The Right Run/Walk Pace Can Help You Go Farther With Less Fatigue. Here’s How to Find Yours.

When I committed to completing my first half marathon last year, I didn’t think I’d use the run/walk method on race day. If anything, I thought I would use the strategy as a way to build my base so I could run the full distance. But when I realized adding walk intervals to my running made it easier for me to tackle longer distances, I decided to commit to the run/walk method to conquer the entire 13.1 miles.Once I decided on the run/walk strategy, I knew I needed to fine-tune how I would pace the race, including my run/walk interval ratio. I had a strategy in mind—run for two minutes and 30 seconds and walk for 30 seconds—but with a hilly course and a cutoff time of 3:30, I was concerned this wasn’t fast enough to cross the finish line in time.Throughout my training, I’ve found nailing down my race-day interval timing and the paces for both my runs and my walks has been tricky, because speeds that once felt difficult now feel easier, and I often question how hard I can push the speed during the run intervals.So I reached out to Andrea Dell, a running coach in Charlotte, North Carolina, who coaches runners through the run/walk method, to help me figure out what paces and intervals to try and how I could better plan my strategy for a successful race day. Here’s what I learned and how it can help you, too.The Best Strategy for Finding My Run/Walk PaceI initially pinpointed my run/walk pace with the Magic Mile, the best way to determine intervals, according to the founder of the method, Jeff Galloway. Here’s how you do that:Warm up with a 10-minute jog. Run 4 x 100-meter accelerations (gradually pick up speed, then slow down). Walk for 3 minutes. Run 1 mile at your normal running speed—don’t push it. (This is your baseline pace, and you can train at this pace until you retest yourself in a few weeks.)After you find your mile time, you can calculate your half marathon pace by multiplying it by 1.2. For example, my Magic Mile pace is 12:00, so my half marathon pace is about 14:30. (You can also use our Magic Mile pace calculator.)While the Magic Mile helps you determine your overall pace, you need to factor in both your run pace and your walk pace to find your ideal intervals, especially if you have a goal time in mind, says Dell.If you don’t track your walk time, specifically, you risk the chance of slowing down significantly without realizing it, which is something Dell cautions against. “I want to see you doing the mall walk, like back in the day,” she says. That means walking with a pep in your step, but not walking so fast that you’re power walking.Dell recommended I aim for a 16:00 pace during those walk intervals. At first this sounded fast, because I had been running at that exact pace while training in the summer heat. But I was open to trying it, considering the weather was changing and my fitness had improved since I first started training.Dell also recommended I tweak my run/walk intervals to run between 75 and 90 seconds and walk between 30 and 40 seconds. Using the run/walk pace calculator, I found my combined run/walk pace could range between 14:53 and 14:55, which would get me to the finish of my half in three hours and 15 minutes. I also found even if I slowed my walking pace down to 18:00, I could still finish in three hours and 23 minutes (a 15:30 pace).Figuring out my ideal pace was one thing, but actually putting it into practice was another.How I Tested My Run/Walk Ratios to Find the Right PaceFirst, I tested my new run/walk ratios on an easy run. I realized I could complete my run intervals without struggling and I felt refreshed after the walks, so I decided to try it out on my 12-mile long run.During that 12-miler, I found I could still hold my target run pace of 14:30 for 90 seconds. And while my 40-second walk intervals offered the recovery I needed at first, early in the workout I could also feel myself struggling to keep a 16:00 walk pace. My heart rate was taking longer to enter a recovery zone, so I settled for an 18:00 pace instead.If your heart rate is spiking too high during a run interval, this could mean you’re either running too fast or too long, and also not recovering completely during your walk interval, Dell says. When looking at your heart rate chart through the entire run, you want to see mountains when you get to your run pace, a plateau for maintaining it, and then a drop when you get into the walk—your heart rate should follow those peaks and valleys, she explains.Postrun, my heart-rate data confirmed what I suspected: I noticed the mountain as Dell described, but the valleys weren’t as drastic. So I decided to shorten my run intervals from 90 seconds to 80 seconds to see if it would help me recover better.Using the talk test and monitoring your energy levels on the run is another way to confirm if a run/walk ratio is a good fit for you. If your intervals are making you tired, or you can’t maintain your pace through the long run, your strategy may be too aggressive, says Dell.On my 14-mile run—in which I tested the 80 seconds of running at 14:30 pace and 40 seconds of walking at 18:00 pace—I found myself singing along to a Mary J. Blige song loud enough for everyone to hear. My energy levels also remained fairly consistent throughout the run, and my recovery intervals gave me the boost I needed to speed up again. Afterward, I also noticed my heart-rate data reflected more of those mountains that Dell described.With that data and a successful run, I identified my run/walk ratio and my paces for race day. And because I tested my strategy in training and confirmed it worked for me, I feel confident in my plan.Even though the process didn’t happen overnight, and it took a bit of trial and error, it was reassuring to fine-tune the pacing plan—and to do it on a run that had me going even longer than 13.1 miles.The strategy worked on race day too, and I ended up running even faster thanks to those easy long runs and figuring out the pacing plan that worked for me. I finished the race in 3:01:27—much faster than my initial goal of breaking 3:15.Monique LeBrun is a health and fitness editor who is based in Easton, Pennsylvania. She covers a wide range of health and wellness topics, with a primary focus on running performance and nutrition. Monique is passionate about creating content that empowers runners to become the best versions of themselves. As an avid runner and parent, she loves spending time outdoors with her daughter, who often accompanies her on weekend runs as her personal mini run coach.