Running Try These Running Workouts to Increase Speed and Build Endurance Add Variety With 30-Minute Workouts By Christine Luff, ACE-CPT Updated on June 10, 2024 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 Print One of the great benefits of running is that you get a lot of bang for your buck. Even if you only have a half-hour to fit in a run, you can still burn a lot of calories and work on building your strength, speed, and endurance. These four quick but effective 30-minute running workouts will add variety to your regular runs. Verywell / Ryan Kelly 1 30-Minute Hill Workout Running hills is an effective workout that burns a lot of calories. Running on the treadmill is a great way to train on hills because you can control the grade and your knees and quadriceps won’t get the stress of the downhills. Warmup Warm up with a 10-minute easy jog or walk. Toward the end of your warmup, increase your speed for 10 seconds two or three times to get your legs used to turning over faster. Break these quick strides up with walking or even standing still. Main Set Once you've completed the warm-up, it's time to move on to the main part of your running workout. Always follow up with a slower recovery period and then a cooldown. Work interval: If you're on a treadmill, increase the incline to 3% or 4% and run for 1 minute. If you're running outside, look for a moderate hill that will take about a minute to run up. Run at a hard effort—similar to how you would feel if you were racing a 5K. Your breathing should be a bit labored and your legs should start to feel tired after a couple of repeats. Recovery interval: Lower incline to 1% and reduce your speed. Run for 1 minute at an easy pace. If you're running outside, recover downhill. Go at an easy pace (walk if you have to) to get your breathing back to normal. Repeat work and recovery intervals six more times for seven work/rest intervals. Cool down: After your last recovery interval, finish with another six minutes of easy jogging. Don't skip the cooldown part of your running workouts to allow your body to recover gradually and return to your normal heart rate. Try It Out Warmup: 10-minute easy jogWork interval: 1 minute run hard effort @ 3% to 4% inclineRest interval: 1 minute at easy pace @ 1% inclineRepeat: Repeat work/rest interval six more timesCooldown: 6 minutes easy jogging 2 30-Minute Ladder Workout Ladders are always fun to add to running workouts because they make time fly by. As you're working on one interval, your mind is distracted because you're thinking about the next. With each interval, you'll increase the pace, as if climbing a ladder (but you'll also do shorter segments as you go faster). Running different paces is also an excellent boredom buster! If you're not sure what marathon, half-marathon, 10K, or 5K pace feels like, just focus on running each interval faster than the last. You should feel your heart rate increasing and your breathing should become more labored with each interval. The key is to not start the first interval too fast. You need to be able to increase your pace for the remaining four intervals. For recovery intervals, go at an easy pace. A slow jog is a good pace for recovery, but you can also walk. Try It Out Warmup: 5 minutes of easy jogging Work interval: 5 minutes at marathon pace (or 5 out of 10 on a perceived exertion scale of 1 to 10) Recovery interval: 1 minute at easy pace Work interval: 4 minutes at half-marathon pace (or 6 out of 10 PE) Recovery interval: 1 minute at easy pace Work interval: 3 minutes at 10K pace (7 out of 10 PE) Recovery interval: 1 minute at easy pace Work interval: 2 minutes at 5K pace (8 out of 10 PE) Recovery interval: 1 minute at easy pace Work interval: 1 minute at hard (sprint) pace (9 out of 10 PE) Recovery interval: 1 minute at easy pace Cooldown: 5 minutes easy jogging 3 30-Minute Run and Strength Combo Workout If you want to add more strengthening to your running workouts but you forget to exercise after your run, this is a good program. You'll combine run intervals with muscle-strengthening exercises for a total body workout. Try It Out Warmup: 5-minute easy jog Run interval: 1 minute at 5K pace Strength interval: 1 minute squats Run: 2 minutes at 5K pace Strength: 1 minute walking lunges Run: 3 minutes at 5K pace Strength: 1 minute donkey kicks Run: 4 minutes at 5K pace Strength: 1 minute tricep dips Run: 5 minutes at 5K pace Strength: 1 minute push-ups Cooldown: 5-minute easy jog 4 30-Minute Sprint Interval Workout Short bursts of speed help build strength, increase aerobic capacity, and get your legs used to the faster turnover. This is a fun outdoor running workout, whether on a track or road, but can also be done on a treadmill. Set an easy pace for your recovery intervals. This can mean a slow jog, but walking is fine if you need a slower pace. Try It Out Warmup: 5-minute easy jogRun: 30-second speed interval (start with a fast, but not sprinting, pace for the first two or three times, then sprint full-out for the remaining intervals)Recover: 1 minute at easy paceRepeat: Do run/recover cycle again for total of 20 minutesCooldown: 5-minute easy jog Start Your Running Workouts Starting a running routine, especially as a beginner, will take time and dedication. If you're embarking on a running journey, speak to your healthcare provider. Once cleared, investing in a proper pair of running shoes will be critical in helping you stay injury-free as you increase running mileage. Additional gear like sports bras and dedicated running shorts can keep you comfortable, too. From here, if you're a beginner, start with a walk/run routine, alternating between bursts of running and walking. Over time, you'll eventually increase the amount of time during running workouts. If you're an intermediate or advanced runner, you'll work on increasing your cadence and pace with the help of different types of runs. Incorporate fartleks, speed runs, hill runs, long runs, and recovery runs into your training to change up and improve your running. Frequently Asked Questions How long should a running workout be? Beginners should aim for at least a 20-to-30-minute run to start. As you add more miles to your week, go by the 10% rule—only increase your overall mileage by 10% every week. This helps reduce the risk of overtraining and injury. Is a 30-minute run effective? A 30-minute run can be very effective. Whether you're doing a recovery run or a speed run, putting in 30 minutes of cardio can help you boost your heart health and running endurance. 2 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. Yusof ZM, Misiran M, Ibrahim A. Running designs that affect calories burned. JSSPJ. 2018;7(2):103-112. doi:10.37134/jsspj.vol7.2.10.2018 Gist NH, Fedewa MV, Dishman RK, Cureton KJ. Sprint interval training effects on aerobic capacity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2014;44(2):269–279. doi:10.1007/s40279-013-0115-0 By Christine Luff, ACE-CPT Christine knows that the right fitness gear can improve your motivation and workouts. She uses her expertise and experience as a fitness writer and personal trainer to recommend products she can stand behind. 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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