I’ve always enjoyed getting outside and pounding the pavements, but until recently, tended to stick around the 5-10K mark. Running much more than that always felt too challenging and I assumed that perhaps long-distance just wasn’t for me. 

That view was cemented after I tried to run a half marathon a few years ago. While having a goal to work towards felt fulfilling, the actual training and main event were tough. In fact, I ended up pacing myself so badly on the day that I had to walk large parts of it.  

However, after joining a friend on some of her beginner marathon training sessions this year, I’ve since hit those big distances again and found them far less terrifying and much more achievable. The key? Simply pausing every so often to take a short walking break.  

The run-walk method was first made popular by in the 1970s by former Olympian Jeff Galloway (as a nod to him, it’s known in running circles as ‘jeffing’). Essentially, it’s a form of interval training where you alternate between running and walking in whatever combination works best for you. While it’s traditionally thought of as a key tool for beginners, jeffing actually has huge benefits for all runners, including the vastly more experienced.

Here’s why the experts think you should try it. 

It can help beginners, both mentally and physically

“The main type of person who is going to benefit from a run-walk approach will be a newbie who lacks aerobic fitness initially,” explains running coach Arj Thiruchelvam. “It effectively allows you to get out of your comfort zone of walking, and experience bursts of higher intensity work to stimulate progress.” 

There’s the mental aspect of it, too. “Someone who has recently started running may be a bit nervous so psychologically knowing you can break up your run gives you reassurance in completing it,” adds Thiruchelvam.

‘Jeffing’ helps to build distance

As I’ve personally found, alternating between running and walking helps you build endurance. “It allows for better management of fatigue, enabling runners to cover longer distances without feeling exhausted,” explains PT Kunal Makwana, the founder of KMAK Fitness. “This is especially helpful for those training for longer races.”

It can help experienced runners run faster 

Thiruchelvam explains that for more experienced runners who are looking to beat their PB, interval training will most likely involve running at a ‘supra-intensity’ effort. That means running faster than you could hold for an entire race. In between these super-fast efforts, you need a much slower recovery. Walking between reps will mean you can run faster and maintain that speed over the entire session.

“This allows a runner to become faster, experience what it feels like to run fast, and force the body to adapt over time,” Thiruchelvam says. 

Walking can speed up post-run recovery

It’s not just during a run that you can see the benefits of jeffing. “Walking intervals help to promote active recovery, flushing out lactic acid and other waste products from the muscles,” explains Makwana. “This can result in a quicker recovery period after a run and reduced muscle soreness.”

It can lower the risk of injury or help with rehab

According to Thiruchelvam, jeffing can also help lower the risk of injury by preventing overreaching, which happens if you do too much, too soon. “It’s a well-known tool for injury rehabilitation for various lower-body, running-related injuries,” he adds.  

The biggest barrier for me has been re-addressing my mindset. In the past, stopping to walk has felt like an admission of failure – a sign of a ‘bad’ run or ‘poor’ fitness levels. In reality, jeffing has given me a massive motivational boost. Psychologically, it’s much easier to deal with long distances when they’re broken into smaller chunks.

Lots of runners and coaches are keen advocates of the method and I’ve since spoken to many people who have smashed their PBs and knocked time off their pace as a result of the run-walk method. It really isn’t something to be shy about trying. 

So, how do you it? There’s no one answer to this question, because your chosen run-walk ratio is going to depend on your current fitness levels, goals and lifestyle. But the key is not to keep running until you’re too tired to continue; instead, you want to choose a timing plan that keeps you energised.

“If you’re already a runner and are looking to up your distance, my advice would be to try not to let your recovery walks go above three minutes, maximum,” says Thiruchelvam.

“If you use a heart rate monitor, you don’t want your heart rate returning to resting or recovering; instead, you want to see it at the very least in zone one, moving towards zone two.”

He explains that his clients tend to run for anywhere between 20-60 minutes, with 60-90 second walking breaks. 

My friend and I have tried a variety of different techniques but eventually settled on the idea of running for a mile and then walking for a minute. I was initially worried this stop-start motion would prevent me from getting into a flow, but it worked really well, and the miles flew by. 

It might sound bitty, but you only have to do the run-walk combo 10 times, and you’ve already covered more than 10 miles. The short pause was also just enough – in fact, when I walked for longer than a minute, I found it harder to get going again. One minute of walking was ideal to reset and then start up again.

All in all, this method has been a game-changer. When people have asked me in the past if I’d ever do a marathon, I’ve scoffed at the idea. But now… well, I can see a world in which a marathon is possible. And it’s all thanks to Jeff.

Images: Getty