The Short Run

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The internet seems to be full of stories about runners taking on epic feats of endurance from marathons to ultra marathons, and while conquering the big distances is impressive there’s something to be said for taking on shorter challenges. Whether its taking on a cross country season, perfecting your form, or smashing your mile PB, short distance running can be just as satisfying as clocking up long miles. We caught up with some of our favourite runners to ask which short runs you should try out this winter and why they are brilliant.

Get faster

‘Short fast runs can be a great tool to improve your race day performance’ says AR Collective’s Claudia Schroegel. She explains that ‘running faster than your likely marathon pace will build strength and endurance, and running fast in short races will ultimately make you faster over long distance’. So if you’ve got a half, full or ultra marathon in your sights next year this winter could be the time to chase your 5k and 10k PBs. Or you could just chase them because it’s fun! Claudia suggest that to get fast you should ‘aim to do a tempo run, fartlek or track session at least once a week’. If you’re in London you could always join AR Collective for their fun and fast ‘track Tuesdays’ or check out your local running club which is bound to host a speed enhancing track evening.

Take on the mile

Running a mile must be easy right? Wrong, ‘it’s harder than it sounds’ says Laura Fountain, coach and author of Lazy Girl Running. ‘There’s been a resurgence in mile distance races in the past couple of years’ she comments, and ‘whether your running on the road in an organised race or a smaller track race (check out what your local running club is hosting), running flat our for a mile is something all runners should try’. How about timing yourself at the start of the month and then after four weeks of speed sessions see how you’re getting on? You’ll be amazed at your progress, and there’s something really satisfying about smashing a mile flat out!

Perfect your form

It’s no secret that good form means improved running economy which, according to Claudia, ‘will enable you to run further for the same or less effort’, and who could say no to that?! Claudia suggests that during a form perfecting session you should ‘think about running with good posture and a relaxed upper body. Your feet should strike the ground under your centre of gravity with a cadence of 180-190 strikes per minute (if you’re not sure about your cadence there are lots of great apps that can help you keep track!)’ and try to look forwards about 20 meters and not at your feet! ‘Thinking about all these points at once can be difficult’ she comments, so her top tip is to ‘focus on one of these points at a time and when you are satisfied you are doing it correctly, move on to the next. Before you know it you’ll be running further and faster than ever before!’. An added bonus of great form is that it can help protect you from common running injuries.

Try out cross-country

One of the most exciting things about autumn is that it means cross country season is about to start and cross country is a great way to take on a short distance challenge. ‘Women’s distances are generally around 6k in the cross country league I compete in’ explains Laura. ‘Don’t let this fool you’ she cautions, ‘knee deep mud and hills combine to make this a challenge for any runner’. Tough, muddy and with great community spirit, these are short races you’ll definitely want to get involved in!