Running News Daily

Yes, stair workouts are humbling as hell. That's why you should do them more often.

Stairs are a part of everyday life; you probably don’t think much of them as you’re hauling laundry up a flight or carrying the trash down. But if you’ve ever found yourself wheezing at the top of a set of steps (who hasn’t?), you should think about incorporating stairs into your running regimen.


The Benefits of Stair Workouts for Runners

Stairs, like hills, up the intensity of a running workout. But the intensity of the stairs’ elevation is often harder than a gradual hill, which increases the load. Physiologically, that intensity “makes you breathe harder and faster so you can take in more oxygen, which spikes your heart rate,” says Meghan Kennihan, a USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach. Doing stair workouts consistently eventually leads to an improved VO2max, she adds, because your body learns to use oxygen more efficiently—which means faster paces will feel easier on flat ground.

Research proves this: When scientists had sedentary people vigorously climb 60 steps of stairs three times a day (with one to four hours between climbs for recovery) for six weeks, those people showed improvements in their peak oxygen uptake and peak power output in a cycling test, according to a 2019 study published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.

Speaking of power output, stairs work some of the biggest muscles in your body (think: glutes, quads, and calves. Plus, you’re working against gravity to propel yourself up the stairs, which adds resistance—a great way to build strength, says Brady Irwin, owner of and head coach at Science of Speed.

“When you push off each stair, it’s a form of explosive or plyometric training,” adds Kennihan. This kind of training builds strength and power, increasing the ability of your muscles and joints to react upon landing. It also trains your body to recruit muscle fibers more efficiently, which “means you don’t need to work as hard to hit a particular pace,” she explains. “That keeps your energy expenditure lower, so you can go faster longer without fatigue or pick up the pace mid-run without getting as winded.” (In one study published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science, two plyometrics training sessions per week over six weeks led to improved 10K times, despite a reduction in training mileage.)

Stairs can also help you dial in your running technique. “Like running uphill, stairs are a great teacher of running efficiency,” says Irwin. “They naturally require you to shorten your stride and emphasize lean angle. It’s easy to understand if you try running uphill or on stairs while landing on your heels or if you try going upstairs without leaning forward—it may be one of the most awkward things you’ve tried in some time!”


And, in an era where gym access is still limited, stairs become a playground of workout opportunities beyond just sprinting up and down. You can use them to add in other plyometric exercises, as well as variations of standard bodyweight moves, like push-ups, squats, and lunges. Considering how many runners skip strength training, this is an easy way to knock out strength and cardio in one.

How to Incorporate Stair Workouts into Your Routine

An easy way to add stair workouts is to sub them in for hill workouts. But you can also do them in place of a strength training session every so often, during the first half of an easy run, or even in the middle of a longer run.

Whenever you do them, make sure to keep your form on point—since stairs require that explosive form and a little more technique than running in a straight line, you want to be focused and engaged. “Eyes should be straight ahead, not staring down at your feet,” says Kennihan. “Lean slightly forward and pump your arms to help you drive your knees up as you lift your feet up each stair.” Only do stairs at the end of the run if you’ve still got the energy to do them right.

Pyramid Stair Workout

Warm up for 10 to 15 minutes running on flat ground

Run up and down stairs or bleachers for 2 minutes

Rest for 30 to 60 seconds

Run up and down stairs or bleachers for 3 minutes

Rest for 30 to 60 seconds

Run up and down stairs or bleachers for 4 minutes

Rest for 30 to 60 seconds

Run up and down stairs or bleachers for 3 minutes

Rest for 30 to 60 seconds

Run up and down stairs or bleachers for 2 minutes

Rest for 30 to 60 seconds

Cool down by running for 10 to 15 minutes on flat ground

Total-Body Stair Workout

Warm up for 10 to 15 minutes running on flat ground

Run up and down the stairs 5 times

Perform 10 push-ups at the bottom

Run up and down the stairs 5 times

Perform 10 triceps dips at the bottom

Run up and down the stairs 5 times

Perform 10 air squats at the bottom

Run up and down the stairs 5 times

Perform 10 full sit-ups at the bottom

Run up and down the stairs 5 times

Hold a plank for 60 seconds at the bottom

Repeat the circuit 2 times total

Cool down by running for 10 to 15 minutes on flat ground

Stability Stair Workout

Warm up for 10 to 15 minutes running on flat ground (or do this workout after a steady-state run)

Perform 3 x 30-second pick-ups (start at a jog and increase the speed until you are at a 9/10 intensity), recovering with a 1-minute walk between each rep

Do 3 x 30 single-step sprints

Do 3 x 30 double-step sprints

Do 2 x 20 single steps with lateral bounding

Do 3 x 10 double-leg jumps

Cool down by walking or jogging for 10 to 15 minutes on flat ground

Leg Burnout Bleacher Workout

After a moderate run, perform 3 x 30-second pickups (start at a jog and increase the speed until you are at a 9/10 intensity), recovering with a 1-minute walk between each rep

Do 2 sets of 4 x 40 stair sprint repeats (run up the stairs, laterally across the bleachers, and down the stairs, then walk laterally across the lower bleacher to recover)

Take 4 minutes to recover between sets

After years of battling injury and uncertainty, Jake Heyward is proving that resilience can be just as powerful as raw talent. The Welsh middle-distance star has announced his return to the sport in emphatic fashion, producing the performance of his career and emerging as one of the athletes to watch in the men's mile at the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

At the London Diamond League, Heyward delivered a sensational run, finishing as the second-fastest British athlete behind mile world record-holder Josh Kerr. His time of 3:46.73 not only established a new Welsh record but also elevated him to third on the United Kingdom's all-time mile rankings, trailing only Kerr and British legend Steve Cram.

For many athletes, such a breakthrough would simply mark another career milestone. For Heyward, however, it represents the culmination of an extraordinary journey back from one of the toughest periods of his life.

The 26-year-old revealed that before undergoing surgery, he had been competing while suffering from Haglund's deformity, a painful condition affecting the heel that placed constant strain on both Achilles tendons. The problem eventually led to a devastating double Achilles injury, forcing him away from competition for an astonishing 20 months.

Rather than allowing the setback to define him, Heyward used the prolonged rehabilitation to rebuild both physically and mentally. Reflecting on that difficult chapter, he believes the experience has transformed his outlook on the sport.

"I truly believe that, because I've gone through this experience and I've had to ask myself certain questions, I actually understand the sport more. In terms of expectations and times, I'm super excited. I think there's no limit on what I can achieve. Running for Wales once again is a huge motivation."

Those words now carry even greater weight after his record-breaking performance in London.

Heyward's resurgence has injected fresh excitement into British middle-distance running and has positioned him as a genuine contender heading into Glasgow. With renewed confidence, a healthier body, and a deeper appreciation of the sport forged through adversity, he appears ready to challenge the world's best once again.

His journey from nearly two years on the sidelines to becoming Wales' fastest-ever miler is a powerful reminder that some of the greatest victories are earned long before the finish line. If his recent form is any indication, Jake Heyward's comeback story may only be just beginning, and the Commonwealth Games could provide the perfect stage for its next unforgettable chapter.

Australian sprint sensation Torrie Lewis continues to redefine the limits of her remarkable young career after storming to a stunning 11.04 seconds in the women's 100 metres at the TIPOS P-T-S Meeting in Slovakia, setting a new Australian record in breathtaking fashion.

Lewis sliced 0.04 seconds off her own previous national record of 11.08, producing the fastest performance ever by an Australian woman over the distance. Her blistering run confirmed that her rise is no fleeting moment—it is the arrival of one of the world's most exciting sprint talents.

The race itself was a spectacle from start to finish. Lewis exploded from the blocks, held her composure through the drive phase, and unleashed a powerful finish to edge one of the greatest sprinters in history, Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica, who crossed the line in 11.06. Austria's Christania Williams also clocked 11.06, making it one of the most fiercely contested 100-metre races of the meeting.

Beyond the victory, the performance carries even greater significance. Lowering a national record is never easy, especially after already establishing yourself as the country's fastest woman. Yet Lewis demonstrated that she is still finding new levels, delivering a performance that signals she is becoming an increasingly serious contender on the international stage.

The 11.04 clocking is another milestone in a season that continues to gather momentum. With every race, Lewis is proving she possesses not only exceptional speed but also the consistency and composure needed to challenge the world's elite when the stakes are highest.

As global championship season approaches, Australia's sprint star has sent a powerful message to her rivals. If this latest record-breaking performance is any indication, Torrie Lewis is only beginning to reveal the full extent of her potential, and the fastest chapters of her career may still lie ahead.

Some moments in sport transcend generations. They remind us that while records may fall, the spirit of greatness never fades. One such moment unfolded when legendary New Zealand coach Arch Jelley watched Josh Kerr produce a breathtaking 3:42.66 mile world record—not from the stands, but from his bed, sharing the historic occasion with his former athlete, 1988 Olympian Christine Pfitzinger, herself once New Zealand's mile and 1500m record holder.

For most fans, Kerr's astonishing performance was simply another unforgettable chapter in the evolution of middle-distance running. For Jelley, however, it was something far more profound. It was a bridge between two eras separated by more than half a century, connecting the glorious past he helped shape with the remarkable future he lived long enough to witness.

As he approaches his 104th birthday on August 13, Jelley has seen the mile transformed in ways few people ever will. Long before modern technology, advanced sports science and super shoes reshaped the event, he guided one of athletics' greatest pioneers.

On August 12, 1975, in Gothenburg, Sweden, Jelley coached Sir John Walker to a revolutionary 3:49.4, making him the first man in history to break the seemingly impossible 3:50 barrier for the mile. It was a performance that changed the sport forever and cemented Walker's place among the all-time greats. Less than a year later, Walker crowned that success by winning the Olympic 1500m gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Games, fulfilling the promise of one of the finest coach-athlete partnerships athletics has ever known.

Yet Walker was only one chapter in Jelley's extraordinary coaching legacy.

Across more than six decades, the master coach nurtured and inspired countless elite middle- and long-distance runners, earning a reputation for developing athletes through patience, wisdom and an unwavering belief in their potential. Even retirement could not keep him away from the sport he loved. At the remarkable age of 93, Jelley returned to coaching to help Hamish Carson qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, proving that passion for excellence has no expiration date.

Now, more than fifty years after witnessing Walker redefine what was possible, Jelley has watched another runner push the boundaries of human performance. Josh Kerr's magnificent 3:42.66 was not merely a new world record—it was another milestone in the endless pursuit of greatness, one observed by a man who has devoted almost an entire lifetime to that very journey.

There is something beautifully symbolic about the scene: a coach who once stood trackside guiding history now watching a new generation rewrite it through the lens of modern technology. The setting may have changed, but the emotion remains the same.

Few people in athletics can claim to have witnessed the evolution of the mile from the dawn of the sub-3:50 era to today's astonishing world-record performances. Arch Jelley can.

His life is more than a coaching story—it is a living timeline of the mile itself. From John Walker's historic breakthrough in 1975 to Josh Kerr's record-shattering masterpiece in 2026, Jelley has remained a constant witness to the relentless pursuit of human excellence, proving that while champions come and go, the love of the sport endures across every generation.

When Sir Roger Bannister crossed the finish line in Oxford on May 6, 1954, in 3:59.4, he did far more than become the first man to run a sub-four-minute mile. He demolished one of sport's greatest psychological barriers, proving that what had long been considered impossible was simply waiting for someone bold enough to achieve it.

More than seven decades later, that historic run remains the most famous mile ever raced—not because it is still the fastest, but because it transformed athletics forever. Bannister's achievement inspired generations of runners to dream bigger, train harder and believe that seemingly unreachable barriers could be broken.

Today, however, the mile has entered an entirely different dimension.

Josh Kerr's sensational 3:42.66 world record has redefined the limits of middle-distance running. In one unforgettable race, the Scottish star erased Hicham El Guerrouj's legendary 3:43.13 mark that had stood untouched since 1999, proving once again that every era has its athlete capable of rewriting history.

The numbers tell a remarkable story of progress. If Bannister's iconic 3:59.4 were placed in the same race as Kerr's 3:42.66, the man who first conquered the sub-four-minute barrier would finish almost 17 seconds behind. At the pace Kerr sustained, that deficit would amount to well over 100 metres—an extraordinary margin in an event where the world's best are often separated by hundredths of a second.

Yet those statistics should never be mistaken for a comparison of greatness. Bannister and Kerr competed in vastly different eras, under different conditions and with entirely different levels of sports science, training knowledge, footwear technology and track surfaces. Bannister raced on a cinder track wearing heavy leather spikes, balancing elite athletics with his demanding medical studies. Kerr benefits from decades of scientific advancement, world-class support systems and cutting-edge equipment that have helped athletes push the boundaries of human performance.

Every generation has added another chapter to the mile's extraordinary story. Just weeks after Bannister's breakthrough, Australia's John Landy lowered the record to 3:57.9. The baton then passed through legendary names including Derek Ibbotson, Herb Elliott, Peter Snell, Michel Jazy, Jim Ryun, Filbert Bayi, John Walker, Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett, Steve Cram, Noureddine Morceli and Hicham El Guerrouj. Each champion dared to believe the record could fall again, leaving the event stronger than they found it.

Josh Kerr is now the latest custodian of that legacy. His world record is not simply another fast time—it is the culmination of more than 80 years of relentless progress. Every stride he took was built upon the courage, ambition and achievements of those who came before him.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the mile is how dramatically its meaning has changed. In 1954, the world was captivated by one question: Could anyone ever run under four minutes? Today, the conversation has shifted to how much further the event can evolve. With Kerr already under 3:43, the now-unthinkable prospect of a sub 3:42 mile no longer feels like fantasy but a genuine possibility for the future.

That is the enduring beauty of athletics. Every world record eventually falls, but the performances that redefine belief never fade. Bannister's sub-four-minute mile remains the sport's most iconic breakthrough because it changed the way humanity viewed its own limits. Kerr's 3:42.66 is the newest benchmark of excellence, standing as proof that the impossible is never permanent—it is simply the starting point for the next generation.

Josh Kerr has already etched his name into athletics history with a breathtaking world mile record of 3:42.66, but the numbers hidden within that extraordinary performance suggest an even greater achievement could be just around the corner.

While the world celebrated the fastest mile ever run, another remarkable statistic quietly emerged. On his way to that historic finish, Kerr passed the 1,500m mark in an astonishing 3:27.62—the seventh-fastest performance ever recorded over the distance and just 1.62 seconds outside Hicham El Guerrouj's iconic world record of 3:26.00, which has stood as one of athletics' greatest benchmarks for more than a quarter of a century.

What makes Kerr's split so extraordinary is the context in which it was achieved.

Unlike a dedicated 1,500m race, Kerr wasn't running to the finish line when he reached 1,500 metres. He still had another 109 metres remaining before completing the mile. Throughout the race, he had to carefully distribute his effort, knowing there was still significant work left after crossing the traditional 1,500m distance.

His world-record mile required approximately 724 strides, each averaging about 2.22 metres in length. By the time he reached the 1,500m split, he still had enough energy reserved to launch one final charge toward the mile finish, meaning he could not afford to completely exhaust himself at that point.

That reality has fuelled growing excitement across the athletics community.

Imagine Kerr lining up for a race built solely around the 1,500m. With elite pacemakers setting the perfect rhythm from the gun, competitors pushing the pace all the way to the finish, and no need to save anything for an additional 109 metres, the conditions would be dramatically different. Every stride, every surge and every ounce of energy could be devoted exclusively to chasing one target—the world record.

Many athletics experts believe that under those ideal circumstances, bridging the remaining 1.62 seconds is far from impossible. In fact, they see it as a realistic challenge for an athlete who has consistently demonstrated remarkable finishing speed, tactical intelligence and the ability to perform under immense pressure.

Hicham El Guerrouj's 3:26.00 has long been regarded as one of the most untouchable records in middle-distance running. Yet every era eventually produces an athlete capable of redefining what was once thought impossible.

After witnessing Kerr's astonishing mile masterpiece, the conversation has shifted dramatically. The question is no longer whether he belongs among the greatest milers in history—it is whether he can become the man who finally brings down one of the sport's most enduring world records.

If his latest performance is any indication, the countdown to another historic assault may already have begun.