How to Train for the Mile

The mile is one of the most iconic distances for runners. It’s challenging enough to test your limits, yet achievable for runners of all abilities. Whether you’re aiming to run a mile non-stop for the first time or get a faster mile time, here are all our top tips.

The Universal Appeal of the Mile

In the Olympics, the Athletics World Championships and most major track meets, you’ll see athletes toeing the line for the 1500m: three and three quarter laps of the track. The mile is only slightly longer (if run on a track, it’s four full laps), and these days, it’s less commonly run in major track meets.

But the mile race has a long history, and it’s still a prestigious event. Most runners will recognize the name Roger Bannister as the first person to break the four minute barrier in the mile, running 3:59.4 back in 1954. At that point, four minutes in this distance was considered to be impossible.

But once one man had done it, it proved what was possible, and Bannister’s record didn’t stand for long, with the Australian John Landy running 3:58.0 just 46 days later. Today, the record stands at 3:43.13, run by Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999. The women’s record is 4:07.64, run by Kenyan Faith Kipyegon in 2023. She will attempt to be the first woman to break four minutes in the mile in June 2025, in a special event supported by a team of pacers (so it won’t count as a world record).

Although the mile distance doesn’t often crop up at championships, there are some prestigious standalone mile races, like the Bowerman Mile (held annually in July as part of the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene), the Wanamaker Mile (held on an indoor track each February as part of the Millrose Games in New York), and the  Fifth Avenue Mile, held each September in New York City.

But despite its prestige, the beauty of the mile is that it’s a distance that’s accessible to anyone. Whether you’re a beginner runner or an aspiring Olympian, with a little bit of training, anyone can run a mile – whether as part of a race or not. If you’re keen to give it a go, here are our top tips for one mile training.

One Mile Training: Choose Your Starting Point

Although the mile is accessible to everyone, not everyone is starting from the same place. That means it’s important to take your own experience, fitness levels and goals into account when training. Choose your starting point and discover our tailored tips for running a mile.

Absolute Beginners

New to running? This is what you need to know if you want to run a mile.

Goal: Complete Your First Mile

If you’ve never run before or are very new to running, running one mile is a great goal. It’s an achievable target – it just needs a little hard work and dedication to get there. The primary objective is clear for beginners: run a full mile, from start to finish.

Basic Training Principles

It can be tempting to jump straight into training with all-out efforts, but the best way to start running is to start conservatively and gradually increase the time and distance you can run. This way, you’ll be more likely to avoid injuries – and you’re also more likely to find running enjoyable!

Three sessions a week is a good place to start, with at least one day of full rest in between each session, giving your body enough time to adapt and recover. Each week, you can then aim to gradually increase either the total amount of time you spend running, or the distance you cover.

Don’t get hung up on speed. If you want to get faster, that can come later. For now, focus on building up the distance gradually and training for your first mile in a safe, sustainable way. If you’re gasping for breath or can’t comfortably chat while running, you’re going too fast. Take the pressure off and slow it way down.

The Run/Walk Method

One of the best methods for new runners is the run/walk method. Start with a small amount of running followed by a walking break – for example, you might try 30 seconds of running followed by 90 seconds of walking, repeated for 15-20 minutes. 

As you get more comfortable, you can then gradually start to increase the amount of time you run and decrease the walking breaks. You might progress from 30 seconds running/90 seconds walking to 1 minute running/1 minute walking, then 2 minutes running/1 minute walking, and so on.

It’s important not to rush this progression though. There’s no timescale for this – you can increase the running intervals after a week if you feel comfortable, or spend a few weeks at the same intervals. 

If you’d prefer to be guided through this process, you could try the Couch to 5k program. While the end goal here is to run a full 5 kilometers (which is 2.1 miles longer than a mile!), it’ll guide you through run/walk intervals and build up the distance in a sustainable way.

Common Beginner Pitfalls

Even if you have good intentions, there are a few common traps that new runners fall into. Here’s what to avoid when building up to your first mile:

• Going too fast too soon: Don’t try to bust out a pace you can’t sustain. It’s far better to slow things down, helping you to build an aerobic base that will serve you well for your first mile effort – and beyond.

• Doing too much or too quickly: Conventional wisdom says not to add more than 10% to your running distance or time per week. Increasing it too much too soon can quickly lead to injury or burnout, so patience is key.

• Comparing yourself to others: Some runners are faster, some are slower – but every runner started somewhere. It can be easier said than done sometimes, but try to focus on your own progress rather than worrying about how far or fast others are going.

Improving Runners

Can already run a mile without stopping? If you want a faster mile time, this is the advice you need.

Goal: Run a Faster Mile Time

The next logical step after running the mile distance is to pick up the pace. This is where running gets exciting. As you start to add more structured sessions into your training, including speed work, you’ll start to see real improvements in your times.

Build Your Aerobic Base

Even though your goal is to get faster, the foundation of your running should still be easy, comfortable-paced running. This helps to improve blood flow to your muscles, strengthen your heart and build the endurance you need for running at a faster pace. This should form around 80% of your weekly mileage, followed by 20% of your runs at a higher speed or intensity – known as the 80/20 rule.

There’s no hard-and-fast rule around how many times per week you should run and it’s highly dependent on your own schedule. If you want to get faster, it’s generally recommended that you run at least three times a week, while more experienced runners may run four or five times per week. However often you run, the focus should be on consistency. It’s better to run regularly at a sustainable pace than exhaust yourself with hard sessions that leave you too tired to lace up again for days.

Introducing Speed Work

As part of the 80/20 rule, you should consider adding one or two faster sessions per week, depending on how often you run. 

From intervals and tempos to fartlek and hill repeats, there are lots of different types of speed sessions. Rather than getting bogged down in all the different types, it’s best to keep it simple – and there’s no speed session that’s simpler than fartlek.

Fartlek is a Swedish work that means “speed play”, and it’s a type of unstructured speed work that’s exactly as it sounds: playing with different speeds during your run. That might mean picking a tree in the distance and sprinting to it, before returning to an easy pace, then choosing another tree and running as fast as you can towards it, and so on. These bursts of speed might last anywhere from 30 seconds to two minutes. With fartlek, there are no strict rules.

The beauty of it is that it’s completely flexible. If you’re feeling good, you can make the next surge a little longer or faster. And as you get more comfortable with introducing these short surges into your runs, you could try more structured intervals – for example, run for two minutes at a fast pace, followed by 2-3 minutes of recovery jogging, then repeat for a few more times.

Improving Your Form

When you first start running, you don’t need to worry too much about your form – but as you start running faster, it can be key to unlocking faster paces. 

Focus on staying relaxed as you run, keeping your shoulders down and fists unclenched. Keep looking forward as you run, rather than looking down at your feet or the ground in front of you, which can put strain on your neck. Try to maintain good posture, with your shoulders directly below your ears. It can be tempting to hunch over, especially as you start to tire, but again this can put pressure on your neck and shoulders. 

Many new runners also swing their arms from side to side across their body, but this can lead to wasted energy – and it’s not as efficient as swinging your arms in a front-to-back movement, helping to drive you forward.

There is a lot of debate in the running and coaching world about whether there’s such a thing as an ‘ideal’ form – and a lot of disagreements over the answer. Rather than getting sucked into this debate, simply focus on avoiding these bad habits, making sure that you’re running tall and strong, and you’re likely to see a reflection in your speed.

Competitive Runners

Are you already a fast or experienced runner, looking to nail a PR in the mile distance? These 1 mile running tips are for you.

Goal: Marginal Gains and Personal Records

If you’re already running regularly and have a few fast times under your belt, you might have set your sights on getting a personal record in the mile. At this stage, it’s all about finding the small improvements that will shave off those all-important seconds.

Advanced Training Concepts

Whatever your goal – whether it’s breaking five minutes or eight minutes in the mile – you’ll get the best results when you incorporate more advanced training techniques into your plan. That might include:

• Lactate threshold training: This type of training teaches your body to better handle the burn you feel when running really hard, meaning you can maintain faster speeds without your legs seizing up. During a run, try running a 20 minute effort at your current 10k pace, or break it up into two 10 minute sessions, with 2-3 minute recovery.

• VO2max intervals: VO2max describes your body’s maximum ability to use oxygen during exercise. Incorporating VO2max intervals into your training stresses your aerobic engine to its limit, forcing your body to improve its ability to process oxygen. Try doing 3-5 minute intervals, once a week.

• Strides: If you’re not already doing strides, now’s the time to incorporate them into your plan, twice a week. Strides are short bursts of faster running, designed to improve your speed, efficiency and running form. Twice a week after your easy runs, add in 4-6 reps over 50-100 metres.

• Mile-specific intervals: Try running 400m repeats at your goal mile pace, with 90 seconds recovery.

Race-Specific Preparation

In the lead-up to the race, try some different pacing strategies to find out which works best for you. Most runners will want to aim for a negative split, where you run the second half of the race faster than the first – but you may feel more confident running even splits, or even front-loading your effort, where you bank time early.

You may also want to practice different race scenarios, especially if you’re planning to run a mile race on the track. If you’re not used to running in a pack, join a running club or recruit some friends so you can try out different scenarios such as being boxed in and what you’d do in response to mid-race surges.

Mastering the Mental Game

Running one mile isn’t a lot on paper, but when you’re running at an all-out effort, you’ll need to recruit some mental strategies to keep you powering on to the finish line. Visualization can be a really strong tool here. Imagine the discomfort you’ll feel at 800m, the urge to slow down at 1200m, and how you’ll respond to these challenges. Visualize, too, crossing the finish line and tap into that whenever you need it most.

It can also be useful to develop a mantra to keep you focused. Choose one that resonates most with you and your goals, whether it’s “relax”, “be brave”, “run strong” or something else entirely.

Learning to embrace the discomfort is all part of the mental game when it comes to running – but it’s something that you might have to draw on particularly in a short distance like a mile.

Training Considerations For All Levels

Whether you’re running your first mile, or your fastest, there are some key things that are applicable to all levels.

Recovery

It can be tempting to go all-out in training. But remember that recovery is crucial. This is when your body gets stronger, as your muscles have a chance to repair themselves and your energy stores can be replenished. 

Whatever level you’re at, make sure that you’re getting enough quality sleep. Poor sleep can slow down your muscle repair, leave you more susceptible to injury and illness, and disrupt essential hormone production. Everyone is different, but as a general ballpark, you should aim for 7-9 hours per night.

Active recovery can be a good complement to your training. Try incorporating gentle activities like walking, easy cycling or swimming into your routine on the days you’re not running, helping to promote blood flow and reduce sore muscles. Most coaches do still recommend taking one full rest day every week as well as your active recovery days.

Injury Prevention 

Many running injuries develop gradually, as the result of doing too much too soon, ignoring early warning signs, or having inefficient movement patterns.

To avoid injuries, it’s a good idea to follow the 10% rule – that is, don’t increase your weekly training mileage or intensity by more than 10% each week. Building up too quickly can put strain on your muscles on joints, causing overuse injuries.

You can also help to ward off injuries through strength work. Even 15-20 minutes twice per week can make a significant difference.

Dealing With Discomfort

Whatever your pace, running a mile can hurt. Learning how to embrace this discomfort can help you to keep pushing on, and achieve a faster time. During your hard efforts in training, learn how to maintain your form, pace and rhythm, even when your entire body is screaming at you to slow down or stop. Practice this during training and come race day, it’ll pay dividends.

You may also want to try coping strategies for different types of discomfort. Some runners use counting (steps, breaths, or laps remaining) while others use visualization or mantras. Find what works for you and practice it regularly so it becomes automatic when you need it most.

Tips For Running A Mile: Race Day Execution

So you’ve done all the hard work. Now the big day is here: here’s how to run a mile.

Pre-Race Warm Up

A proper warm up is important when you’re running a mile, as you’ll be running at a high intensity from the get-go. Start with an easy jog of 10-15 minutes at a conversational pace. Then do some dynamic stretches (such as leg swings and walking lunges), then finally finish up with 4-6 strides over 50-100 metres to wake your fast-twitch muscles up before the race.

Time your warm-up so you finish about 5-10 minutes before your race starts. This gives you time to mentally prepare and get to the start line without cooling down too much.

Pacing Strategies

If you’re a beginner, it’s best to start conservatively and only pick up the pace in the last 400m if you’re feeling strong. It’s better to be able to manage a sprint finish than blowing up early in the run when you still have a long way – relatively speaking – to go.

More experienced runners may want to experiment with different strategies to see what works best for them, whether that’s banking time early, or racing a negative split. Either way, make sure you have a plan before race day.

Managing Race-Day Nerves

Some race day nerves are normal – and they can even be helpful. But the key is channeling that nervous energy to make sure it’s productive, rather than letting it overwhelm you.

Arrive in good time, but don’t get to your race too early, as this might give you too much time to think. Stick to your usual pre-run routine including food, and take some time to think about executing your plan. You’ve done all the hard work – now is the time to get out there and run your first mile or crush your PR!