How often should I run?

One of the most common questions among runners is: how many times a week should I run?

It’s certainly a thought-provoking question. When we asked Google how often we should run, we were told:

"Running just twice per week is sufficient to see improvements in health and fitness. Running just 10 miles a week reduces the risk of heart disease by an impressive 42 per cent, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal.”

But really, this answer is a little dissatisfying.

When you join a RunTogether group, challenges pop up on a weekly basis. These could be anything from simply trying to get fit to taking part in a local 10km. As such, these challenges often involve a fair bit of running training.

When we asked our coaches how many times a week we should run, however, they mostly said that three runs a week is the best option. This number gives you scope for a shorter run, a longer run, and – should the fancy take you – a faster run, plus with a day off in between. Running training like this is going to do the job for anything up to a half marathon.

Yet even this answer isn’t going to be helpful for everybody. After all, everybody is individual. One of the biggest running tips to remember is understanding what works for you. Be it three miles or thirty, we each have our own limits and abilities, and we’re each going to take a different period of time to recover. Maybe you need two days, maybe three. Your next run will give you the answer.

Marathon legend Paula Radcliffe used to use a 10-day week for her running training as she knew she couldn’t jam everything she needed into seven. Likewise, you should do the same – though perhaps not to the same extent as Paula Radcliffe! Learn to recognise how long your body needs to recover and take your running training from there.

Remember, with RunTogether, your Run Leader will be able to fine-tune your formula to make sure your training is perfect for what you require. They are a great route to take when it comes to individual running tips and advice. They have years of experience and, more importantly, will be able to recognise what works for you and what doesn’t.

Understand What Type Of Runner You Are

There are many different types of runner in the world and knowing which you are can be tricky. These are just a few different types of runner:

The Get-Me-Started Runner

You are early in your running journey and enjoy sessions for beginner runners and joggers. You keep your eyes open for running tips and advice for running for beginners.

The Keep-Me-Going Runner

You enjoy sessions for runners and joggers who want to develop and maintain positive running habits. These positive habits, as well as group running, keep you going.

The Challenge-Me Runner

You enjoy sessions for runners and joggers who are looking to increase pace or running distance through more challenging running activity. 

Once you know which of these categories you fall under, it can be a little easier to answer the question: how often should I run?

If you’d like to stay up to date with more running tips and advice, check out our other blog posts here. Alternatively, if you have any questions about how many days a week you should be running, get in touch! We love hearing everyone’s RunTogether stories and actively share these with our community. You can send us an email with your own experiences at hello@englandathletics.org.