Faster or Longer? Which Running Speed Benefits Your Health More

When it comes to running, should we all be going at our own pace?
As people get into the swing of their 2025 fitness routines, many wonder if it's more beneficial to their health if they sprint for a short amount of time or move a little slower for a longer period during their workout.
Join us to find out if it's better to go faster or slower when out for a run…
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"The running longer, or traditional method, is about slogging through miles at a slower pace," sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery Dr. Todd McGrath told Today.
While speeding fast is typically the method praised by the public, many say turning down the pace will allow the body to build stamina.

"The best way to build endurance is to create a situation that needs endurance, which is longer distance and longer time," Dr. John Vasudevan, associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Penn Medicine, explained to the outlet.
"Running on the easier, longer side really builds the strength of your heart and (increases) the capacity of your lungs to get that engine working well," he added.

Anyone more concerned about getting toned rather than losing weight should opt for this route. "You also develop more muscular endurance by running longer and slower," McGrath pointed out.
If you are new to being extremely active, slower is the way to go. "Running longer, but not as hard, and gradually increasing your distance is the most important thing because it is the foundation upon which you build everything else," Vasudevan noted.

However, a glacial pace isn't always a good thing. "One of the biggest risks of running slow (and) long is just the volume of time you're running because you can be prone to overuse injuries," McGrath warned.
Slow running could lead to possible strains, knee issues and plantar fasciitis if you aren't careful.

If you are looking to save minutes within your busy day, running fast could be the best option for you. "As far as time and efficiency, it's much more efficient way to work out," McGrath added of the anaerobic exercise.
"You get a lot more muscle recruitment overall when you run faster than when you run slower (for longer)," he continued. "You get more strength gain overall from running faster and stressing the muscles in that way, and added muscle bulk often comes from that as well."

"Running faster is all about building power and strength. It's about your running efficiency per speed," Vasudevan emphasized. "Running faster is obviously a bigger bang for your buck for calorie burn."
Although it's more time friendly, putting the pedal to the metal could hurt you in the end. "When you push yourself into a harder zone, you're more likely to pay for it with some pain or have a harder time just repeating that same performance the next day," Vasudevan confirmed.

"People who run faster have to spend a little bit more time resting, so they have to take more days off," McGrath revealed.
"Jumping right into running fast can be particularly hard on the muscles, especially for … a novice runner," he added.