Going absolutely flat out
The session is run just below maximum. At absolute flat out, your stride tightens, injury risk goes up, and you can't hold the speed for 10 seconds. Aim for fast and relaxed.
RunningSpeed and sprintsAdvanced 59 min
Speed endurance sprints for runners (2 × 5 × 10 s)
Speed endurance sprints: two sets of five near-maximal 10-second sprints, with 3 minutes' walking between sprints and 8 minutes between sets. A 59-minute session for holding your speed for longer once it's already very high.
Session profile22 blocks
At a glance
- Duration
- 59 min
- Main target
- 130–160%vVO₂max7 Z7 · Neuromuscular
- Time at target
- 2 min
- Estimated load
- 33
- Structure
- 2 × (5 × 10″ at 130–160% vVO₂max, 3′ recovery), 8′ between sets
- Level
- Advanced
- Equipment
- GPS watch · Track (optional)
The session in detail
vVO₂max
Time in zone
- Z152 min
- Z25 min
- Z72 min
What the targets mean
| Target | Zone | Time | vVO₂max 14 km/h | vVO₂max 16 km/h | vVO₂max 18 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 130–160% | 7Neuromuscular | 2 min | 3:18/km–2:41/km 51–62 m per rep | 2:53/km–2:21/km 58–71 m per rep | 2:34/km–2:05/km 65–80 m per rep |
| 25–35% | 1Recovery | 32 min | 17:09/km–12:15/km | 15:00/km–10:43/km | 13:20/km–9:31/km |
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What this session is for
Speed endurance is the ability to hold a very high speed beyond the first few seconds, over roughly 60 to 80 metres. Where a flying sprint trains your top speed, this asks you to keep it going for longer, just below your maximum.
It's useful for race finishes, fast middle-distance running and sports built on repeated sprints. The long recoveries keep the quality up across all ten sprints: you're after a fast, clean stride to the end, not exhaustion.
Who it's for
Fast middle-distance runners, sprinters and team-sport athletes, advanced level, who already do flying sprints. A recent vVO₂max is used to set the warm-up and mark out your distances.
When to do it
One sprint session a week is enough for most runners. Do it on fresh legs, after an easy day or a rest day, never the day before a race. To ease in, start with a single set of 6 to 8 sprints.
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%. The warm-up needs to be thorough: drills, strides of increasing speed, two or three sharp accelerations.
Main set
34 min2 × (5 × 10″ at 130–160% vVO₂max, 3′ recovery), 8′ between sets
Two sets of five 10-second sprints, with 3 minutes' walking between sprints and 8 minutes' walking between sets. Run at about 90–95% of your top speed: very fast, but with a relaxed stride. At 16 km/h you'll cover 58 to 71 metres: the 130–160% of vVO₂max range is a guide, don't cap it. Stop the set if your speed drops clearly or your stride falls apart.
Cool-down
10 min10′ at 55–65% vVO₂max
10 minutes of very easy running at 55–65% of vVO₂max. Note the distance of your first and last sprints: if they stay close, the session worked.
How it should feel
Intense, but not gasping. Your legs work hard while your breathing stays manageable thanks to the long walks. On the last sprints your stride gets heavier: that's the signal to stop, not a challenge to rise to. Guide: 8 out of 10.
Common mistakes
Cutting the walks short
Three minutes between sprints, eight between sets: it seems a lot. But the session trains speed, not fatigue. With short recoveries you're doing a different, slower session.
Pushing on when your stride breaks down
A sprint where your stride shortens and your shoulders creep up adds nothing, and it puts your hamstrings at risk. Eight quality sprints beat ten with two bad ones.
Rushing the warm-up
Ten near-maximal sprints need muscles that are ready. Without drills and gradual strides, the first sprint lands on cold legs, and that's often where things go wrong.
When to skip it
Before you start
- A few sessions of flying sprints or strides already done.
- A regular running base.
Skip it if
- You have a niggle or recent injury in your hamstrings or calves.
- You're tired, or a race is planned for the next day.
Origin and evidence
Level of evidence
Limited evidenceLevel 2 of 5
Haugen, Seiler, Sandbakk and Tønnessen (Sports Med Open 2019;5:44) present speed endurance as a sprint training method: 60 to 80 metres at 90–95% of top speed, 2 to 4 minutes' recovery between reps, 8 to 15 minutes between sets, and 600 to 2,000 metres per session. It's a narrative review bridging science and practice; few controlled trials look at this exact format. The conversion to 10 seconds, the 130–160% range, the number of sprints, the warm-up and the cool-down are Wattson choices. Bottom line: moderate evidence on the principles, weak on the format.
Sources
- Haugen T., Seiler S., Sandbakk Ø., Tønnessen E., Sports Med Open 2019;5:44
Frequently asked questions
How fast should speed endurance sprints be?
At about 90–95% of your top speed, just below an all-out sprint. As a rough guide over 10 seconds: 130 to 160% of your vVO₂max, or 51 to 62 metres at 14 km/h, 58 to 71 metres at 16 km/h, 65 to 80 metres at 18 km/h.
Speed endurance or flying sprints?
Flying sprints train your top speed over a few metres, flat out. Speed endurance asks you to hold a slightly lower speed for longer. Start with flying sprints: speed endurance builds on them.
Does a 10K runner need speed endurance?
Rarely. It mainly serves fast middle-distance runners, sprinters and team sports. For a 10K runner, strides and flying sprints are enough to maintain speed; the bulk of the work happens at threshold and VO₂max.
Why 8 minutes between sets?
So the second set is as fast as the first. The reference guidelines give 8 to 15 minutes between sets: 8 minutes is the low end. Walk, or jog very slowly if you're getting cold, but don't start again too soon.
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