{"id":897361,"date":"2026-10-28T09:16:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T09:16:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/897361\/"},"modified":"2026-10-28T09:16:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T09:16:16","slug":"8-treadmill-workouts-pro-runners-use-for-better-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/897361\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Treadmill Workouts Pro Runners Use for Better Performance"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s tough to escape the treadmill<\/a> when the weather starts to turn. And while cruising through an easy run with entertainment is one thing, locking into intense speed intervals<\/a> while staring at the same console is another. Without fresh scenery or a crew of training partners to pull you along, speedwork on the belt can test your focus before it tests your fitness.<\/p>\n

Even professional runners know the feeling. When weather or logistics reroute a key workout indoors<\/a>, they adapt and find ways to make the session productive, fast, and even fun.<\/p>\n

Here, eight pros share the treadmill workouts they rely on to turn indoor interval sessions into serious gains.<\/p>\n

1. Tempo Run With Incline Play<\/p>\n

Pro runner: Joe Klecker<\/a>, 2020 Olympian in the 10,000 meters, who made his marathon debut at the 2025 New York City Marathon and went on to earn a PR at the 2026 Boston Marathon, finishing in 2:05:56 for 13th place.<\/p>\n

Joe Klecker got this workout from his mother, Janis Klecker, a fellow Olympian who competed in the marathon in the 1992 Barcelona Games.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mom used to do this workout when she was training for the marathon<\/a> in Minnesota,\u201d Klecker tells Runner\u2019s World. \u201cThe nice thing was, if I finished, say six miles, then the next time I did it, I\u2019d move the pace faster, but if I was only able to get maybe five miles in, then I would know the next time I need to keep the pace there until I was in good enough shape to do the full six miles.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for how to lock into the right effort: \u201cI keep this one at marathon pace<\/a> or somewhere between marathon and half-marathon pace because the incline makes it quite a bit harder,\u201d Klecker says. \u201cBut this workout is fun because you could compare it over time throughout the winter to where you were, say, from December to February.\u201d<\/p>\n

How to do it:2 mile easy warmup4-6 miles at marathon or half marathon pace, alternating the incline between 0% and 4% every 0.25 miles for the duration2 mile easy cooldown2. Descending Fartlek<\/p>\n

Pro runner: Amanda Vestri<\/a>, who recently finished 15th among pro women at the 2026 Boston Marathon, recording a 2:24:49.<\/p>\n

Amanda Vestri\u2019s build for her 26.2 debut at the 2025 New York City Marathon<\/a>, where she ran a 2:25:40, included a decent amount of treadmill training with workouts created by her former coach, Pete Rea of the now-defunct ZAP Endurance Group<\/a>, which was based in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The course is notoriously challenging and hilly, which was hard to closely simulate outside in North Carolina.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you live near flatter terrain, or you don\u2019t have those rolling hills, treadmill workouts can be hugely beneficial for a race like New York,\u201d Vestri tells Runner\u2019s World. \u201cI think it definitely prepared me for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

For her favorite workout, Vestri alternates inclines and declines, while pushing the pace. \u201cWith this workout, you\u2019re starting with a longer interval<\/a>, and then in between, you\u2019re not jogging but rather floating and running at a steady rhythm about 40 to 50 seconds slower, and you end up getting a good amount of mileage in,\u201d Vestri says.<\/p>\n

How to do it:3-mile easy warmup with 6 to 8 strides<\/a> toward the end8 minutes at marathon pace, alternating between 2.5% incline and -1.5% decline every 45 seconds7 minutes at 30 seconds faster than marathon pace, alternating between 2.5% incline and -1.5% decline every 45 seconds3:30 min jog recovery, 0%6 minutes at half marathon pace, alternating between 2.5% incline and -1.5% decline every 45 seconds5 minutes at 30 seconds faster than half marathon pace, alternating between 2.5% incline and -1.5% decline every 30 seconds2:30 min jog recovery, 0%4 minutes at 10K pace, 1% incline3 minutes at 15 seconds faster than 10K pace, 0.5% incline1:30 min jog recovery, 0%2 minutes at 5K pace, 0.5% incline1-minute snowball (increase the pace by 0.1 every 15 seconds) 2-minute snowball (increase the pace by 0.1 every 30 seconds)Cool down for 5 to 12 minutes3. Marathon Pace Mile Repeats<\/p>\n

Pro runner: Maggie Montoya<\/a>, a professional marathoner with a personal best of 2:27:04, who trains with the Roots Running Project in Boulder.<\/p>\n

Maggie Montoya used to loathe treadmill running<\/a>, resorting to it only on the worst winter days when she was in college, when icy conditions or poor air quality would make training outside unsafe. She has since learned to embrace it now that she has a home treadmill and encounters those conditions more frequently.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the treadmill feels a bit monotonous on an easy run<\/a>, I will fluctuate the incline and speeds every few minutes to add a little more stimulus and give a task that goes by at shorter increments than a full run doing the same thing,\u201d Montoya tells Runner\u2019s World. \u201cWorkouts aren\u2019t as bad because there are usually built-in fluctuations throughout it.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Montoya typically does three miles for both her warmup and cooldown outdoors, she\u2019ll usually do four and two miles, respectively, on the treadmill.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been able to still nail all my workouts on a treadmill in recent years and am able to lock into a more consistent pace rather than when I might get out too fast in a rep outside,\u201d Montoya says. \u201cIt has allowed a more controlled progression<\/a> of a workout too, when required, which I feel is valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n

How to do it:4 mile easy warmup6-8 miles x 1 mile at marathon pace<\/a>, with 400-meter jog recovery in between2 mile easy cooldown4. More-Than-a-Mile Threshold Intervals<\/p>\n

Pro runner: Emily Infeld<\/a>, a 2025 U.S. Champion, 2016 Olympian, and 2015 World Championships bronze medalist, all in the 10,000 meters.<\/p>\n

Emily Infeld has trained in Portland, Oregon for much of the last decade, which has made her no stranger to hopping on the treadmill to escape cold and rainy conditions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have done quite a bit of work on the treadmill, I especially enjoy it for my double-threshold<\/a> days for my morning session,\u201d Infeld tells Runner\u2019s World. \u201cI\u2019m not one for trying to make conditions ideal all the time, but sometimes it\u2019s not feasible to go outside with snow and ice. It was pouring when I last did this, so it was nice to not have to deal with that on the road or track.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI like this workout because I can listen to music and turn my brain off, and I can get it done quickly in the morning to optimize rest for my second session,\u201d Infeld adds.<\/p>\n

How to do it:<\/p>\n

10-minute easy warmup4 x 1.25 miles at threshold pace<\/a>, 1% incline, with 85-90 sec complete rest between10-minute easy cooldown5. Half-Marathon Pace Mile Repeats<\/p>\n

Pro runner: Reed Fischer<\/a>, who holds personal bests of 2:09:47 and 1:00:54 in the marathon and half marathon, respectively, and represented the U.S. in the marathon at the 2025 World Championships <\/a><\/p>\n

Reed Fischer, who grew up in Minnesota and now trains with Tin Man Elite in Boulder, is very familiar with treadmill training.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter 15+ years of treadmill workouts, I\u2019ve got my \u2018ideal\u2019 treadmill workout pretty dialed in,\u201d Fischer tells Runner\u2019s World. \u201cThreshold work [or half marathon pace for Fischer] is the best (in my opinion) bang for your buck on the treadmill. Anything faster can feel a little chaotic, and the reps are usually shorter, which means more fiddling with the belt speed to speed up and slow down. Anything slower means the reps get long and the workout gets pretty mundane.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor most people, threshold mile reps will probably fall somewhere between five to 10 minutes, which is a nice sweet spot for mental duration,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

How to do it:3 mile easy warmup 6-8 x 1 mile at threshold or half-marathon pace<\/a>, progressing pace by about 5 seconds each mile (or 0.1 mph), with 400-meter jog recovery in between3 mile easy cooldown6. Time-Based Fartlek<\/p>\n

Pro runner: Frank Lara<\/a>, who holds personal bests of 2:09:53 and 1:01:00 in the marathon and half marathon, respectively.<\/p>\n

Like Montoya, Frank Lara also trains with the Roots Running Project in Boulder and is also well-acquainted with moving runs indoors for adverse weather conditions or poor air quality.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had the privilege of not having to use them too much early in my running career, but have acquired a great appreciation for them living in Colorado,\u201d Lara tells Runner\u2019s World. \u201cOn a treadmill, I don\u2019t have to worry about planning a route, and time goes by fairly quickly if I\u2019m watching the Big Bang Theory, or one of the Mission Impossible films.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lara says he doesn\u2019t dwell too much on the distance he covers or the actual paces, as treadmills may not be calibrated properly. \u201cIt can take a few seconds for the treadmill to get up to speed, so I\u2019ll often start adjusting the speed a few seconds before the start of the next rep,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

How to do it:20-minute easy warmup8-10 x 3 minutes starting at marathon pace and progressing down to half-marathon or 10K pace<\/a> by final interval, with 2-minute float recovery between (slower than the faster interval but not a full-on jog)20-minute easy cooldown7. 45-Minute Uphill Run<\/p>\n

Pro runner: Michael Wardian<\/a>, ultramarathoner and three-time 50K U.S. Champion, who broke the record for a series of back-to-back 50K races on all seven continents with a total time of 26:40:16<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve gone beyond the marathon distance to train for an ultramarathon or mountain race, you know training isn\u2019t only about mileage; you\u2019ve got to consider the terrain and vertical climbing as well. Fortunately, simulating it can be much easier to do on the treadmill versus driving hours away from your home city every weekend in an effort to prepare.<\/p>\n

\u201cUphill running<\/a> forces your heart and lungs to work harder than flat running at a lower impact, making it one of the best aerobic workouts you can do,\u201d Mike Wardian tells Runner\u2019s World. \u201cYou\u2019ll also hit the glutes<\/a>, hamstrings, calves<\/a>, and hip flexors much more than on flat terrain\u2014the same muscles you need for mountain races, technical trail climbs, ultramarathons and fast hill surges.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA long treadmill climb<\/a> teaches you to stay relaxed and controlled under sustained stress\u2014perfect for ultras and long climbs,\u201d Wardian adds. \u201cFor extra credit, I\u2019ll add a 20-pound weight vest<\/a> and slow the pace to 13:00 to 15:00.\u201d<\/p>\n

How to do it:5 minute very easy warmup (around 15:00 pace) to get your legs movingRun for 45 minutes at 10:00 to 12:00 pace (5.0 to 6.0 mph) at 15% grade (or highest your treadmill goes)8. 10-Minute Threshold Intervals<\/p>\n

Pro runner: Zach Bitter<\/a>, TrainingPeaks coach, ultramarathoner, and previous 100-mile world record holder<\/a>, with a time of 11:19:13.<\/p>\n

Zach Bitter prefers the treadmill to track his progress as he builds toward 100-mile races.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like it for the control it offers with respect to assessing training progress in an environment that is about as controlled as you can find, making comparing prior sessions to the current one easy,\u201d Bitter tells Runner’s World. \u201cI prefer interval sessions on treadmills because they offer frequent changes, which breaks up the monotony of being in one spot and indoors.\u201d<\/p>\n

To track his progress over time, Bitter monitors his pace changes, while maintaining the same heart rate<\/a> and perceived effort.<\/p>\n

He also sometimes puts the incline between 6 and 10 percent to help build strength. Running uphill shortens your stride, shifts the foot strike<\/a> toward the forefoot or midfoot, and reduces the vertical velocity of your body at landing, Bitter says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal for a session like this is targeting lactate threshold intensity, so it will fill a spot in my training when focusing on improving my pace at threshold<\/a>,\u201d Bitter says. \u201cFor my 100-mile race targets, it is a great way to raise the ceiling on my fitness, so work at lower intensities can be done at a higher quality when I start peaking for race day.\u201d<\/p>\n

How to do it:15-20 minutes easy warmupDrills (leg swings, A-skips, B-skips, high knees, butt kicks)4 x 20-second strides3 x 10 minutes at threshold pace with 5-minute recovery jog at an easy pace in between15-20 minutes easy cooldown\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Emilia Benton is a Houston-based freelance writer and editor. In addition to Runner’s World, she has contributed health, fitness and wellness content to Women’s Health, SELF, Prevention, Healthline, and the Houston Chronicle, among other publications. She is also an 11-time marathoner, a USATF Level 1-certified running coach, and an avid traveler.<\/p>\n