How to Master the Run/Walk Method: Improve Your Pace and Recovery

To pick up your pace, hit new distance milestones, or snag your next race PR, you may not need to train faster or longer. Instead, the smartest training strategy for hitting your next running goal could be harnessing the power of walking.Runners of all abilities have used the run/walk method to improve their training, recovery, and race-day performance for decades. Working brief and intentional walk breaks into your runs is a proven plan for sustainable training, and is great for all runners—from newcomers just getting started to veterans with years of racing and miles logged on their watches.In the Runner’s World guide, How to Master the Run/Walk Method: Improve Your Pace and Recovery, we’ll teach you the ins and outs of the run/walk training strategy, along with the health and fitness benefits that can come from incorporating walk intervals into your runs.What You’ll LearnIn How to Master the Run/Walk Method: Improve Your Pace and Recovery, we’ll teach you:The origins of the run/walk methodWhy runners of all levels can benefit from adding walk intervals into their runsHow the run/walk method can improve your overall pace and recoveryWhat scientific research says about the run/walk strategyCommon run/walk method mythsWatch Video“I have used the run-walk-run method for distances from the 5K to over 100-mile races. The thing I love most is it allows me to recover quickly so I can move on to my next adventure.”—Chris Twiggs, Galloway Training Chief Training Officer Go DeeperWhat Is the Run/Walk Method?The run/walk method is as straightforward and simple as it sounds. Instead of running nonstop, you’ll incorporate short, planned walk intervals into your run, alternating between running and walking throughout your session.The training strategy was pioneered by the late Jeff Galloway in the 1970s. Galloway, a member of the 1972 U.S. Olympic team in the 10,000 meters, began coaching a group of beginner runners to finish a 5K and 10K and realized that adding walk breaks into their training runs helped them finish their miles feeling strong and confident. He had his athletes follow the “huff and puff” rule, meaning that whenever they began to strain their breathing on a run, they would take a brief walk break.By the end of the athletes’ 10-week training block, they all not only made it to their respective finish lines, but did so injury-free—and had fun along the way. Hence, the run/walk method was officially born.“Working to run nonstop for 30 minutes or for an entire half marathon or a 50K ultra is an impressive feat,” says program host and certified personal trainer Carissa Galloway. “But with the run/walk method, runners have the ability to run faster and go farther. They can best fatigue and avoid injuries by incorporating precisely planned walk intervals.”Walk intervals can vary in length, but most advanced run/walkers almost always incorporate 30-second walk durations into their runs. It’s the magic number that gives your heart and legs a chance to recover from your running portions, and return to your run pace feeling strong.What the Science SaysThere’s proof in the research when it comes to the effectiveness of the run/walk method for stronger, pain-free running.One study of recreational runners completing a marathon found that those who followed the run/walk method reported significantly less muscle pain and fatigue after finishing their race. Of those run/walkers, less than 5 percent of them reported extreme exhaustion after the marathon, compared to more than 40 percent of those who ran continuously.Another study conducted in Australia in 2024 asked participants to complete a 12-week run/walk program with three 30-minute sessions each week. Of the participants, those who said they had chronic lower back pain reported significantly reduced pain and disability.But the upsides of adding walk breaks into your runs go beyond reducing both post-race and persistent pain. The run/walk method can also help you:Fight fatigueAvoid injuryImprove your recovery during and between runsBreak down any distance into manageable chunksBetter your heart rate controlCommon Misconceptions About the Run/Walk MethodOne of the biggest myths about the run/walk method: It’s a strategy reserved for new or slow runners. That’s far from reality. Using run/walk doesn’t automatically make you slower than other runners, and any level of runner can use the strategy.Many run/walkers find that walking for short periods helps them pick up the pace on the running portions, and their overall speed quickens. That’s because short bouts of walking during your run can help your cardiovascular system recover and make picking up the pace easier during the run portions. You may even notice that you feel more energized and have the strength to cover longer distances using the run/walk method.And while it’s certainly a smart training strategy for runners logging their first miles, the run/walk method can help advanced athletes boost their efficiency, pick up their speed, and even conquer longer distances they never knew were possible. Advanced run/walkers may even effectively use the strategy to hit an ambitious performance goal on race day—like running a Boston Marathon qualifying time or a big personal best.“Whether you clock an average nine-minute mile running nonstop, or you do it by taking walk breaks, you can still finish a marathon in under four hours,” Galloway says. “You’ll just use a different method to get there.”Ashley is Editor of Content Hype at Hearst’s Enthusiast & Wellness Group. She is a former collegiate runner at UNC Asheville where she studied mass communication. Ashley loves all things running; she has raced two marathons, plus has covered some of the sport’s top events in her career, including the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials and multiple World Marathon Majors.