{"id":218193,"date":"2025-12-30T14:34:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T14:34:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/218193\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T14:34:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T14:34:17","slug":"yasso-800s-is-a-classic-interval-workout-that-will-build-your-speed-and-fitness-quickly-heres-how","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/218193\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Yasso 800s’ is a classic interval workout that will build your speed and fitness quickly \u2013 here’s how"},"content":{"rendered":"

As we approach the New Year, among some people\u2019s 2026 fitness goals might be a marathon<\/a> (after a well-earned festive break, of course). While others may be building towards doing their first parkrun with Couch to 5K<\/a> or transitioning from 10k to half marathon<\/a>. <\/p>\n

We know that a key way of improving your running<\/a> is to vary the types of runs you do \u2013 easy, long, intervals etc \u2013 in order to train your body\u2019s different systems. Sometimes, though, recommended sessions involve complicated pacing and time intervals, and it can be hard to motivate yourself to get out and do these, particularly on your own during the dark winter months.<\/p>\n

Let us introduce you, then, to Yasso 800s \u2013 a simple and effective running workout that can be adapted to whatever stage you\u2019re at in your running journey, and can even be used to predict your would-be marathon finish time (more on this below). <\/p>\n

Created by running legend Bart Yasso, former Runner\u2019s World Chief Running Officer, the workout might sound intimidating, but running coach, personal trainer and author of Start Where You Are: The Beginner’s Guide to Running 5K for Women<\/a> Sabrina Pace-Humphreys assures you that it\u2019s not. <\/p>\n

What is the Yasso 800s workout?<\/p>\n

Yasso 800s \u2018is simple in that you run 800 metres \u2013 approx half a mile \u2013 at a strong but controlled pace and you then recover for the same amount of time it took you to run the interval,\u2019 says Pace-Humphreys. \u2018Repeat that several times and that\u2019s it people! No magic, no shortcuts.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018This type of interval training<\/a> is effective because it trains both your body and your brain,\u2019 adds Pace-Humphreys. \u2018You\u2019ll be running faster than your proposed marathon pace, which will help to improve your aerobic fitness<\/a> and running efficiency, but the recovery you get in between means you can reset mentally, physically and stay relaxed.\u2019<\/p>\n

While you can use your watch for pacing info, Pace-Humphreys says this workout is a great way to improve your inner feeling for pace and effort (after all, many great running feats occurred pre-smart watches \u2013 and you never know when one might let you down on the day). <\/p>\n

It ‘builds real confidence because you learn what “comfortably hard” feels like and that matters a lot on race day,\u2019 says Pace-Humphreys. \u2018I am a real advocate of RPE \u2013 Rate of Perceived Exertion \u2013 training and this type of workout helps you to run on \u201cfeel\u201d \u2013 to really tune in.\u2019<\/p>\n

Related StoryHow to do Yasso 800s safely and for optimal results<\/p>\n

While the ultimate goal of Yasso 800s is to build up to 10 x 800 metre intervals, Pace-Humphreys highlights that is absolutely not what you need to begin with. \u2018Start where you are \u2013 you don\u2019t need to jump straight into ten reps. Four to six is more than enough at first. And please build gradually, adding one rep every couple of weeks,\u2019 she says. <\/p>\n

\u2018As ever, it\u2019s so important that you warm up<\/a> and cool down<\/a> properly, and keep the pace honest. This is not a sprint session. If you find you are forcing the pace or losing your running form, it\u2019s too fast.\u2019<\/p>\n

Related StoryHow quickly can you expect to see results?<\/p>\n

This workout builds speed by helping \u2018you get comfortable running faster without your body breaking down or red-lining,\u2019 says Pace-Humphreys. \u2018Over a consistent period of time, that will make your marathon pace feel more manageable.<\/p>\n

\u2018Most runners notice improvements in confidence and strength within about four to six weeks, especially when the workout is paired with easy runs and long runs, which is imperative.\u2019<\/p>\n

As ever, though, it\u2019s about listening to your own body and avoiding self-comparison. \u2018The speed of change one woman sees might be different than another,\u2019 says Pace-Humphreys. \u2018Focus on you \u2013 and take notes after each session so you can look back and see your progress.\u2019<\/p>\n

Related StoryHow can Yasso 800s predict your marathon time?<\/p>\n

Even if you have no plans to run a marathon any time soon, it would be interesting to know what time you might be capable of in theory, right? Well, some people think Yasso 800s can help you find that out. <\/p>\n

The idea is \u2018pretty simple really. If you can run ten 800s in four minutes, each with equal recovery, that roughly points to a four-hour marathon,\u2019 says Pace-Humphreys. In other words, the time you can hold for each of the 10 reps is meant to correlate to your marathon finish time. Bart Yasso himself claimed that after doing the reps in 2:45, he ran a 2:45 marathon. <\/p>\n

While there\u2019s no hard scientific data backing up the correlation, as Pace-Humphreys highlights, the workout helps you become comfortable with a consistent, hard but comfortable pace, which is what marathon running is all about (or so I\u2019ve heard\u2026 I\u2019m due to do my first one next year \u2013 wish me luck!)<\/p>\n

\u2018Of course, it\u2019s not a guarantee, because everything \u2013 sleep<\/a>, nutrition<\/a>, kit<\/a>, stress<\/a>, kids<\/a>, work etc \u2013 impacts on that marathon day pace. But [Yasso 800s] can be a useful reference point when combined with other training indicators,\u2019 adds Pace-Humphreys. <\/p>\n

\u2018Yassos are a tool, not a test. I\u2019d recommend using them sparingly, once every one to two weeks, and never at the expense of recovery<\/a>,\u2019 she says. \u2018Marathon success comes from consistency, patience and meeting yourself where you are at every step of the journey.\u2019<\/p>\n

Wise words that I shall certainly be heeding as I get stuck into marathon training early next year. But first, pass me some chocolate yule log. <\/p>\n

Related Stories\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women\u2019s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. \u00a0She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner\u2019s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. \u00a0A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She\u2019s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As we approach the New Year, among some people\u2019s 2026 fitness goals might be a marathon (after a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":218194,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[1134,113275,1107,499,1110,103,61,60,1135,113274],"class_list":{"0":"post-218193","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-content-type-default","9":"tag-contentid-2ea2bee1-f30f-4bba-b717-4eace67707e9","10":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","11":"tag-fitness","12":"tag-hasproduct-true","13":"tag-health","14":"tag-ie","15":"tag-ireland","16":"tag-locale-gb","17":"tag-shorttitle-how-yasso-800s-build-fitness-and-speed-quickly"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=218193"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218193\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/218194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=218193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=218193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=218193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}