Running News Daily

Adding walk breaks to your training runs and races just might provide your ticket to faster finishes or longer distances.

Many runners have a few dirty little secrets, like not quite making it to the bathroom or chafing in unmentionable spots. But one thing many runners also won’t admit to... walking. That is, unless you embrace the run/walk method, which involves adding precisely planned walk intervals to your runs. 

The run/walk method can offer runners many benefits, including helping to fight off fatigue. It can even help you clock faster finish times and maybe even win a race that you thought was out of reach. Just look to Marc Burget for evidence. A ultramarathon run/walker, Burget, 50, won the 2016 Daytona 100 (miles) in 14 hours and 14 minutes which, at the time, was a course record.

“The idea that you should move from walking to running is the wrong framework,” Burget, director of operations at Bailey’s Health and Fitness in Jacksonville, Florida tells Runner’s World. “Instead, putting walks in my race plans allows me to go the whole 100 miles without becoming tired.” 

Research supports Burget’s experience. According to a 2016 study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sports, of the 42 runners studied, those who used the run/walk method in a marathon reported less muscle pain and fatigue and finished with similar times, compared to those who only ran. 

So, while it’s true that runners typically move faster than walkers, it’s also true that during long races or training runs, taking well-timed walk breaks can help you reach your goals. To understand the run/walk method, here are common myths and truths about the training and racing strategy, plus how to test out the system for yourself. 

Myth: Only Slow Runners Use the Run/Walk Method

Truth: Slow Walks Support Faster Finishes

In recent years, more runners and experts have learned that zone 2 running (that is, lower effort runs), improves many elements of fitness and supports your ability to run both long- and short-distance races without fatiguing as quickly. 

Whatever distance you race, it’s important to manage your energy levels from the start, so you can make it to the finish without bonking. While fuel plays a role in maintaining energy, how you pace a race is also crucial. 

“There’s a myth that a lot of runners perpetuate about banking time,” Chris Twiggs, chief training officer at Galloway Training Programs tells Runner’s World. “The time bank doesn’t exist. The bank that does exist is the bank of energy. When you walk during your run, you are investing in the bank of energy.”

Burget agrees. The first time he ran 100 miles, he planned to run the whole way, but because of exhaustion, he ended up walking about 20 miles. Once he started to train with the run/walk method, he cut his walking down to 10 to 15 miles thanks to 30-second walk intervals. Now, with experience, most of his ultras include eight to 10 miles of walking and he either alternates three minutes of running and 30 seconds of walking, or 0.3 miles of running and 30 seconds of walking, depending on his race strategy and goals. 

How to use the run/walk method to get faster:

If you have your mind on a PR, the run/walk method could help you get there. You just have to practice.

“Your walk should be brisk, but not work,” says Burget. “You want your heart rate to drop down.” You also want to give your muscles a break from the intense effort to allow for a midrun recovery. 

Because you’re walking, you also need to make your run intervals faster than if you’re going for a steady-state run. For example, let’s say you want to average an 8-minute per mile pace for a marathon. Try running a 7:40 pace for nine-tenths of a mile, then walk for 30 seconds, so that you finish a mile in eight minutes. “You’re not losing 30 seconds,” Burget explains. “You’re moving forward, but part of your pace is a walk.” Likewise, if you want to maintain an 11-minute pace, you could do a 40-second walk every three minutes of running at around a 10:20 pace per mile.

If you have been running for a bit but you don’t know where to start with your interval ratios and paces, do a “magic mile” run, both experts say. This will help set your goal pace for a race. With that magic mile time in mind, set your interval ratios, keeping in mind that generally, the faster your average pace, the longer your run intervals. For example, if you’re aiming for an 8-minute mile average pace, you may run three minutes and walk 30 seconds. But if you’re aiming for a 10-minute mile average pace, you may run 90 seconds and walk 30 seconds.

If you’re a beginner, Twiggs suggests starting your workouts by running for 30 seconds and walking for 30 seconds. If that seems too easy or you can feel yourself wanting to run more keep the 30-second walk, but run slightly longer between walks, he says. 

You can keep track of your ratio using time or distance. Twiggs uses time, while Burget often pays attention to the mile markers in his races, walking for the last tenth of each mile. Play around with what works best for you.

“It took me a few months to figure out the ratio that works for me,” says Burget, who has also run a 2:50 marathon by alternating six-minute runs and 15-second walks. 

When you want to actually increase your average pace per mile, do another magic mile to see how much faster you can go, and then either increase the speed of your run intervals, add more time to the run intervals, or cut down on the time of your walk breaks.

Myth: Only Beginners Take Walk Breaks

Truth: The Run/Walk Method Can Work for Everyone

While there are no statistics on how many runners use walks in their training or in their races, how long they’ve been running, or how “tired” any runner is when they walk, we can confidently say that runners who strive to incorporate walks into their runs are all ages and all levels of fitness. 

Both Burget and Twiggs run ultras, something less than 1 percent of Americans did in 2023, and ultrarunners typically aren’t new to the running game. 

In fact, planning your run/walk strategy for races can take practice so many experienced runners and walkers may turn to it. For example, Burget has learned to time his walks to match the location of hydration stops and elevation gain in his ultras so he can maximize his running potential. But that came with lots of practice using the run/walk method.

How to use the run/walk method to advance your race results:

Always study the details of your upcoming race and consider creating a strategy to match walks with water stations and hills. “Looking at the landscape when planning your run/walk is important,” says Burget. 

“Walking hills is smart because we want to do what we can to conserve our energy so that when we expend our energy we get the most bang for our buck,” says Twiggs. 

Running up hills during training will help you build leg strength, but in a race it could decrease your pace (and finish time) because it takes so much effort, adds Twiggs. Without planning, you might find yourself running up a hill (wasted effort) and then walking a descent as you recover. Planning ahead can help you flip that to maximize your energy and increase your speed. 

The point: Go into your race with a clear plan that has specifically planned walk breaks so you’re not just slowing it down when you feel like it, which could be a detriment to performance, Twiggs explains. Playing around with your run/walk ratios during training will also help you set this in stone come race day.

Myth: Being a Run/Walker Will Limit Your Race Opportunities

Truth: Walks Can Help You Participate in Longer, Harder Races

The reason running is defined as “high” intensity while walking is considered “low to moderate” intensity is because it takes more energy to run than to walk. Typically, your heart beats more frequently when you run than when you walk in order for your body to produce that extra effort. 

Break up those runs with walks, though, and you are giving your heart, muscles, bones, and joints a break. It’s helps with the deposit into your energy bank, as Twiggs says. The benefit of those deposits? You may be able to add to your race schedule, say by running a half marathon instead of a 10K, if that has seemed out of reach. If you think you can’t run a marathon, could you run/walk one?

To prove the point that adding walks into long runs can cut down on fatigue and help you go longer (or even run more frequently), take another example from Burget: In 2023, he ran seven marathons in seven consecutive days, aiming for a sub-three-hour finish for each race. While he ran just over three hours in two of the races, his other times ranged from 2:52:15 to 2:58:57. “I used the same interval for each race,” Burget says, “a 20-second walk during each mile.” 

How to use the run/walk method to run longer:

While you experiment with run/walk intervals, try to notice how you feel in comparison to runs that don’t include walks. Do you feel like you can increase your typical run distance or duration by a half-mile or 10 minutes? 

To progress to longer distances, you have a variety of options: You can increase the pace of your runs or shorten the walk breaks you take, says Twiggs, while still running for the same overall amount of time. (This will increase your average pace.) Or you can maintain your pace and your ratio, but add more rounds of intervals, so you run for a longer duration and therefore, distance, which may come easier than only running because of the added recovery element. Do what feels best for you. 

In addition to helping you conquer longer distances, the run/walk method might increase your race options by also allowing you to take part in multi-day events, such as runDisney weekends or Philadelphia’s Marathon Weekend, which includes an 8K, half, and marathon. 

While some runners, of course, take part in these events without using the run/walk method, “we’ve seen anecdotally that for millions of runners, this allows them to run races they would not have otherwise considered,” says Twiggs, because it can allow for that quicker recovery. 

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden delivered a sensational performance in Budapest, storming to victory in the women’s 100m at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in a breathtaking 10.62 seconds.

The American produced a superb display of acceleration and composure to claim the World Ultimate Championship title while recording the fastest women’s 100m time in the world this year. Her 10.62 mark underlined her exceptional form and placed her firmly at the top of the global sprinting hierarchy.

Jefferson-Wooden controlled the race through the decisive stages and maintained her form all the way to the finish to secure a statement victory against a field packed with championship pedigree. She crossed the line ahead of Olympic champion Julien Alfred, who clocked 10.74 seconds with a -0.2 m/s wind, while Sha’Carri Richardson took third in 10.76.

Women’s 100m Final

1. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden — 10.62

2. Julien Alfred — 10.74 (-0.2 m/s)

3. Sha’Carri Richardson — 10.76

The victory was especially significant given the quality of the opposition. Jefferson-Wooden held her nerve against Alfred and Richardson, two of the most accomplished sprinters of the current generation, to produce the fastest performance in the world this year when it mattered most.

Alfred once again demonstrated her consistency at the highest level by taking silver, while Richardson completed an all-star podium in a race that brought together three of the biggest names in women’s sprinting.

But beyond the time, the title and the celebration, one of the most touching moments came after the race when Jefferson-Wooden embraced her father, Melvin, in an emotional celebration.

Their moment carried a deeply personal meaning. When Melissa was just 17 years old, she donated her stem cells to help her father undergo a bone marrow transplant after he was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome. Years later, the two shared an unforgettable embrace in Budapest after she had become the World Ultimate Champion.

For Jefferson-Wooden, however, the evening was about far more than a medal. It was the culmination of an extraordinary journey, now highlighted by a world-leading 10.62 seconds on one of the biggest stages in athletics.

With the Ultimate Championship title secured and her father by her side, Jefferson-Wooden leaves Budapest with more than being an ultimate champion. She leaves with momentum, confidence and a powerful statement of intent — turning a high-profile showdown into one of the defining sprint performances of her season.

Audrey Werro has added another major title to her extraordinary season, storming to victory in the women’s 800m at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest.

The Swiss star delivered a commanding performance, taking control from the opening gun and refusing to surrender the lead as she powered through an absorbing battle against two of the biggest names in the event.

Werro stopped the clock at 1:55.88 to become the Ultimate Championships 800m champion, producing another statement performance on one of the sport’s newest and most prestigious stages.

Behind her, Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson fought her way to second in 1:56.26, while the Netherlands’ Femke Broeders-Bol completed the podium in 1:56.74.

The result once again brought together the same formidable trio that featured on the podium at the European Championships, but Werro again proved to be the athlete who could rise above the challenge when it mattered most.

Her Budapest triumph is the latest chapter in a season that has already included records, a successful Diamond League Trophy defence and European Championship gold. Now, she can add the Ultimate Championships crown to a growing list of accomplishments.

Werro’s consistency has been particularly impressive in an 800m event packed with elite talent. Rather than simply relying on a fast finish, the Swiss athlete showed her authority by taking the initiative from the beginning and maintaining enough strength and composure to hold off Hodgkinson and Broeders-Bol all the way to the line.

The victory also underlined the remarkable depth of the women’s 800m, with three athletes separated by less than a second at the finish. Hodgkinson’s 1:56.26 and Broeders-Bol’s 1:56.74 showed just how fiercely contested the race was, but Werro’s decision to dictate the pace ultimately gave her the decisive advantage.

For Werro, this was more than another medal. It was another opportunity to demonstrate that her rise is no passing moment. On a stage featuring established champions and elite rivals, she once again produced the performance required to claim the biggest prize.

For Hodgkinson, the silver medal adds another major podium finish, while Broeders-Bol once again demonstrated her ability to compete with the very best over two laps.

But the spotlight in Budapest belonged unmistakably to Werro.

With another championship crown secured, the Swiss star has strengthened her claim as the athlete setting the standard in women’s 800m running. This is Audrey Werro’s era — and the rest of the field is chasing.

Busang Collen Kebinatshipi has delivered another sensational performance, storming to victory in the men’s 400m at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest.

The reigning world champion stopped the clock at an astonishing 43.39 seconds, smashing his own Botswana national record and moving to fifth on the world all-time list.

Kebinatshipi produced a commanding finish to pull away from his rivals and secure the Ultimate Championship title. American star Rai Benjamin finished second in 44.15, while Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago completed the podium in 44.23.

 Men’s 400m

1. Busang Collen Kebinatshipi — 43.39 NR

2. Rai Benjamin — 44.15

3. Jereem Richards — 44.23

The performance is even more remarkable considering that Kebinatshipi had already rewritten the Botswana record just one week ago in Brussels, where he ran 43.40. In Budapest, he lowered that mark by another 0.01 seconds to establish a new national record of 43.39.

That improvement has also propelled the 22-year-old into rare territory. His latest time now ranks him fifth fastest in history over 400m, placing him among an extraordinary group of athletes who have broken the 43.40 barrier.

Kebinatshipi's victory also caps an extraordinary season for the Botswana star. After establishing himself as a global champion, he has continued to demonstrate that he belongs among the very best one-lap runners in the world.

And there is a major reward for his historic night in Budapest: Kebinatshipi walks away as the Ultimate Champion and $150,000 richer.

From another national record to a place among the five fastest 400m runners ever, Kebinatshipi has turned an already remarkable season into something truly special.

Botswana has its latest sprinting superstar — and Kebinatshipi is showing that his ceiling may be even higher than anyone imagined. 

Marileidy Paulino once again proved why she is the undisputed queen of the one-lap event, powering to victory in the women’s 400m at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest.

The Dominican Republic superstar produced a sensational 49.07 seconds to claim gold, pulling decisively away in the final straight and holding off a fiercely competitive field to extend her remarkable unbeaten run.

Paulino delivered her trademark combination of controlled speed and devastating finishing strength. She remained firmly in contention through the opening stages before unleashing her decisive move down the home straight, where she quickly opened a gap on her closest challengers.

Norway’s Henriette Jæger mounted a strong challenge but could not match Paulino’s finishing speed, crossing the line second in an impressive 49.28. Jamaica’s Nickisha Pryce completed the podium after clocking 49.56, ensuring that three of the world’s leading 400m talents occupied the medals.

The result once again underlined Paulino’s extraordinary consistency at the highest level. She entered Budapest as the world leader after running 48.48 in Paris in June, a performance that also set a Diamond League record. She subsequently remained unbeaten throughout her Diamond League campaign, closing the circuit with a meeting-record 48.64 in Brussels.

Budapest has also become a special venue in Paulino’s career. Three years ago, at the same National Athletics Centre, she captured her first individual world title, marking the beginning of another dominant chapter in her career. She later added Olympic gold in Paris in 2024, further establishing herself among the defining 400m athletes of her generation.

The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship has brought together the sport’s biggest stars in a new winner-takes-the-spotlight format, with Olympic and world champions, Diamond League winners and leading performers competing for ultimate honours.

For Paulino, the occasion once again ended with Ultimate Crown on her arms.

With 49.07 seconds, she did more than win another major 400m title. She delivered another statement of authority, powering through the final straight with the confidence and speed that have made her one of the most dominant figures in modern women’s athletics.

Marileidy Paulino remains unbeaten, remains relentless and, once again, remains the queen of the one lap.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen has made a major decision regarding the remainder of his World Athletics Ultimate Championship campaign, confirming that he will withdraw from the men’s 1500m in Budapest despite producing a sensational performance to win the 5,000m title.

The Norwegian superstar stormed to victory in the inaugural Ultimate Championship 5,000m on Friday night, clocking a season-best 12:59.24 and delivering a devastating finishing kick to defeat Olympic 5,000m champion Cole Hocker and American Parker Wolfe.

Ingebrigtsen’s final 100 metres was arguably the defining moment of the race. The Olympic champion produced a remarkable 12.60-second closing 100m, powering away from the field to secure the $150,000 winner’s prize and underline just how far his fitness has progressed since returning from Achilles surgery.

The victory was particularly significant after what has been an extremely difficult period for the 25-year-old. Earlier in the season, Ingebrigtsen faced serious uncertainty over whether he would even be able to compete at the highest level again. His return has gradually gathered momentum, and his performance in Budapest offered perhaps the clearest indication yet that the Norwegian is rediscovering his formidable racing ability.

But rather than risk pushing his recovering body further, Ingebrigtsen has now opted to step away from the 1500m.

The decision means the highly anticipated showdown with British rival Josh Kerr will not take place in Budapest after all. The two stars had been expected to renew one of the biggest rivalries in modern middle-distance running in the 1500m final.

Instead, Ingebrigtsen is looking beyond the immediate opportunity and towards the bigger picture.

“I’m thinking about 2027… Fitness cannot be faked,” the Norwegian said, signalling that protecting his long-term condition has become more important than chasing another major victory only days after his return to peak-level competition.

The decision comes just one week after an emotionally charged Diamond League Final in Brussels, where Ingebrigtsen finished fourth in the 1500m behind Australia’s Cameron Myers, Kenya’s Phanuel Kipkosgei Koech and American Ethan Strand.

After that race, Ingebrigtsen delivered a fiery assessment of his rivals and questioned the tactics surrounding the pacemaking, particularly involving Hocker. He later acknowledged that there had been “a little too much adrenaline and emotion” when microphones were placed in front of him immediately after the race.

Yet his latest decision shows that beneath the emotion and competitive intensity lies a longer-term strategy.

Ingebrigtsen has already demonstrated that he can compete at an elite level again. His 12:59.24 in Budapest was not simply a victory — it was a statement that the Norwegian remains capable of producing a world-class finish even after months of injury rehabilitation.

Now, however, he is choosing not to gamble with that progress.

For a runner who has spent much of the year fighting his way back from injury, another 1500m race could have offered enormous rewards but also carried unnecessary risk. By withdrawing, Ingebrigtsen is effectively prioritising longevity over one more opportunity for immediate glory.

His message is clear: the comeback is underway, but it will not be rushed.

The 5,000m victory has given Ingebrigtsen confidence, momentum and perhaps, most importantly, proof that his body can once again handle elite competition.

Now comes the harder part — knowing when to stop.

With 2027 already firmly in his sights, the Norwegian has chosen recovery over risk. And after everything he has endured, that could ultimately prove to be one of the most important decisions of his comeback.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen is not walking away from the sport. He is protecting his future in it.