How to Increase Running Stamina and Endurance

Whether you’re a beginning runner or training for a marathon, running stamina and endurance are valuable assets. In fact, building up stamina and endurance can help you run longer without getting tired.

Stamina and endurance can be achieved through a training program that builds a strong aerobic base. Here, we’ll explore how improving your VO2 max and lactate threshold can lead to easier, longer runs. We’ll also offer a training plan to help you get there.

• Consistency is the best way to build endurance.
• Most runners improve stamina within four to eight weeks of structured training.
• Easy runs should make up about 80% of weekly mileage.
• Intervals and tempo runs improve aerobic capacity and lactate threshold.
• Strength training supports energy demand and reduces fatigue.

Stamina and endurance are terms that both refer to how long you can sustain physical activity. “Commonly, these terms can be used interchangeably,” says Gregory Gordon, MA, C.S.C.S., MATRx, and founder of Exercise Intelligence. “In exercise science, there are distinct differences.”

Gordon explains that, as defined by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), endurance includes both muscular and cardiovascular components. “Both of these categories can be measured objectively,” he explains. “These are quantitative measures.”

Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle or muscle group to exert force continuously without producing movement (think plank or wall sits) or repetitively producing movement over a period of time (think running or squats).

Cardiovascular endurance is the ability of the circulatory and respiratory systems to supply oxygen during sustained physical activity.

Meanwhile, stamina is a term Gordon says is more qualitative, describing it as a “catch-all to describe a combination of an individual's psychological state and their ability to perform endurance activity.”

Sports that require stamina are both physically and mentally demanding, including anything high-intensity. That might be football, triathlons, rowing, martial arts, tennis, and basketball. These sports involve bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by active recovery, then going again. Having stamina allows you to keep up, mentally and physically.

Any activity that requires sustained effort over long periods, like marathon running, requires endurance. Your cardiovascular system needs to be efficient at transporting oxygenated blood to your working muscles to maintain movement. The goal in endurance sports isn’t to max out on effort or work at maximum capacity; it’s to be physically capable of persistent activity.

There are a few things to consider when you want to increase your running stamina quickly. Focus on having a consistent weekly mileage, primarily doing easy runs, and adding interval workouts to the mix. Gradual progression will help to build your endurance over time and lower the risk of injury.

Every person is different, but you will likely see initial improvements in endurance within three to four weeks of beginning a running routine. With consistent training, you should see major gains between eight and 12 weeks.

If you’re itching to start running, it’s essential that you start running the right way. You’ll need guidance, motivation, and inspiration when you get to the starting line. Rebuild your fitness gradually with this four-week program from Nike Running Global Head Coach, Coach Bennett.

Coach Bennett is an NRC pioneer who helped build the Nike Run Club from the ground up.

This plan is geared to help you to start running or start to run again. It’s not about minutes or meters. The goal is to enjoy your running and celebrate the gains you make along the way. That way, you keep coming back to the starting line. Coach Bennett will coach, guide, motivate, and inspire you the whole time.

• Four weeks
• Three runs a week (with an optional fourth run)
• Duration-based runs
• Best for: Beginners or anyone starting their running journey again

Running requires both stamina and endurance because it is physically demanding. That’s why training is so important. By raising your aerobic endurance, your body is better trained to handle depleted energy and muscle breakdown. Other issues, such as high stress, lack of aerobic base, poor nutrition and hydration, poor sleep, or even overtraining can also lead you to feel more tired when running.

If you're a beginner runner, start small with two to three runs per week, allowing your body to adapt. Run at a conversational pace, meaning you can still talk while you’re running. Gradually increase the amount of time you run to build your running stamina and lower the risk of injury.

Follow the 10% rule: Increase your weekly mileage by no more than 10% per week. Small mileage increases help to prevent injury and give your body a chance to adapt without feeling overloaded. So, for example, if you run 10 miles total in one week, the next week, you should run 11 miles maximum.

Running hard and fast will improve your speed, but you need a different strategy to build endurance. That’s why many recommend the 80/20 rule for running. That involves doing 80% of your runs at an easy pace and 20% at a higher intensity. This strategy builds endurance and allows for active recovery on slower-paced days.

VO2 max and lactate threshold are common terms used to describe exercise capacity. VO2 max measures the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise, setting the upper limit of your aerobic capacity. Lactate threshold is the level at which lactate (a byproduct of metabolism and exercise) builds up faster than it can be removed. This measures your ability to maintain a certain pace.

Easy runs: Build aerobic base and endurance

Long runs: Improve stamina and fatigue threshold

Tempo runs: Raise lactate threshold

Intervals: Improve VO2 max and speed endurance

Yes, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is one of the best ways to boost your endurance. A June 2023 study found that interval training improved VO2 max (a marker of endurance) more than endurance training.

Interval training involves alternating between periods of max-effort exercise and rest periods. This might be a hill workout — running up the hill for 30 seconds and walking back down for 60 seconds — or it could be a flat sprint (80% to 95% of your maximum heart rate) with shorter periods of walking or light jogging.

This type of interval workout strengthens your heart and lungs to handle the demands of longer races. Training at a high intensity will also help your muscles better handle lactic acid, a chemical byproduct of anaerobic respiration, therefore raising your lactate threshold. When lactic acid builds up in the muscles during intense exercise, you might experience a burning sensation, which can be uncomfortable.

After a short, slow warmup, run fast for 30 seconds, followed by 90 seconds at an easy pace. Repeat this eight to 10 times. If running fast for 30 seconds feels too challenging, start by running fast for 15 seconds and then at a slow pace for 45 seconds. If 30 seconds feels too easy, you can do more reps or stretch the fast pace to 45 seconds.

Aerobic base training is usually low-intensity training designed to build your endurance. Easy running at a comfortable pace allows you to increase your mileage over time. While running at an easy pace will build up your aerobic base, you can also add in cross-training with other cardio workouts like swimming and cycling to bolster your base.

Once you’ve established an aerobic base, you can add in long runs to increase your stamina. These runs build your aerobic capacity and improve fuel efficiency, allowing you to run longer distances more comfortably over time.

It’s important to increase your mileage gradually using the 10% rule. Otherwise, your risk of injury increases. Many running programs will have at least one day of a longer run during the week to improve stamina.

Training causes microscopic tears in muscle fibers, which leads to a rebuilding process and in turn muscle growth. Recovery allows the body to repair those tears and replenish stores of glycogen, which is your body’s main source of energy.

Focusing on recovery practices like getting seven to nine hours of sleep a night, eating a balanced diet, and taking rest days ultimately supports your training goals, allowing you to push yourself to run even farther over time. Without recovery, you run the risk of injury and burnout.

It’s important to fuel your body properly to get the most out of your endurance runs. Be sure to fuel and hydrate correctly. That means aiming for 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour on runs longer than 60 to 90 minutes. For longer runs, try to drink six to 10 ounces every 10 to 20 minutes to maintain your hydration.

• Run consistently.
• Increase mileage slowly.
• Add speed intervals.
• Improve recovery.

Running economy is your oxygen consumption at a given running velocity. When you improve your running economy, you’re able to use less oxygen and maintain your pace for longer. Strength training should be a part of your training routine regardless of whether you’re an experienced or beginner runner. It’ll improve running economy by increasing power and force production and delaying fatigue as you get stronger.

To build a strength routine, Gordon recommends:

• 2–4 sets of exercise
• 8–15 reps per set

“Control the load at a moderate pace in both directions,” he adds. Some strength training exercises to incorporate specifically for running include:

• Squats
• Deadlifts
• Overhead press
• Lunges
• Bent-over rows

The easiest way to get moving on a consistent basis is to work toward a goal. And we've got one for whatever feels right for you. Whether you’re new or returning to running, we’ve created a plan for you: Getting Started, 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, and Marathon.

Running requires stamina and endurance so that you can run for longer without getting tired. That doesn’t mean running a marathon will suddenly be easy. But over time, distances that were once exhausting will become manageable. You’ll be able to run without stopping and maintain a lower heart rate throughout your workout.

Once you’ve mastered endurance, you can increase your pace. Your 5K race pace might become your training pace as your cardiorespiratory system is better able to handle the demands of the work.

Benefits of Nike Running Shoes for Long-Distance Running

Nike Pegasus: Lightweight feel and improved energy return

Nike Vomero: Max cushioning for high mileage

Nike Structure: Cushioned, stable ride for long runs