The “Mona Fartlek” is a concentrate of intensity and fun: 20 minutes of continuous pace changes that teach your body to recover while running fast.
- The Time: The Mona Fartlek lasts exactly 20 minutes (plus warm-up and cool-down).
- The Ladder: The structure descends: 2×90″, 4×60″, 4×30″, 4×15″.
- The Recovery: The recovery matches the effort time, but it is a “float” (active running, not slow jogging).
- The Goal: Perfect for improving speed and the ability to clear lactate without stopping.
- The Trap: Avoid starting too fast on the 90-second blocks.
20 Minutes to Shift Gears: Steve Moneghetti’s Secret
If you think getting fast requires hours on the track or endless, boring intervals, meet Steve Moneghetti. A legendary Australian marathoner (Bronze at the ’97 Athens World Championships), Steve had a problem common to many of us: he wanted a workout that was intense and effective, but also fun enough to break the monotony.
Thus, the “Mona Fartlek” was born.
This isn’t just random speed play. It is a precise structure compressed into just 20 minutes. It provides an adrenaline rush that forces you to constantly shift gears, moving from aerobic endurance to pure speed.
If you have already tried our Time-Based Fartlek, you know how liberating it is to run by time rather than miles. The Moneghetti takes this concept to a higher level of intensity and structure.
The “Mona Fartlek” Structure: 90-60-30-15
Set your watch timer or memorize the sequence well, because you won’t have much time to think. After a solid 15–20 minute warm-up, here is the heart of the work:
- 2 reps of 90 seconds (with 90 seconds “float” recovery).
- 4 reps of 60 seconds (with 60 seconds “float” recovery).
- 4 reps of 30 seconds (with 30 seconds “float” recovery).
- 4 reps of 15 seconds (with 15 seconds “float” recovery).
Total: Exactly 20 minutes.
You will notice the recovery time always equals the effort time. This feels generous at the start (90 seconds of rest is a lot!), but it becomes brutal by the end, when you only have 15 seconds to catch your breath before sprinting again.
The Secret Is the Recovery: Mastering the “Float”
Here lies the magic (and the pain) of this workout. Steve Moneghetti didn’t walk during recovery. He didn’t even jog slowly.
He used what we technically call a “float.”
This means the recovery is run at a “brisk” pace—think steady state or moderate pace, not slow.
Think of a car: When you do the fast parts (the “on” intervals), you are in 4th or 5th gear, pedal to the metal. When you recover, you don’t put it in neutral. You simply downshift to 3rd gear, but the engine stays revved.
This teaches your body to “recycle” lactate and recover while you are still moving at a good clip. It is the difference between runners who stop as soon as they get tired and those who can hold on during the final miles of a race.
Execution Strategy: Don’t Burn Out Early
The classic rookie mistake in the Mona Fartlek is launching like a rocket in the first 90 seconds.
If you run the first 90s at sprint speed, the “float” recovery becomes impossible, and you will find yourself walking with hands on knees before you even reach the 30-second reps.
- The 90s & 60s: Run around your 5K or 10K race pace. Controlled, hard, but not max effort.
- The 30s: Here you can start to open the throttle. Push harder.
- The 15s: This is pure fun (and suffering). Go almost all out. It’s a sprint, and the recovery is so short it will feel like one continuous block of speed.
Scheduling: When to Use It
This isn’t a workout for marathon race week. It is a construction workout. It is perfect to insert when you want to “wake up” the legs, when you are short on time but want to feel like you worked hard, or during a base phase to improve your raw speed and aerobic power.
Will it leave you tired? Yes.
Will you have fun? Absolutely. Because there is nothing better than watching the clock count down and knowing the finish line is getting closer fast.