Getting faster is a common running goal. Honestly from the day we start, we’re often looking at how to do it faster or run farther, even while still huffing and puffing through that first mile. It’s what sucks us in, the goal is ever changing. No matter how good you are, you always have the chance to be better.
Now in saying this, you might also know that as a Coach I preach the fact that running should be fun, no one has to run and getting faster doesn’t need to be your goal.
But if you’re here, then it probably is. So let’s talk about an under utilized method of improving your speed without adding more miles.
How to Get Faster With Short Bursts
There have been a lot of studies on hill sprints, but a new one in 2025 really drives home the idea that 8 weeks worth of hill sprint workouts can improve running performance. I’ve seen other studies showing benefits from just 6 weeks and honestly having coached for well over a decade, I see this work just adding it in to the early phase of any training plan.
Not only will you get faster, but build fatigue resistance to help you maintain form and speed later in a race.
RTTF athletes are well aware that we like using hill repeats, especially early on and there’s a really good reason which I want to share before we even dive in to the why and how:
Hills Are Easier on the Body Than Flat Speed Work
Hill sprints are often one of the safest ways to introduce speed work, especially for masters runners or those returning from injury.
Uphill running naturally:
- Reduces impact forces
- Shortens stride length
- Encourages better posture and cadence
You get the neuromuscular and strength benefits of speed training — without the pounding. Ok great, now you know why we like them even though they sound hard and aren’t as glamorous as hitting the track. Let’s talk about how they’ll make you faster with such a short amount of time needed to implement them.
What the Study Tested
Researchers looked at how different hill inclines affected running performance over 8 weeks in trained middle-distance runners. They split athletes into four groups:
- Steeper hills (~7.6% incline)
- Intermediate hills (~5.1%)
- Shallow hills (~2.5%)
- Control (no added hill work)
When researchers refer to hill sprints in this study, they’re not talking about long, grinding uphill intervals or steady hill repeats done at tempo effort.
These were short, powerful uphill accelerations designed to maximize force production and neuromuscular recruitment.
Duration & Structure
- Each repeat lasted 10–30 seconds
- Consider it near maximal effort, but controlled
- Performed on a consistent incline (shallow, moderate, or steep depending on group)
- Runners completed multiple repetitions per session, twice per week
- Recovery was long enough to allow high-quality efforts (walk or easy jog downhill)
These efforts were short by design so runners could focus on power and mechanics, not survival.
Key Findings On Speed
#1 Speed (Sprint Test)
Runners on steeper hills ran significantly faster in a 30-m sprint test.
Shallow and intermediate hills didn’t improve top speed as much as steep ones.
Why? Steeper hills force greater force production — your muscles must work harder against gravity. This builds power that transfers to faster flat-ground speed.
PMC
#2 Running Performance (800m Time Trials)
Both steeper and intermediate hill groups ran faster 800m times after training than the control group.
Shallow hills didn’t produce big changes.
Why? Hills train both anaerobic and aerobic energy systems and help runners tolerate lactate better which is a key factor in middle-distance performance. Remember lactic acid isn’t a bad thing and your body absolutely knows how to shuttle it out of your legs, but like all things you improve tolerance.
#3 Strength Endurance
Strength endurance (measured by burpees in one minute) increased most in the steeper hill group, then intermediate. This is to say that they had the ability to hold on to an intensity level for longer.
Shallow hills weren’t enough stimulus.
Why? Uphill work requires sustained muscle force against resistance, building the ability to maintain speed and power under fatigue.
How Steep Should Hill Sprints Be?
Not all hills are created equal and this study focuses just on building speed, but for a marathon runner a long sustained 3% incline run will build additional adaptations to help with that style of endurance. That’s of course a different type of interval workout than what we’re talking about which are true sprints.
| Hill Type | Physiological Stress | Performance Payoff |
|---|---|---|
| Steeper (≥7.5%) | High force production | Best for speed + strength endurance |
| Intermediate (≈5%) | Balanced intensity | Great for middle distance EN and performance |
| Shallow (≈2–3%) | Low resistance | Minimal adaptation |
| Insight: steeper doesn’t have to be extreme, but it must challenge muscle strength meaningfully. |
Why Hill Workouts Work (And Why It’s More Than Just “Running Hard Uphill”)
I know a lot of you are avoiding hills on your easy days, so step one stop that. You need hills not just in this workout, but the more you do them in general the more fitness you’re building. They will get easier!
Hill Sprints specifically change how your body produces force, how your muscles fatigue, and how efficiently you run..
Hills Train Force Production, Not Just Fitness
Running faster involves a lot of things, including running cadence, knee drive, fatigue resistance and yes force production.
Running uphill increases the amount of force required every time your foot hits the ground. Gravity is now part of the workout. Your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves must all work harder to propel you forward and upward.
Over time, this teaches your muscles to:
- Push harder into the ground
- Apply force more efficiently
- Maintain that force even as fatigue builds
When you return to flat running, the ground suddenly feels easier. When we talk about strength here, it’s not the same as lifting power that builds your glutes, which is also important! This is strength in force production and endurance.
Hill Sprints Improve Neuromuscular Efficiency
One of the biggest benefits of hill work happens in your nervous system, not just your muscles. I’ve enjoyed talking more about this on the Tread Lightly podcast with Coach Laura Norris, she always brings in the science with her masters and then I get to turn it into language we all understand!
Short, hard uphill efforts require your brain to recruit more muscle fibers at once. This improves:
- Coordination between muscles
- Timing of muscle activation
- Efficiency of each stride
Because hills limit top speed, runners can work near max effort without overstriding or braking, which often happens during flat sprints. Running sprints is a really valuable way to improve fitness, but the injury risk is so high for most everyday runners who simply haven’t learned how to use their body that way.
Hills Build Running Specific Strength Endurance
Strength endurance is the ability to keep producing force late in a run.
Hill work develops this because:
- Muscles are under tension for longer per stride
- Each push-off costs more energy
- Fatigue accumulates faster than on flat ground
Unlike traditional strength training, hills do this while running, which makes the adaptation more transferable. You’re training your muscles to stay strong in the exact movement pattern you use on race day.
Hills Improve Both Aerobic and Anaerobic Systems
Hill sprints sit at a unique crossroads in training.
They challenge the anaerobic system, because of the high intensity and the aerobic system, because repeated efforts still require oxygen delivery and recovery.
That dual stress teaches your body to:
- Tolerate higher effort levels
- Clear fatigue-producing byproducts more efficiently
- Recover faster between hard efforts
For middle-distance runners, this directly improves performance. For longer-distance runners, it raises the ceiling of how fast “comfortably hard” can feel.
8 Week Run Faster Workout Plan
I know, I know you just want the plan!! But I had to sell you on the idea of hill sprints first because there’s honestly so much resistance to do thing them. They sound hard because they are, but also they aren’t.
You’ll find that these workouts are short and succinct. Providing you plenty of recovery and should not leave you feeling wrecked for your next run.
The best part is that this works for all levels of runners because it’s designed based on your effort level.
Weekly Structure (2 Hill Sessions)
This set up is designed based upon the study. However for newer runners I would recommend starting with just 1 set of hill sprints per week for at least a month and you definitely should not be doing these on top of other speed workouts.
Warm-up:
Complete a full dynamic warm up and then go for an easy run up to 3 miles, but as little as 15 minutes if short on time.
Main Set:
After each rep (uphill run), you will walk back down giving your HR time to drop before starting the next uphill sprint. This will be anywhere from 60-90 seconds. Newer runners take longer if needed so you make the most of the uphill effort. You should notice over the weeks that your HR starts to recover faster.
Week 1–2: 6 × 10–15 sec uphill efforts
Week 3–4: 8 × 12–18 sec uphill
Week 5–6: 10 × 15–20 sec uphill
Week 7–8: 10 × 20–25 sec uphill
Cooldown: Walk for a minute or so to feel like your breathing smooths out and then return to an easy run for 10-20 minutes.
While hill sprints aren’t the only way to get faster, they do have a lot of research behind them AND we love that they have a lower risk of injury for most athletes, without requiring a lot of time or additional mileage.
Give it a shot and let us know what you think!
What to read next?
- Sub 2 hour half marathon plan
- Best Lightweight Running Shoes (that aren’t high priced carbon shoes)
- 15 Running Workouts to Increase Speed and Stamina
The post How to Get Faster in 8 Weeks: Even If You’re Short on Time appeared first on RunToTheFinish.
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