Striders: The 20-Second Secret to Faster, Smoother Running

Key Takeaways

• Striders are short 15–25 second accelerations at 85–95% of max speed—fast but controlled, never all-out sprints
• They activate fast-twitch muscle fibers and prime your neuromuscular system before workouts and races
• Doing 4–8 striders after easy runs maintains running economy and leg turnover without adding training stress

A strider (also called a stride, stride-out, or pickup) is a short acceleration lasting roughly 15–25 seconds where you gradually build to about 85–95% of your max speed, hold that pace briefly, then ease back down. They're not sprints—you're running fast but controlled, staying relaxed and smooth. This simple drill is one of the most effective tools for maintaining speed and form throughout your training.

Quick Metrics

Parameter	Value
Duration	15–25 seconds
Intensity	85–95% max speed
Distance	50–100 meters
Reps per Session	4–8
Recovery	60–90 seconds walk/jog

How to Execute Striders

Run at an easy jog, then over about 20–30 meters gradually accelerate until you're running fast but not all-out. Your form should feel quick and light—high cadence, relaxed shoulders, arms driving efficiently. Hold that pace for maybe 50–80 meters, then decelerate smoothly. Walk or jog easily for 60–90 seconds between reps.

The key is staying loose. If you're grimacing or tensing up, you're pushing too hard.

Step-by-Step Execution

1. Start Easy: Begin jogging at a comfortable pace
2. Accelerate Gradually: Over 20–30 meters, smoothly build speed
3. Hold Fast Pace: Maintain 85–95% effort for 50–80 meters
4. Decelerate Smoothly: Ease back down over 10–20 meters
5. Recover: Walk or easy jog for 60–90 seconds
6. Repeat: Complete 4–8 total repetitions

When to Use Striders

The timing of your striders matters. Here's how placement affects their purpose:

Timing	Purpose	Best For
Before a Workout	Activates neuromuscular system, raises heart rate	Hard sessions, tempo runs, intervals
Before a Race	Primes fast-twitch fibers, sharpens reflexes	Competition warm-up
After an Easy Run	Maintains speed and form, prevents "flat legs"	Recovery days, base building phases

Before a Workout or Race

Striders activate your neuromuscular system—they "wake up" the fast-twitch muscle fibers and prime the communication pathways between your brain and muscles. This is why they feel so different from just jogging around; you're essentially telling your body "we're about to run fast" so it's not shocked when the gun goes off.

Most competitive runners complete 4–6 striders in the final 10–15 minutes before a race, finishing the last one about 3–5 minutes before the start.

After an Easy Run

Easy days can leave your legs feeling flat if you never touch faster paces, and over time this can erode your running economy and form. A few striders keep your mechanics sharp and maintain that neuromuscular connection to speed without adding real training stress.

This is especially valuable during high-mileage base building phases when most of your running is at slower paces. The striders ensure you don't lose touch with turnover and speed.

Why Striders Work

The magic of striders lies in what they do to your nervous system. When you accelerate to near-maximum speed, you're recruiting muscle fibers that don't get called upon during easy running. These fast-twitch fibers need regular activation to stay responsive.

More importantly, striders train the neural pathways—the communication lines between your brain and muscles. Running fast requires precise, rapid-fire signals. If you only run slow, those pathways get "rusty." Striders keep them sharp.

The beauty is that striders accomplish this without significant fatigue. A set of 6 striders totals maybe 500 meters of faster running with full recovery between efforts. Compare that to a threshold workout or interval session, and you can see why striders are often called "free speed."

A Brief History

Striders have been a staple of competitive running for generations, though the terminology and understanding have evolved. Arthur Lydiard, the influential New Zealand coach whose methods shaped distance running in the 1960s and beyond, incorporated fast relaxed running into his training philosophy.

Coaches have long recognized that pure slow mileage, while building aerobic capacity, doesn't fully prepare the body for racing speeds. Striders emerged as the elegant solution—a way to touch speed frequently without the fatigue cost of true speedwork.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Running too hard: Striders should feel controlled and smooth. If you're straining or your form is breaking down, back off the intensity.

Skipping recovery: The walk or jog between striders is essential. Don't rush through them—full recovery ensures each rep is quality.

Doing too many: More isn't better. 4–8 striders is plenty. Doing 15+ turns them into a workout, which defeats the purpose.

Poor timing: Don't do striders immediately before a hard workout when you're already warmed up and ready to go. Do them during the warm-up, finishing 5–10 minutes before the main session.

Making Striders a Habit

The runners who benefit most from striders are the ones who do them consistently. Add 4–6 striders to the end of your easy runs 2–3 times per week. Include them in your pre-race warm-up routine. Over months and years, this small habit compounds into meaningful improvements in speed and efficiency.

For more on setting realistic training goals, or to calculate your training paces, explore our other resources.

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"I constantly use striders with my youth and high school aged athletes to help improve their speed. They tend to win all of our local 5Ks. When on the starting line, it's rare to see anybody other than them doing striders."

— Coach Darrin DeTorres, Founder of A Faster 5K