A progression run is a type of workout where you gradually increase your speed over the course of the session, teaching your body to manage fatigue and run fast when you’re already tired—a crucial skill for improving your race performance.
- A progression run is a workout where you start at a controlled pace and finish at a strong pace.
- It’s the key workout for learning how to manage your energy in a race and avoid fading at the end.
- It improves the body’s ability to use fat as fuel in the early stages and tolerate lactate in the final stages.
- It teaches the brain not to associate fatigue with an inevitable slowdown, building mental resilience.
- There are several ways to structure it: by thirds, with a fast finish, or by feel.
- The most common and serious mistake is starting out too fast, which negates all the benefits of the workout.
Do You Finish Races on Empty? You Might Be Missing the Most Important Workout.
It’s the oldest story in amateur running. The first few miles of a race, you feel like a lion. Adrenaline is pumping, your legs feel light, you’re passing people, you feel invincible. “Today’s the day,” you think. Then, slowly but surely, something gives. Your breathing gets heavier, your legs turn to lead, and the people you passed earlier now glide by you at a pace that seems impossible. You cross the finish line depleted, with the frustration of knowing you didn’t manage your energy well.
If this scene sounds familiar, it’s not because you lack “grit” or willpower. Most likely, the blame lies with a missing piece in your training plan. It’s a type of session that may not have the brutal appeal of track repeats, but it’s infinitely more useful for becoming a smart, strategic runner: the progression run.
What Is a Progression Run and Why It Teaches You to Be a Better Runner
The definition is disarmingly simple: a progression run is an outing where you start slow and finish fast. Instead of starting at a strong pace only to fade, you do the exact opposite. You begin at a deliberately controlled, almost slow, pace and gradually increase your speed as the miles go by, closing out the workout at the fastest pace planned for that session.
Think of your body as a hybrid car. In the first part of the progression run, you teach it to be fuel-efficient, to use its fat reserves (the “electric battery”). In the second part, as the tank of easy energy starts to run low, you teach it to fire up the “gas engine,” to run fast even when your legs are already tired.
This is a workout that builds not just your muscles, but especially your brain. It teaches your mind that fatigue doesn’t have to mean slowing down. In fact, it teaches you that you can speed up precisely when the going gets tough.
The 3 Benefits of Finishing Your Workout Stronger Than You Started
- You learn to manage fatigue: This is its primary function. The progression run forces you to develop a deep awareness of your body and your effort level. It teaches you to recognize the difference between “good fatigue” and the “start of a breakdown”—a sensitivity that is worth its weight in gold on race day.
- You improve your speed endurance: You teach your body to be efficient at clearing lactic acid while you’re still running at a sustained pace. This is the ability that allows you to hold a fast pace in the final miles of a race.
- It’s a “sustainable” training stimulus: Unlike a maximal-effort interval session that can leave its mark for days, the progression run is a less “destructive” quality workout. Because the most intense part is concentrated at the end and is shorter, the required recovery time is lower, allowing you to train more consistently.
How to Do a Progression Run: 3 Practical Examples
There isn’t just one way to do a progression run. You can structure it based on your fitness level and your goals. Here are three classic models.
The “Rule of Thirds” Progression (Slow, Medium, Fast)
This is the most structured method, perfect for beginners. Divide the total distance of your workout into three equal blocks.
- Example for a 12 km run:
- First 4 km (Slow): Run at a pace 25-30 seconds slower than your marathon pace. It should feel easy.
- Middle 4 km (Medium): Increase the pace to your marathon or half-marathon pace. The effort becomes noticeable.
- Final 4 km (Fast): Push to your 10k race pace or slightly faster. This is where you work hard.
The Fast-Finish Progression (for Long Runs)
This is a killer workout for preparing for a half or full marathon. It simulates exactly what you need to do in a race: accelerate on tired legs.
- Example for a 90-minute long run:
- First 70 minutes: Run at an easy, regenerative long-run pace.
- Last 20 minutes: Start to gradually increase your speed. Every 5 minutes, drop your pace by a few seconds per kilometer, until you’re running the final 5 minutes at a pace close to your half-marathon effort.
The Progression by Feel (to Learn to Listen to Your Body)
This is the advanced level, where your watch becomes a guide, not a master. This is the workout that turns you into a truly mindful athlete.
- How to do it: Head out for your run without a specific pace plan. Start very slowly. After the first fifteen minutes, when you feel your body is warm, ask yourself: “Can I go a little faster without getting out of breath?” If the answer is yes, speed up slightly. Keep asking yourself this question every 5-10 minutes, accelerating gradually and in a controlled manner until you finish the last part of the workout feeling a strong but manageable effort.
The One Mistake You Must Not Make: Starting Too Fast
There is only one way to completely ruin a progression run: giving in to the temptation to start out fast. If the first part of the workout doesn’t feel absurdly easy, almost ridiculously so, you’re doing it wrong.
The progression run is an exercise in discipline and patience. The fatigue is supposed to come, but it should arrive at the end, when you decide it’s time. Starting too fast means burning through the energy you need for the quality portion of the workout, turning a progression run into a “regression run.” And unfortunately, that’s something we all know how to do far too well on race day.