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 an exercise training programme 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.

• Stamina and endurance are important when building a running practice.
• To run longer without getting tired or injured, it's important to build a training plan.
• Incorporating different types of exercise, including long runs, speed work, strength and plyometrics, can help to increase stamina and endurance.

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, CSCS, 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".

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)

the ability of the circulatory and respiratory systems to supply oxygen during sustained physical 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 and 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.

Benefit: having a consistent routine helps to build an aerobic base.

You build endurance by running as regularly as you can. Be consistent with your schedule, running at least three to four times a week. The exact distance and number of runs depend on your running experience and fitness levels. If you're a beginner runner, start small with only one or two runs per week, allowing your body to adapt. More experienced runners can increase their running volume, incorporating longer runs and tempo runs (a sustained, 'comfortably hard' pace) into their routine. But remember: recovery is key! If you struggle to stay consistent, here are some tips for you:

Set an alarm: setting an alarm to work out can give you the cue you need to get going. Instead of coming back from work and collapsing on the sofa, set an alarm to remind you of your goals and get those running shoes on!

Get a running buddy: running with friends can improve exercise adherence. You’re combining social time with physical activity time—perfect!

Schedule it in advance: a busy schedule can cause running time to be pushed to the side. Schedule in runs in advance to hold yourself accountable.

A sample workout plan:

Easy runs: 3–5 days per week, 20–60 minutes at conversational pace.

Long run: 1 day per week, 20–30% of weekly mileage, no more than 10% increase weekly.

Tempo: 1 day per week, 15–25 minutes at comfortably hard effort (about 80–90% of max heart rate).

Intervals: 1 day per week, with distance and speed adjusting based on current stamina.

Benefit: slowly building your running stamina and endurance helps to prevent injuries.

Any experienced runner will tell you the 10 percent rule: increase your weekly mileage by no more than 10 percent 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.

Benefit: can help to improve VO2 max and raise your lactate threshold.

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 (80-95 percent 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.

Benefit: can be done anywhere with no equipment, increases muscle power and velocity.

Plyometrics is a type of training that uses explosive exercises. Think: box Jumps, squat jumps, clap push-ups and tuck jumps. Your muscles have to exert maximum force for a short period of time, which increases power and velocity. This helps running stamina in a few ways:

it improves your ability to store energy between eccentric and concentric muscle contractions. Concentric muscle contractions are the weakest muscle action for the majority of people. Plyometrics increases this, creating the greatest force during the concentric phase. This can transfer into speed as your body can produce force more efficiently.

It makes your muscle fibres stronger. Working against resistance with explosive movements puts your muscles under a new type of stress. This triggers the hypertrophic process, in which muscle fibres get stronger and bigger in size.

It makes your muscles more flexible. Plyometrics stretches your muscle fibres prior to contraction. Over time, this leads to increased flexibility. For example, before performing a box jump, you bend down and stretch your quadriceps before exploding upwards.

This ultimately improves running mechanics and economy and may even help reduce the risk of injury, according to a 2019 study.

Benefit: boosts stamina.

An often forgotten component of stamina is how well you handle stress. This could be emotional stress (e.g., a hard day at work) or physical stress (e.g., a tough workout). Being stressed puts your body in a compromised state. Your immune function declines, hormone imbalance occurs due to elevated cortisol and adrenaline, your sleep gets interrupted and that's just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, a September-October 2019 study in PAIN Reports found that stress impairs recovery. Your body isn't able to focus on repairing damaged tissue because it's in fight-or-flight mode. All the other processes are on pause.

Some of the best ways to manage stress are meditation, mindfulness and yoga (in addition to running). These modalities help to calm the nervous system, fight inflammation and relieve muscle tension, according to a July-December 2011 study in the International Journal of Yoga.

Plus, an August 2020 study in Neural Plasticity found that practicing mindfulness for five weeks increased participants' endurance.

Benefit: shorter sprints can help to build endurance.

To increase endurance, add some 800-metre intervals into your training plan. This training style can help runners improve their performance by running multiple shorter sprints interspersed with rest intervals. If you're training for a marathon or half-marathon, this type of exercise can simulate the effort required for a longer run while helping you build endurance.

All you need to do is figure out your goal pace, then run it for 800 metres (two laps around a standard running track). So if your goal is 7:30/mile, your 800-metre goal time would be 3:45.

Benefit: develops power and improves running economy.

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, which will help you use less oxygen and keep your pace for longer, per a June 2010 study in the Strength and Conditioning Journal.

It can also help you develop muscle and joint strength, allowing you to activate key muscle groups more easily. The better muscle recruitment, the better physical performance. "More power means moving something (in this case, your body) over a longer distance in a shorter period of time", says Gordon. "The more power you can produce, the easier it is to generate forward momentum with each stride, helping you cover longer distances".

This translates into running faster, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Build a routine:

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

Benefit: minimise injury with proper care.

While not ideal, injuries like shin splints, stress fractures and IT band syndrome do happen, especially when you are running further or faster than you have in the past. It's important to listen to your body and take breaks when necessary, and consult a doctor when concerned. When in doubt, follow the 10 percent rule and avoid over-straining during speed.

To minimise injury, always include a warm-up and cool down in your workout. 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.

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.