Warm-up run, slow run, relaxed run, or simply an easy run – there are many names for it, but it all comes down to the same type of training. These sessions form the foundation of nearly every runner’s training regimen. Even those preparing for a marathon or chasing personal bests cover most of their mileage at an easy pace. Only on this foundation can you safely add more demanding sessions, such as intervals, tempo runs, or hill repeats. Without regular easy runs, it’s hard to talk about systematic progress and building fitness.
What Is a Easy Run?
An easy run, is a relaxed, low-intensity workout. Its goal is not to set pace records, but to build aerobic endurance and increase training volume. During a easy run, the effort should be light enough to allow for conversation without getting out of breath.
Why Do We Do Easy Runs?
Easy runs are the foundation of running training. They help build aerobic endurance, increase weekly mileage, and prepare the body for more demanding workouts. Regular easy runs also improve running economy, support recovery, and reduce the risk of overuse and injuries.
How Intense Should a Easy Run Be?
A easy run should be performed at low intensity. The pace should be slow enough that you can talk freely and breathe without getting out of breath. Most runners perform these workouts in the first or second heart rate zone, and the perceived exertion level can be described as light. If, after finishing the run, you feel that you could easily continue for a longer time, the pace was likely appropriate.
For those using a heart rate monitor, this will most often be about 60–75% of maximum heart rate (HRmax).
The simplest way to estimate HRmax is to calculate it as 220 minus your age:
| AGE | MAXIMUM HEART RATE | EASY RUN HEART RATE |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | approx. 190 | 114–143 bpm |
| 40 | approx. 180 | 108–135 bpm |
| 50 | approx. 170 | 102–128 bpm |
It’s also worth remembering that this is just the textbook approach. For beginners who are out of shape and run irregularly, even a very slow run often causes significant fatigue and a high heart rate (higher than 75% of HRmax), and this is normal. For trained individuals, the heart rate will be closer to the calculated range, but this also varies by individual. In practice, feeling comfortable is more important than the “ideal” number of heartbeats per minute.
Heart rate is also influenced by external factors such as high temperature, wind direction, running on hilly terrain, or fatigue from daily responsibilities.
How Often Should You Do Easy Runs?
Easy runs are the foundation of most running plans. In practice, they aren’t an “add-on” to training – they’re its foundation. You don’t need to “weave” them into your running plan because they are its foundation. The main part of your training plan consists of easy runs. People often talk about the 80/20 rule, where 80% of running consists of easy miles and 20% consists of faster intervals. Easy runs make up the majority of your weekly mileage, while faster intervals (intervals, tempo runs, or hill repeats) are interspersed between them.
The more of a beginner you are, the larger the proportion of easy runs in your plan tends to be. For beginners, they can make up almost the entire workout, but even if you’re a complete beginner, it’s a good idea to incorporate at least a few faster segments into your training. These shouldn’t be 20%, but it’s a good idea to add a few faster 100-meter strides at the end of one of the easy runs. Such a workout consists of 90% easy runs, and that’s perfectly fine.
| DAY OF THE WEEK | WORKOUT |
|---|---|
| Monday | 5 km easy run |
| Thursday | 5 km easy run + 6 slightly faster 100-meter strides |
| Saturday | 5 km easy run |
As your level of advancement (and ambition) increases, more intensity elements appear in the training plan, but easy runs still remain the dominant part of the week even for very advanced and fast runners. For some runners, easy runs will account for only 70%, while for others as much as 80% of the weekly volume. Much depends on individual preferences, but easy runs are always the foundation upon which the rest is built.
| DAY OF THE WEEK | WORKOUT |
|---|---|
| Monday | 10 km easy run |
| Tuesday | 3 km easy run + intervals or hills |
| Thursday | 8–12 km easy run + 6 x 100-meter strides |
| Saturday | long run 16–22 km, first 10–14 km at easy run pace, second half at a faster pace or marathon pace |
| Sunday | 6–8 km easy/recovery run |
Common Mistakes During Easy Runs
The most common mistake during easy runs is running too fast and having a heart rate that’s too high – many runners unknowingly turn a relaxed easy into a moderately intense workout, which puts more strain on the body than necessary. If you get out of breath during the run or find it hard to talk comfortably, you should slow down. The goal of a easy run is never a specific speed, but maintaining low intensity.
The second problem is the lack of a clear distinction between easy runs and harder workouts – if you run your easy runs too fast, you end up with a series of “moderately intense” runs that neither maximize endurance development nor allow for proper recovery. Some people treat easy runs as a less important part of their plan and focus exclusively on intervals and tempo runs, but it is precisely these regular, easy runs that form the foundation of training: they build endurance to the greatest extent and make it possible for further improvement in fitness.
Summary
Although easy runs may not look as impressive as intervals or tempo runs, these easy runs are the foundation of most runners’ training. It is therefore worth not neglecting them but running them regularly and at a sufficiently slow pace – it is these easy kilometers that build endurance, allow for recovery, and create the foundation upon which you can safely continue to improve.
