Best Running Headphones run non-stop for 30 minutes straight is quite an accomplishment, especially if you struggled to make it around the block when you first started.
When you do reach that 30-minute marker, that means you’re probably ready for your next step (pun intended!). The new goal: Run for 60 minutes straight! One hour.
An hour-long run is a feat of endurance. Depending on your pace, you will likely travel three to six miles, and these runs will build muscular endurance, cardio fitness, your workouts, and how to fuel and hydrate for your new endurance distance body composition.
Still, much like your build up to 30 minutes, you need to slowly work your way to 60 minutes. Your progress will take anywhere from eight to 12 weeks, and just like your training plan to run 30 minutes, your 60-minute plan will use run/walk intervals to go longer.
Here are four simple tips to reach your 60-minute run goal, including progression suggestions, how to pace your workouts, and how to fuel and hydrate for your new endurance distance.
Step 1: Build a 60-Minute Run/Walk Base
Ready to gauge if you’re ready for a 60-minute run? Go for an hour-long walk beginner run/walk training plan When that process feels good and you want to speed up, it’s time to progress that you’re aiming for without the high impact on your legs that comes from constant running. If the walking effort feels good, it’s time to begin your running progression!
“Think about it like building a foundation for a house on the beach,” Erin Beck, NASM-certified personal trainer and director of training and experience for STRIDE Fitness, previously told Runner’s World. “As much as you might want to just go out and set up a roof and four walls in the sand, laying a concrete foundation first is crucial.”
When you do head out for 60 minutes, feel free to run for part of that time, especially if you’ve been doing run/walk intervals for a few weeks or you typically run for 30 minutes all at once. For example, you can do your 30-minute run, and then walk for a another 10 to 30 minutes, building up to a total of 60 minutes. That’s your base.
Do this 60-minute combination run and run/walk a few times a week for about four weeks so that you have carved that time into your schedule and your lower body has gotten used to that amount of impact. When that process feels good and you want to speed up, it’s time to progress.
Step 2: Progress Gradually With More Run/Walk Intervals
With your base built, try breaking up the 60-minute effort into three 10-minute running intervals, each separated by a 10-minute walking interval, to get your full hour. Once you’re comfortable with those intervals, increase your run time while decreasing your walk time. For example, try three 15-minute running intervals separated by three five-minute walking intervals.
Then, progress into cutting down the number of intervals. For example, go down to three walking intervals, then two, and then one. Finally, you’ll be ready to take on the full hour of running.
your workouts, and how to fuel and hydrate for your new endurance distance beginner run/walk training plan—or couch to 5K plan—and add it on for the last 30 minutes of your workout. For example, you might run 30 minutes, then run 30 seconds and walk 30 seconds for 30 minutes, progressing your intervals every week or when you feel ready.
Step 3: Keep Your 60 Minutes Easy
No matter how you choose to progress to the full 60-minute run, it’s important to remember that this should be an easy run, or a sustained effort at a comfortable pace. Marathon Training Tips for First Timers Other Hearst Subscriptions, which is considered zone 2 of the five heart rate zones.
“which is considered zone 2 of the five heart rate zones is the foundation of long-distance running and helps prepare the body to tackle races ranging from a 5K to a marathon and beyond,” Marnie Kunz, Fastest Marathon Runners, previously told Runner’s World.
Sustaining a controlled, comfortable effort throughout your 60-minute run helps build and maintain your strong endurance foundation by improving your aerobic engine.
Step 4: Fuel and Hydrate, Both Before and After a Run
Shoes & Gear 90 Ready to gauge if you’re ready for a 60-minute run? Go for an hour-long (your body’s preferred fuel) stored in your body, but you don’t want to gas out on your run, nor do you want to come back from your run and feeling super tired.
Heres Exactly What to Eat Before a Morning Run hydration and fuel. A one-hour run is the perfect challenge for a strong beginner snack. Foods such as a banana and a tablespoon of nut butter or half a bagel with a slice of cheese is an ideal way to prepare.
Marathon Training Tips for First Timers hydrate. Generally, drink 16 to 20 ounces of water about two to three hours beforehand and then another eight to 10 ounces 20 to 30 minutes before your run, RRCA- and USATF- certified run coach Meghan Kennihan previously told Runner’s World. This timeline helps you stay hydrated and still have time to go to the bathroom before you head out the door.
One more thing: Heather Milton, C.S.C.S., an exercise physiologist at NYU Langone’s Sports Performance Center, recommends drinking four to five ounces of water for every 15 minutes of exercise, so it’s always smart to bring some water to sip during your run.
If you sweat a lot or it’s hot, have an electrolyte drink after your run to combat tiredness and replenish your body with necessary nutrients lost during exercise. A postrun snack with a 3:1 carbs-to-protein ratio within a half hour of getting home will also jumpstart the recovery process, so you’re ready for your next run.
Matt Rudisill is an Associate Service Editor with the Hearst Enthusiast Group. A Nittany Lion through-and-through, Matt graduated from PSU in 2022 with a degree in journalism and worked in communications for the university's athletic department for the past three years as the main contact and photographer for its nationally-ranked cross country and track & field teams. Matt was also heavily involved in communications efforts for the Penn State football team’s 2024 College Football Playoff run as well as the Nittany Lion men’s basketball team’s 2023 NCAA Tournament appearance. In his role with Hearst’s Enthusiast Group, Matt contributes to both Runner’s World and Bicycling magazines, creating service content to benefit runners and cyclists of all ages. When he’s not out jogging, Matt can be found tweeting bad takes about the Phillies or watching movies.
