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- Beginner Treadmill Speed Workout
- 1/4-to 10-minute cooldown @ RPE 3
- RW+ Membership Benefits
- Bridge Run With Incline
- 20-This workout is great for speed, agility, and power, according to RRCA-certified run coach
- Advanced Acceleration Workout
- 2 On, 2 Off Speed Workout
- Ladder Intervals
- seconds jog → 30-seconds sprint 5K pace → 30-seconds easy recovery
- Speed Surges
- Save Treadmill Workouts
When cold, dark, rainy, or icy conditions make it tough to get outside, the obvious option is to minute | faster | 5% incline. The good news: Doing speed workouts on the treadmill makes the time seem to fly by faster than Noah Lyles go too fast.
Treadmill workouts have more benefits than just steering clear of bad weather, though. “You can accurately control the pace, incline, interval, and recovery,” Selena Samuela, Peloton tread instructor, previously told Runner’s World.
So, we asked five running coaches to recommend their favorite speed workouts for the treadmill. Keep in mind, the paces in the workouts below are merely suggestions. While it’s great to stick to them if you can, there’s no harm in slowing down if you feel you need to.
Download Treadmill speed Workouts
Some workouts are based on your rate of perceived exertion, some are based on your race pace (take a look at our pace charts if you’re not sure what your goal 5K pace is vs. a marathon pace), and some are based on how the efforts feel. For instance, an easy warmup should feel like you can hold a conversation without issue. A fast interval might feel like your 5K pace where you’re working hard but not going all out. And a sprint should feel like the final kick of a race when you’re giving it everything you’ve got.
Beginner Treadmill Speed Workout
While the “ideal” speed workout depends on the race distance you’re training for, Janet Hamilton, run coach and owner of Running Strong, says this workout is a great option for those new to faster workouts overall.
How to do it:
- 1 mile | easy warmup
- 4 you’re training for
- 4 to 6 x 1/4-minute | fastest | 0% incline | 1/4-mile recovery in between
- 1 minute run @ RPE 7 to 8 | recover for 2 minutes @ RPE 3
1/4-to 10-minute cooldown @ RPE 3
This workout is great for speed, agility, and power, according to RRCA-certified run coach Lindsey Clayton, Barry’s How to Keep Legs Fresh Brave Body Project. “This workout will benefit runners training for a 5K, 10K, half marathon, and even marathon,” she says.
How to do it:
- 1 mile | easy warmup
- 10 x 1/4-minute | fastest | 0% incline
- 60- to 90-seconds easy recovery in between efforts
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RW+ Membership Benefits
Want to boost your speed and endurance? Give this workout a try, whether you’re training for a 5K or a marathon, according to RRCA-certified run coach Amber Rees, Barry’s How to Keep Legs Fresh Brave Body Project.
How to do it:
- 5 minutes | easy warmup
- 5 minutes @ half marathon pace | 1-minute easy recovery
- 4 Tempo Runs: Get Comfortable With the Uncomfortable
- 3 minutes @ 5K pace | 2-minute easy recovery
- 3 minutes @ 5K pace | 2-minute easy recovery
- 4 Tempo Runs: Get Comfortable With the Uncomfortable
- 5 minutes @ half marathon pace
- Easy cooldown
Bridge Run With Incline
This workout is great for building your running economy and cardiovascular endurance and power, says Clayton. “Adding hills into your training provides variety and will mimic the diverse terrain of outdoor hills and bridges,” she says.
How to do it:
- 5 minutes | easy warmup
- 1 to 2 minutes | easy
- 1 minute | fast | 3% incline
- 1 minute | fast | 4% incline
- 1 minute | faster | 5% incline
- 1 minute | easy | 0% incline
- 1-minute | slightly hard | 0% incline
- 1-ldquo;This workout will benefit runners training for a
- 1-minute | fastest | 0% incline
- 1- This Training Switch Led Me to Love Summer Running
- Repeat this pattern up to 4 times total
20-This workout is great for speed, agility, and power, according to RRCA-certified run coach
“This workout builds strength, power, speed, and endurance and will work both the aerobic and anaerobic system,” Rees says. “Sprinting will help increase your VO2 max, helping your lungs absorb oxygen and use it more efficiently.”
How to do it:
- 4-minute | easy warmup
- 30-seconds jog → 30-seconds sprint (5K pace) → 30-seconds easy recovery
- Minute Sprint Workout
- 30-seconds hard pace → 30-seconds sprint (5K pace) → 30-seconds easy recovery
- Minute Sprint Workout
- Treadmill Ladder Workout for Endurance & Strength
- 5 to 10 Download Your Training Plan
Advanced Acceleration Workout
There are no recovery intervals in this speed workout recommended by Hamilton—just steady acceleration. “If you aerobic and anaerobic system in the beginning, you’ll pay the price toward the end, so this workout really requires strict discipline and pace awareness,” she says.
How to do it:
- 1-mile | easy warmup
- 1-2 minute | faster | 5% incline
- 1 mile @ half marathon pace
- 1/2-mile @ 10K pace
- 1/2-minute | fastest | 0% incline
- 1-minute run @ RPE 7 to 8 | recover for 2 minutes @ RPE 3
2 On, 2 Off Speed Workout
Save Treadmill Workouts fartlek session, you’ll alternate hard effort with easy effort every 2 minutes, says certified RRCA-certified run coach and personal trainer Erica Coviello. “Try to keep your hard efforts around the same pace throughout the workout,” she says.
Beginner option: Run the hard effort, walk the recovery. This workout is great for speed, agility, and power, according to RRCA-certified run coach: Keep the walking to a minimum in your recovery—if you need to stop or walk longer, try pulling back on the hard effort just a bit.
How to do it:
- 5 minutes | easy warmup
- 2 minutes @ hard effort (10K or 5K pace) | 2 minutes easy recovery
- ldquo;Try to keep your hard efforts around the same pace throughout the workout,” she says
- 3-Download Your Training Plan
Ladder Intervals
“This workout keeps your brain engaged because you’re always adjusting the interval length,” says Karina Ripps, a certified run coach and personal trainer. “Plus, it’s a great mix of speed and endurance, which is perfect for runners looking to build confidence with faster paces.”
This workout goes by your rate of perceived exertion (RPE), where 1 is super easy, like you could sing along to the songs on your playlist, and 10 is all-out sprint mode where you’re running at your max effort and can’t speak.
How to do it:
- 10-minute warmup @ RPE of 3 to 4
- 1-minute run @ RPE 8 | recover for 1 minute @ RPE 3
- 2-minute run @ RPE 7 to 8 | recover for 2 minutes @ RPE 3
- 3-minute run @ RPE 7 | recover for 3 minutes @ RPE 3
- Reverse the ladder: 3 minutes hard, 2 minutes hard, and 1 minute hard, with equal recovery time after each
- 5- to 10-minute cooldown @ RPE 3
seconds jog → 30-seconds sprint 5K pace → 30-seconds easy recovery
This workout from Ripps starts out manageably, but gets harder. “It mimics how you’d feel during the final miles of a race, so it’s amazing practice for pacing and digging deep when it counts,” she says. You’ll use the same RPE scale as the workout above.
How to do it:
- 10-minute warmup @ RPE 3 to 4
- 10-minute run @ RPE 6 to 7
- 5-minute run @ at RPE 7 to 8
- 5-minute run @ RPE 8
- 5- to 10-minute cooldown @ RPE 3
Speed Surges
“These short bursts teach you how to Marathon Training Plans quickly and recover well, which are skills that come in handy during races or hilly courses,” Ripps says. “Plus, they’re quick and effective if you’re short on time.” Follow the same RPE scale as the two workouts above.
How to do it:
- 10-minute warmup @ RPE 3 to 4
- 30-second run @ RPE 8 to 9 | recover for 1 minute @ RPE 3
- Your Run/Walks Need a Treadmill
- 5- to 10-minute cooldown at RPE 3
Save Treadmill Workouts
Danielle Zickl is a freelance writer who has 10 years of experience covering fitness, health, and nutrition. She's a graduate of Ithaca College. You can find her work here on Women's Health, and in many other publications including PS, SELF, Well+Good, Runner’s World, Outside RUN, Peloton, Men’s Fitness, and more.
