Running fast has never really been my thing. I steered well clear of the 100m and 200m races at school, and since I got into running as an adult, I’ve always opted for the slow and steady approach over pushing myself super hard and finishing my runs gasping for breath.

Training in this way helped me to fall in love with running and soak up the mental health benefits of being outside in nature. And to start with, it even led to a flurry of PBs; my cardiovascular fitness increased, and I challenged myself to run new distances. But as time went on, my progress plateaued. I was stuck seeing the same Parkrun times week-in, week-out, and it quickly got boring. So, I asked myself: What do I need to change? 

The answer, according to everyone I spoke to, was interval training. According to SportsShoes.com’s 2025 running report, only 7% of UK runners incorporate this kind of training into their weekly routine – but if you look at the evidence, it’s clear that regular interval training is one of the most effective ways to increase your speed and endurance.

So, last August, I decided to start giving interval training a go by signing up to my local running club’s weekly track sessions. Since then, I’ve gone week after week – only skipping sessions when I’ve done a long run the day before or am just too tired/cold/unmotivated to get myself out there on a Monday night. Here are all the benefits I’ve noticed as a result.  

Perhaps the most expected benefit I’ve seen from my interval training is an increase in my running speed. When I first started going to intervals, I was consistently running a 5k Parkrun in 30 minutes – a time which still sits below the average for women.

However, since I started doing interval training, I’ve beaten my PB several times, and I can now run 5k in under 27 minutes. I’ve also seen that speed translate to longer distances: I’ve recently been training for a half marathon and managed to beat my 15k PB on a weekend long run. Running on a track has also given me the chance to measure my speed over shorter distances (200m, 400m and 800m), and I’ve seen those times decrease too. 

There’s no getting around it: interval training is tough. Running round and round a track for an hour – with just a 90 second break in-between efforts – will truly test your resolve.

The longer interval sessions we do have been particularly beneficial. It’s worth noting that interval training is an umbrella term for many different sessions: some weeks we’ll do 10 x 400m, while others will be 400m, 800m, 1,200m, 1,600m and then back down again. To get through the 1,600m intervals you have to run round a track four times, so you really have to coach yourself through each lap to find the motivation you need to keep going.

I’ve found that this mental work during training really makes a difference when I’m finding a run particularly tough or need to do that final push; it’s allowed me to practise talking myself out of those dark holes and finding that extra something to get my body over the finish line. 

Running at faster speeds allows you to gain greater awareness of what your body is capable of. Now, I know exactly how fast I can cover 400m or 800m and how long I can push myself for, as well as how it will feel when I do push myself to my absolute limit.

That not only means the hard moments during races and Parkruns are less scary and unfamiliar, but also means I can tell when a goal is within my reach; if I know I can run 400m in 1:33 on the track and have 500m left of a 5km, I can mentally add about two minutes to my time and see whether I need to push hard to reach my desired result. 

Images: Lauren Geall