Some people prefer the physical and mental tests of long, steady endurance runs; but there's another breed of runners with an appetite for speed. The training requirements for short, fast races are different than what you may do for an endurance event such as a marathon. The 400-meter and 800-meter track events are endurance sprints, requiring the ability to maintain intense speed over moderate distances. If you're training for these events, you've got to include a variety of workouts to condition your anaerobic pathways to quickly and efficiently convert glycogen to energy.

Speed Endurance

A speed endurance workout will require you to adapt to lactic acid buildup and oxygen deficiency. You should perform these workouts as intervals, which create a total distance that is 2.5 times the distance of your race. For 400-meter races, your workout distance should total 1,000 meters; for an 800-meter race, it should be 2,000 meters. Repeat intervals with distances between 100 and 600 meters until you have reached your target distance total. Allow about 10 minutes of recovery between intervals.

Tempo Endurance

A tempo endurance run will improve your endurance and shorten your recovery times. Keep your focus on distance -- rather than speed -- for these workouts. The total distance should be around four times the length of your race. Keep your intervals around 200 to 400 meters each and only allow yourself two to three minutes of recovery between them.

Power Speed

Power speed workouts will increase the speed of your muscle contractions, emphasizing the explosive strength required to attain speed at the beginning of a race. You will need resistance to complete these workouts, such as hills or a speed resistance harness. Keep each interval under 10 seconds and complete no more than 10 intervals. Allow several minutes of rest between intervals to recover as much as possible. Every interval should be at your maximum effort

Strength Endurance

To do a strength endurance workout, you will need to do resistance intervals that are longer than 10 seconds each. Your resistance can include hills, stadium steps or a speed resistance harness. For example, you could do six one-minute intervals of stadium steps or six 150-meter runs with a speed resistance harness.


Always consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. If you're new to track conditioning, seek the guidance of a knowledgeable fitness professional or coach.


  • 52 Weeks of Track and Speed Workouts; Stephanie Atwood
  • Fundamentals of Track and Field; By Gerry Carr and Gerald A. Carr

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