Strides are short accelerations, typically 15 to 20 seconds, done at a fast but controlled pace with full recovery between each one. They are not a workout. They are something you add to a workout.
This distinction matters. You will almost never see "strides" scheduled as the main session for a training day. Instead, you finish your easy run, catch your breath, and then do 4 to 8 strides before heading home. The easy run was the workout. The strides are a small, targeted addition that develops your neuromuscular system without generating meaningful fatigue.
That "without generating meaningful fatigue" part is what makes strides so useful. They cost almost nothing in recovery terms, but they deliver real neuromuscular adaptation: better motor unit recruitment, crisper muscle activation, improved tendon elasticity, and smoother running mechanics. Over weeks and months, this translates into better running economy at every pace, including marathon pace.
What a Stride Looks Like
A single stride is a smooth acceleration from easy pace to near-maximum speed over about 15 to 20 seconds, followed by a gradual deceleration. The total effort covers roughly 80 to 100 metres.
The key word is smooth. You are not sprinting. You are not straining. A good stride looks relaxed and fast. Your arms are loose, your posture is tall, and your cadence increases naturally. If you feel yourself tensing up or grinding, you are pushing too hard.
Recovery between strides is a slow walk or easy jog for 60 to 90 seconds. This is not interval training. The goal is to be fully recovered before each rep so that every stride is crisp and well-coordinated. Tired strides defeat the purpose.
Which Runs to Add Them To
Easy runs (the most common pairing)
This is the classic combination. You finish a 30 to 50 minute easy run and add 4 to 8 strides at the end. The easy run delivers aerobic adaptation. The strides deliver neuromuscular adaptation. Two training effects from a single session, with negligible extra fatigue.
Aim for 2 to 3 of your weekly easy runs to include strides during the base and build phases. Not every easy run needs them. The ones that don't are purely aerobic, and that is fine too.
Long runs (occasionally)
A few strides in the middle of a long run can break up the monotony and reinforce good mechanics when fatigue is starting to settle in. Keep the number low (3 to 4) and use them as form reminders, not speed work. Some coaches place them at the end of the long run; others prefer them at the two-thirds mark. Either works.
Don't add strides to every long run. Reserve this for long runs that are otherwise straightforward, not for long runs that already include marathon-pace segments or a progression finish.
Before quality sessions (as activation)
Some runners do 3 to 4 short strides after their warmup jog but before the main intervals or tempo effort. This wakes up the nervous system and primes faster muscle recruitment. Think of it like stretching before you play, except the stretch is for your neuromuscular wiring rather than your muscles.
Recovery runs (rarely)
Recovery runs are about restoration. Adding strides introduces neuromuscular stimulus, which is training, not recovery. Occasionally a very easy recovery day with 2 to 3 gentle strides is reasonable, but as a habit this undermines the purpose of the recovery run. If you are going to add strides, do it on an easy run day instead.
When in the Training Cycle
Strides belong in every phase. Their fatigue cost is so low that they never compete with other training priorities.
Base phase: This is where strides matter most. The base phase is predominantly easy running, and without strides, the neuromuscular system receives almost no fast-running stimulus for weeks. Adding strides 2 to 3 times per week preserves speed, maintains leg turnover, and prevents the sluggishness that can develop from weeks of slow-only running.
Build phase: Strides continue alongside threshold work. As the intensity of quality sessions increases, you may reduce strides to 2 times per week. The threshold and tempo work is already providing some neuromuscular stimulus, so strides become a maintenance tool rather than a primary one.
Peak phase: Strides remain a regular feature. During the highest-stress training weeks, they keep the nervous system sharp without adding to the overall fatigue load. Place them on easier days to avoid compounding the stress of quality sessions.
Taper phase: Strides are among the last training elements to be reduced. Even in the final week before a race, a few strides after an easy shakeout run help maintain neuromuscular readiness. Many runners do 4 to 6 strides two days before race day as a final tune-up.
How This Delivers the CNS Budget
A typical marathon training week might allocate 3 to 5% of its running to CNS/neuromuscular development. That is a tiny fraction, and it would be impractical to schedule a dedicated speed session for such a small slice of training.
Strides solve this. By adding 2 to 3 minutes of fast running to 2 to 3 easy runs per week, the neuromuscular budget gets delivered without requiring an extra session, an extra warmup, or meaningful recovery time. The easy runs absorb the strides effortlessly.
This is the most important example of the combining principle: layering a secondary adaptation onto a primary workout to deliver the training mix without increasing session count.
Common Mistakes
Making them too hard. Strides should feel fast and controlled, not desperate. If you finish a set of strides feeling winded or fatigued, you turned them into intervals.
Skipping recovery between reps. Walking or standing for 60 to 90 seconds between strides is not laziness. It is the whole point. Full recovery ensures each rep is neurally crisp.
Doing them every day. Strides 2 to 3 times per week is sufficient. Daily strides add fatigue without proportional benefit.
Adding them to already-hard days. If you did a tempo run or intervals, your neuromuscular system already got a training stimulus. Adding strides on top just delays recovery.
Practical Guidelines
- Reps: 4 to 8 per session (beginners start with 4, build to 6 to 8 over weeks)
- Duration: 15 to 20 seconds each
- Intensity: Fast, smooth, controlled. About 90% of top speed.
- Recovery: 60 to 90 seconds walk or very easy jog between reps
- Surface: Flat grass or smooth road. Avoid uneven trails or steep hills.
- Timing: After the main run, before cooldown stretching
- Frequency: 2 to 3 times per week during base and build, 1 to 2 during peak and taper