RunningVO2maxIntermediate 40 min

1-2-3-2-1 minute pyramid at vVO₂max, with jog recoveries

Pyramid intervals: five efforts of 1, 2, 3, 2 then 1 minute around your vVO₂max, from 96 to 104% depending on length, with jogging between each. 9 minutes of work in a 40-minute session. For regular runners who want to vary their VO₂max work.

Written by Pierre Halloo · Updated 25 October 2026

Session profile12 blocks

At a glance

Duration: 40 min
Main target: 96–104%vVO₂max5 Z5 · VO₂max
Time at target: 9 min
Estimated load: 43
Structure: 1′ at 100–104% vVO₂max + 1′ at 50–60% vVO₂max + 2′ at 98–102% vVO₂max + 1′30 at 50–60% vVO₂max + 3′ at 96–100% vVO₂max + 2′ at 50–60% vVO₂max + 2′ at 98–102% vVO₂max + 1′30 at 50–60% vVO₂max + 1′ at 100–104% vVO₂max
Level: Intermediate
Equipment: GPS watch · Track (optional)

The session in detail

vVO₂max

Time in zone

Z126 min
Z25 min
Z59 min

What the targets mean

The session's targets, as paces for three reference speeds
Target	Zone	Time	vVO₂max 14 km/h	vVO₂max 16 km/h	vVO₂max 18 km/h
100–104%	5VO₂max	2 min	4:17/km–4:07/km 233–243 m per rep	3:45/km–3:36/km 267–277 m per rep	3:20/km–3:12/km 300–312 m per rep
98–102%	5VO₂max	4 min	4:22/km–4:12/km 457–476 m per rep	3:50/km–3:41/km 523–544 m per rep	3:24/km–3:16/km 588–612 m per rep
96–100%	5VO₂max	3 min	4:28/km–4:17/km 672–700 m per rep	3:54/km–3:45/km 768–800 m per rep	3:28/km–3:20/km 864–900 m per rep
50–60%	1Recovery	6 min	8:34/km–7:09/km	7:30/km–6:15/km	6:40/km–5:33/km

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What this session is for

A pyramid works your vVO₂max over three effort lengths in one session. The shorter the effort, the faster it goes: 100–104% of vVO₂max over 1 minute, 98–102% over 2, 96–100% over 3. The 3-minute peak has you holding vVO₂max almost as in long intervals; the 1-minute efforts, on the way up and on the way down, go a notch quicker, on legs that are getting more and more tired.

The other benefit is mental. You always know where you are: climbing, over the top, coming back down. Once the 3 minutes are done, only 3 minutes of effort remain in total, and the session tips in your favour. No study has tested this format by time: the pyramid is coaching practice, whose principle has been studied by distance, at a different intensity.

Who it's for

Regular runners who want to vary their VO₂max sessions, and anyone who switches off mentally during a set of identical reps. It works well in a group: everyone changes effort at the same moment, each at their own speed. You need a recently measured vVO₂max, and a few sessions of 30/30s or 1-minute reps behind you.

When to do it

One VO₂max session a week is usually enough, and the pyramid can alternate week to week with a set of identical reps, such as 5 × 3 min long intervals. Put it after an easy day or a rest day, never the day before a long run, another hard session or a race. To progress, run two pyramids back to back with 5 minutes of jogging between, or switch to the reverse pyramid, which is harder.

How to do it

Warm-up
15 min
10′ 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%. Add two strides: the first effort is also the fastest of the session.
2
Main set
15 min
1′ at 100–104% vVO₂max + 1′ at 50–60% vVO₂max + 2′ at 98–102% vVO₂max + 1′30 at 50–60% vVO₂max + 3′ at 96–100% vVO₂max + 2′ at 50–60% vVO₂max + 2′ at 98–102% vVO₂max + 1′30 at 50–60% vVO₂max + 1′ at 100–104% vVO₂max
Five efforts, with a jog at 50–60% of vVO₂max between each:
1. 1 min at 100–104%, then 1 min jog;
2. 2 min at 98–102%, then 1 min 30;
3. 3 min at 96–100%, then 2 min;
4. 2 min at 98–102%, then 1 min 30;
5. 1 min at 100–104%.
At 16 km/h that's 267 to 277 metres in 1 minute, 523 to 544 metres in 2 and 768 to 800 metres in 3: on a track, two-thirds of a lap, a lap and a third, then nearly two laps. Both 2-minute efforts, like both 1-minute ones, should cover the same distance: the way down tells you whether you paced the way up well.
Cool-down
10 min
10′ at 55–65% vVO₂max
10 minutes of very easy running at 55–65% of vVO₂max. If your last 1-minute effort was clearly shorter than the first, keep the same pyramid next time, but at the bottom of the ranges.

How it should feel

It feels shorter than 5 × 3 min, because there's always a marker ahead of you. The 3-minute peak is the toughest; once it's done, the way down runs on momentum, even on heavy legs. Guide: 7 to 8 out of 10.

Common mistakes

Sprinting the first effort

The first minute is the fastest of the session, and it comes on fresh legs: the temptation is to run it flat out. Stay in the range, or the 3-minute peak will make you pay.

Running the 3 minutes at short-effort pace

The peak is run a little slower than the 1- and 2-minute efforts: 96–100% of vVO₂max. Run it at 1-minute pace and you're in the red halfway through the session.

Walking the recoveries

The recoveries are jogged, at 50–60% of vVO₂max. They're short, and they grow with the effort before them: walking them lets your heart rate fall too far before the next one.

Bailing on the way down for no reason

If you're genuinely tired, drop the descent: that's allowed for. But if you're still holding your pace, finish it: it's the part that teaches you to keep your pace as fatigue builds.

When to skip it

Before you start

A few short-interval sessions behind you.
A recently measured vVO₂max.

Skip it if

You have pain or a recent injury.
A long run, another hard session or a race is planned for the next day.

Origin and evidence

Level of evidence

Limited evidenceLevel 2 of 5

Established practice, origin not found. A French Ministry of the Armed Forces training document (emslb.defense.gouv.fr, November 2024) describes rising and falling pyramids of 200 to 600 m at 100% of vVO₂max. The principle was studied by Meckel and colleagues (Cent Eur J Sport Sci Med 2017): 40 sport science students, 6 weeks, rising (100 to 500 m) or falling (500 to 100 m) intervals with equal work. Both improved 2,000 m performance, the falling order more (18.3 ± 3.6% against 12.2 ± 3.2%), but at a submaximal sprint intensity rather than at vVO₂max. The time-based version, the intensity of each step, the recoveries, the warm-up and the cool-down are Wattson choices. Bottom line: limited to moderate evidence, on a related principle rather than this format.

Sources

Meckel Y. et al., Cent Eur J Sport Sci Med 2017;20(4):5-12
Ministère des Armées, EMSLB, document de formation, novembre 2024

Frequently asked questions

What are pyramid intervals?

A session where effort length climbs then comes back down: here 1, 2, 3, 2 then 1 minute, with jogging between each. Pace adjusts to length: the shorter the effort, the faster it is. There's also a distance version, from 200 to 600 metres, and a reverse version that starts and finishes with the long efforts.

What distances should a pyramid session cover?

It depends on your vVO₂max. At 14 km/h: 233 to 243 metres in 1 minute, 457 to 476 in 2, 672 to 700 in 3. At 16 km/h: 267 to 277, 523 to 544, 768 to 800. At 18 km/h: 300 to 312, 588 to 612, 864 to 900. On a track, use these distances as markers.

Pyramid or reverse pyramid?

The standard pyramid, up then down, is easier to get into: the longest effort comes in the middle, while you're still fresh, and you finish on short efforts. The reverse pyramid starts and ends with the long efforts: the last rep is also the longest, which makes it clearly harder.

Pyramid or 5 × 3 minute intervals?

Both work your vVO₂max. The 5 × 3 min builds more work, 15 minutes against 9, and asks you to hold the same pace five times. The pyramid varies lengths and paces, and feels shorter. Alternate them week to week to break the routine.

Can you run a pyramid session as a group?

Yes, it's a good club format. Everyone changes effort at the same moment, on a whistle or the clock, and each runs at their own vVO₂max: the quicker runners cover more ground, and nobody waits around. All you need is a track or a flat loop.

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