Jogging back down
Running downhill multiplies the impact, especially on your quads and knees, and cuts your recovery short. Walk back down: that's the time it takes for the next sprint to be just as strong.
RunningSpeed and sprintsBeginner 40 min
Hill sprints (8 × 10 s)
Hill sprints: eight all-out 10-second sprints on a 6 to 10% gradient, with 2 minutes walking back down between each. A 40-minute session, open to newer runners. Power and speed, at a low cost.
Session profile18 blocks
At a glance
- Duration
- 40 min
- Main target
- 115–140%vVO₂max7 Z7 · Neuromuscular
- Time at target
- 1 min
- Estimated load
- 27
- Structure
- 8 × 10″ at 115–140% vVO₂max, 2′ recovery
- Level
- Beginner
- Equipment
- GPS watch · Hill
The session in detail
vVO₂max
Time in zone
- Z134 min
- Z25 min
- Z71 min
What the targets mean
| Target | Zone | Time | vVO₂max 14 km/h | vVO₂max 16 km/h | vVO₂max 18 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 115–140% | 7Neuromuscular | 1 min | 3:44/km–3:04/km 45–54 m per rep | 3:16/km–2:41/km 51–62 m per rep | 2:54/km–2:23/km 58–70 m per rep |
| 25–35% | 1Recovery | 14 min | 17:09/km–12:15/km 117–163 m per rep | 15:00/km–10:43/km 133–187 m per rep | 13:20/km–9:31/km 150–210 m per rep |
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What this session is for
Sprinting uphill builds your drive: every footstrike has to push your body up as much as forward. The gradient caps your top speed and softens the impact of each stride, which makes the sprint far less risky than on the flat, especially for your hamstrings.
It's one of the simplest ways to add speed work when most of your running is endurance. Studies on hill training show a benefit to running economy, the energy cost of a given pace. No study looks at this exact 8 × 10-second format.
Who it's for
Almost any healthy runner, beginners included: start with 4 sprints if so. Overall fatigue stays low and breathing manageable. Avoid it if you have Achilles or calf pain: the climb loads them heavily.
When to do it
Once or twice a week is a common guideline, at the end of an easy run or the start of a session, as the fatigue stays low. Avoid the day before a race. To progress, go from 4 to 8, then 10 sprints, and lengthen them to 15 seconds, keeping a long recovery.
How to do it
Warm-up
15 min10′ at 60–65% vVO₂max + 5′ at 66–72% vVO₂max
10 minutes of easy running at 60–65% of vVO₂max, then 5 minutes at 66–72%, finishing at the foot of your hill. Add a few strides on the flat to get your legs ready for speed.
Main set
15 min8 × 10″ at 115–140% vVO₂max, 2′ recovery
Eight 10-second sprints uphill, on a steady 6 to 10% gradient. Start hard and drive all out: chest up, knees high, arms working. On a slope, your watch will show a pace that jumps around with the terrain and the GPS: ignore it and run on effort. The 115–140% of vVO₂max range is only an estimate; at 16 km/h, you'll cover roughly 51 to 62 metres. Between sprints, 2 minutes to walk back down, not jog, to limit the pounding.
Cool-down
10 min10′ at 55–65% vVO₂max
10 minutes of very easy running at 55–65% of vVO₂max, ideally on the flat. If a calf or tendon made itself felt during the session, shorten the run and don't go again until the niggle has gone.
How it should feel
Your legs burn at the end of each sprint, but your breathing stays manageable: it's a muscular effort more than a cardiovascular one. You set off again from the bottom of the hill feeling almost fresh. Guide: 9 out of 10 on effort, little overall fatigue.
Common mistakes
Picking too steep a hill
Beyond the intended gradient, your stride turns into stair-climbing and the sprint loses its speed. A steady hill where you can still run fast does the job better.
Watching your watch
On a hill, the pace shown depends on the gradient and the GPS's whims. Over 10 seconds it tells you nothing. Run on effort, and perhaps note where you stop to compare from one sprint to the next.
Turning it into long hill repeats
Long hill repeats last two minutes and work your VO₂max. Here it's 10 seconds flat out with full recovery: power, not endurance. Don't cut the recovery to fit more in.
When to skip it
Before you start
- A base of regular easy running.
Skip it if
- You have Achilles or calf pain.
- A race is planned for the next day.
- You have a recent leg injury.
Origin and evidence
Level of evidence
Moderate evidenceLevel 3 of 5
Widespread practice with no established author: hill sprints of 8 to 10 seconds at maximal effort, with full recovery, on a gradient of about 6 to 10%. Barnes and colleagues (Int J Sports Physiol Perform 2013;8(6):639-647), 20 well-trained runners, 6 weeks, five hill interval programmes of increasing intensity: the most intense programme improved running economy most (+2.4 ± 1.4%) along with neuromuscular measures; all programmes improved 5 km performance, by 2.0% on average. French training plans offer, for example, 10 × 10 seconds uphill with 1 min 30 of slow recovery. The 8 × 10-second format, the 115–140% range, which is an estimate, the 2-minute recovery, the warm-up and the cool-down are Wattson choices. Bottom line: moderate evidence on the principle, no study of the 8 × 10-second format.
Sources
- Barnes K. R. et al., Int J Sports Physiol Perform 2013;8(6):639-647
Frequently asked questions
What gradient for hill sprints?
A steady 6 to 10% gradient: steep enough to feel the drive, gentle enough to still run fast. Too steep and you're almost walking; too gentle and it's a flat sprint. A hill of 60 to 80 metres is plenty.
How fast should hill sprints be?
Flat out, without aiming for a pace. Speed depends too much on the gradient to programme precisely. As a rough guide, the effort is estimated at 115–140% of vVO₂max, or about 45 to 54 metres in 10 seconds at 14 km/h, 51 to 62 at 16 km/h, 58 to 70 at 18 km/h.
Hill sprints or long hill repeats?
Long hill repeats last about two minutes and work your VO₂max: a hard, tiring session. Hill sprints last 10 seconds with full recovery: they work your power and speed, with little fatigue. The two complement each other.
Are hill sprints good for beginners?
Yes, they're one of the most accessible speed sessions: the gradient limits speed and impact, and so the injury risk. Start with 4 sprints at the end of an easy run and add more over the weeks.
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