How to Run Faster
Sprinting is a skill, and skills can be learned. This guide explains, step by step and with diagrams, how to get faster off the mark and faster at full speed: the technique, the drills, the strength work and the training plan.
Start with the basics Find your program By Allan Smith, head coach at Edinburgh Sprint Coach: 4× British Champion, GB International and UKA Level 3 coach. Updated October 2026.The short answer
To run faster, train acceleration and top speed separately, fast and fresh. For acceleration, lean forward, push the ground back and keep your feet low in the first steps. At top speed, run tall and strike the ground under your hips. Sprint flat out for short distances with full rest, add drills, jumps and hamstring strength, and do it twice a week for at least six weeks. Test at the start and the end so you know it's working.
Speed = step length × step rate
Your running speed is how far each step goes multiplied by how many steps you take each second. You get longer steps by pushing harder into the ground, not by reaching. You keep a high step rate with good mechanics. Reaching for a longer step lands your foot in front of you and acts like a brake.
Every sprint also has two phases that need different technique: acceleration (the first 20–40 metres, leaning and pushing) and top speed (running tall). Most people reach their top speed somewhere around 30–40 metres; trained sprinters keep accelerating to about 50–60 metres.
1–4: How to accelerate faster
- Lean and push back. You can only push the ground backwards if your body leans forward. Stand up straight and the push goes into the air.
- Keep your feet low. In the first steps the swinging foot skims the ground and strikes back down under your hips. Kicking the heel up behind you wastes time.
- Rise gradually. Your body angle rises a little with every step. Pop up early and you lose the push.
- Start powerfully. Big arm swings, a full push off the front leg, and no false step backwards.
5–8: How to run faster at top speed
- Run tall. Hips high, head level, no sitting. Imagine a string pulling the top of your head up.
- Strike under your hips. The foot lands just in front of the hips on the ball of the foot, already moving backwards.
- Heel up, knee up. The heel folds up under the hips and the knee drives through in front. Most of the leg action happens in front of your body.
- Use your arms and stay relaxed. Hands from hip to lip, elbows about 90°, loose jaw and hands. Tension is a brake.
Why arms matter: your arms balance your legs. Hands that swing across the body twist your shoulders and waste energy. Big, powerful swings matter most in the first steps; at top speed they stay strong but relaxed.
Fast and relaxed: the fastest sprinters look smooth. Straining usually makes you tighter and slower. Run at full speed, but hold your form.
9: Do drills that carry over to sprinting
Drills break sprinting into pieces you can practise slowly, then put back together. These five carry over best:
Wall drill
Hands on a wall, body at 45°. Drive one knee forward and up, toes up, then switch. Teaches the push position.
Falling starts
Stand tall, fall forward as one straight piece, then sprint 10m. Teaches the lean without thinking.
A-skip
A skipping march: knee up, toes up, punch the foot down under the hips. Teaches quick, springy contacts.
Flying sprints
Build up over 20m, then 10–20m flat out. The only way to practise your true top speed.
Bounding and pogos
Springy jumps that make your contacts stiffer and your stride longer.
10: Get strong where sprinters need it
Sprinting is a strength sport played at speed. You don't need a gym to start: bodyweight exercises go a long way.
- Nordic curls for the hamstrings: one of the most researched ways to reduce hamstring injuries in sprinting sports.
- Split squats and single-leg work for the push out of every start.
- Calf raises with a straight knee for springy ankles and a strong Achilles.
- Pogos, bounds and broad jumps for elastic power.
11: Sprint fast and fresh
Short sprints use a quick-release energy system that takes a few minutes to refill. Rest too little and your next rep is slower, so you practise running slowly. That's why speed training looks easy on paper: few reps, lots of rest.
How much rest?
Between reps| Sprint | Rest |
|---|---|
| Starts, 10–20m | 90 seconds–2 minutes |
| 30–40m sprints | 3–4 minutes |
| Flying sprints | 3–5 minutes |
| Drills, pogos, bounds | Walk back |
Stop the session when your times drop or your form breaks.
Fast sessions need fresh legs: not the day before a match, not the day after a hard one, and at least 48 hours apart. Sleep is when your body turns training into speed.
12: Follow a plan, and test it
Speed improves with regular practice over weeks, not days. A simple structure that works for most athletes:
- MonSession AAcceleration and drills, then strength
- TueTeam trainingor rest
- WedRestor easy activity
- ThuSession BTop speed, jumps and power
- FriRestnothing fast
- SatMatchor rest
- SunRestrecover
Time a sprint in Week 0, build for four weeks, ease off in Week 5 and retest in Week 6 on the same surface with the same timing method. Beginners usually improve fastest, because there's more technique to fix.
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Frequently asked questions
How can I run faster in a week?
In one week you can sharpen your technique and feel faster: warm up properly, practise a good start and run tall and relaxed. Real speed gains take longer: most people need at least six weeks of regular sprint training.
How can I run faster without equipment?
You need very little: flat space, a few markers and your phone to film and time yourself. Wall drills, falling starts, flying sprints, pogos, bounds and bodyweight strength work all need no equipment.
Does lifting weights make you faster?
Strength helps, especially single-leg and hamstring strength, but sprinting fast is the most important ingredient. Strength work supports speed; it doesn't replace it.
How often should I do speed training?
Two fast sessions a week works for most athletes, at least 48 hours apart, and never the day before a match.
Can you get faster at any age?
Yes. Children learn speed quickly through games, teenagers often improve fastest, and adults and masters athletes improve through technique and strength.
Why do I slow down at the end of a sprint?
Everyone does. After reaching top speed, everyone slows a little. Staying relaxed, running tall and being fitter for repeated sprints all help you hold your speed longer.
What is the best drill to run faster?
There isn't one best drill. For acceleration, wall drills and falling starts; for top speed, flying sprints. Most important of all is sprinting flat out with full rest.
Does running technique really make a difference?
Yes, especially for people who've never had sprint coaching. Fixing a reaching foot strike, a slumped posture or crossing arms can make a big difference quickly.
Related guides
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