our editorial process Updated on August 03, 2022 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by John Honerkamp Reviewed by John Honerkamp John Honerkamp is an RRCA and USATF certified running coach, celebrity marathon pacer, and recognized leader in the New York City running community. Learn about our Review Board Print Verywell / Ryan Kelly Fartlek is a Swedish term that means "speed play." Fartlek training is a form of interval or speed training that can be effective in improving your running speed and endurance. Fartlek running involves varying your pace throughout your run, alternating between fast segments and slow jogs. Fartlek Training Benefits While traditional interval training uses specific timed or measured segments, fartleks are more unstructured. Work-rest intervals are based on how the body feels. With fartlek training, you can experiment with pace and endurance as you run, which helps you tune in to your body and how it is performing. Many runners, especially beginners, enjoy fartlek training because it involves speed work, but it is more flexible and less demanding than traditional interval training. Another benefit of fartlek training is that it doesn't have to be done on a track and can be done on all-terrain, such as roads, trails, or hills. Plus, you won't need a stopwatch to time your intervals. Fartlek training puts a little extra stress on your system, eventually leading to faster speeds and improving your anaerobic threshold. Improving your anaerobic threshold can boost your body's ability to train longer at higher intensities. This happens due to increases in your VO2 max, which is a measure of how much oxygen you can take in and use. A better VO2 Max generally leads to increased performance. Disadvantages of fartlek training include a higher risk of injury and strain, especially for beginners who are more prone to shin splints. Fartlek training is also demanding, so you shouldn't do it every day. How to Do Fartlek Workouts To do a fartlek workout, try introducing some brief periods of slightly higher pace into your regular runs. Maintain the faster pace for a short distance or time interval, such as 200 meters or 30 seconds. The intervals can vary throughout your workout, and you can use landmarks such as streetlights or telephone poles to mark your segments (rather than measuring out those 200 meters). Once you complete a fast segment, slow your pace to below your normal running pace until you fully recover and your breathing has returned to normal. Then return to running at your normal pace, and incorporate more slightly fast intervals later in the run. Fartlek runs should be fairly short since they are more intense. The actual higher pace portion of the run should last about 30 seconds. You can gradually add more time to this faster-paced portion as you improve, up to 60 seconds. Fartlek Training Example Here's an example of a 40- to 45-minute fartlek workout suitable for beginners. 10-minute warm-up at an easy pace1 minute on (fast pace), 2 minutes off (easy), 2 minutes on, 1 minute offRepeat the fartlek set 3 to 4 times10-minute cool-down at an easy pace 30-60-90 Mixed Interval Training Workout Fartlek Training on a Treadmill When you don't want to enjoy your speed play outside, you can do a treadmill fartlek workout. If you watch television during your treadmill time, you might use commercials as a time to go into a speed interval. At the gym, you can make a game of it and do your sprint when a new person gets onto or off of a machine near you. Another option is to speed up during the chorus of songs on your playlist or when certain songs play. This can help relieve treadmill boredom. One precaution is that you'll need to use the buttons on your treadmill to increase and decrease the pace. Since this can slow you down and disrupt your form, you may prefer to use longer durations for each phase, so you have less contact with the control panel. A Word From Verywell Fartlek training is an excellent way to add some variety, fun, and interest to your running training. This type of speed work can also boost your performance, increase your cardiovascular output, and allow you to run at higher intensities for longer periods. Keep in mind that beginners should go slow when introducing fartlek training into their workouts. It is more intense and can lead to a greater risk of injuries and strains, such as shin splints. Get help from a running coach if you are unsure how to add fartlek training to your routine. Finding the Best Pace for You as a Beginner Runner 4 Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Bacon AP, Carter RE, Ogle EA, Joyner MJ. VO2max trainability and high intensity interval training in humans: a meta-analysis. PLoS ONE. 2013;8(9):e73182. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0073182 Mazurek K, Zmijewski P, Krawczyk K, et al. High intensity interval and moderate continuous cycle training in a physical education programme improves health-related fitness in young females. Biol Sport. 2016;33(2):139-44. doi:10.5604/20831862.1198626 Scribbans TD, Vecsey S, Hankinson PB, Foster WS, Gurd BJ. The effect of training intensity on VO2max in young healthy adults: a meta-regression and meta-analysis. Int J Exerc Sci. 2016;9(2):230–247. Kumar P. Effect of fartlek training for developing endurance ability among athletes. Int J Phys Ed Sports Health. 2015; 2(2): 291-293 By Christine Luff, ACE-CPT Christine Many Luff is a personal trainer, fitness nutrition specialist, and Road Runners Club of America Certified Coach. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? 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