Plus, how to find the one that’s right for you.
By Jenny McCoy
Whether your goal is to run a marathon or improve your fitness, following a solid training plan is one way to stay consistent as you work toward that goal. But finding the right training plan for you can feel tricky, considering there are tons of options available online.
To wrap your head around it all, consider this: Most plans fall into the very broad categories of time-based versus distance-based running. In other words, a plan prescribes runs in terms of minutes or in terms of kilometres.
But which is better for race-day performance: running for time or distance? To help you decide, we tapped three run coaches to understand the pros and cons of time versus distance running, plus how to determine which is right for you.
The Advantages of Distance-Based Run Plans
Distance-based run plans, or those that provide specific kilometre goals for each workout, are incredibly common. That’s in part because they make a lot of sense for folks training to race a specific distance, like a 5K, 10K, half, or full marathon.
As Janet Hamilton, C.S.C.S., exercise physiologist and running coach with Running Strong in Atlanta tells Runner’s World, when preparing for a certain race, runners should make sure their body is capable of tackling that mileage. And following a distance-based running plan is a great way to do that, considering they help build your ability to conquer specific mileage.
Aside from preparing you physically for a race, distance-based plans can provide a powerful mental boost. Knowing you’ve successfully run a given distance before you toe the starting line—whether that’s logging five kilometres prior to attempting a 5K, or 32 kilometres in advance of a marathon—can give you confidence that you’ll be able to finish the race you’re gearing up for, Jacob Phillips, a Texas-based run coach with RunDoyen, tells Runner’s World.
Distance-based plans can also clue you into your current performance levels. For example, if you run 10 kilometres at a hard effort, you’ll get a good grasp on your 10K abilities. As Ken Rideout, a Nashville-based masters marathon champion and run coach, tells Runner’s World: “You know exactly where you stand over the prescribed distance.”
The Disadvantages of Distance-Based Run Plans
The biggest downside of a distance-based run plan: If it’s not coupled with instructions on how to pace yourself or what effort level to strive for, then it’s up to the athlete to manage those details. And in Hamilton’s experience, many runners, when left to their own devices, complete their workouts at lactate threshold pace, which is typically in the range of 10K to half marathon race pace.
While there are certainly benefits to training at this effort level, if that’s the only pace an athlete trains, they’ll miss out on all the perks of easy pace recovery runs—which, as Runner’s World previously reported, include the development of slow-twitch muscle fibres, reduced injury risk, and improved running economy, among other advantages.
The Advantages of Time-Based Run Plans
Many beginner-friendly run plans, like Jeff Galloway’s run/walk program for example, use time as the main parameter. One perk of this approach is that timed runs can be “a lot less intimidating” than distance workouts, says Rideout. “When you’re running a prescribed distance, you can’t help but to notice, what was the pace? What were the kilometres splits?” he explains. But the format of a time-based run automatically reduces the prominence of those metrics, which can be helpful if you’re just easing into a running routine.
Experienced runners might find similar benefits to this approach. For folks who get frazzled by having to check their GPS throughout a run, or those who get obsessive about pace, a time-based plan may be a soothing alternative. “It’s not as stressful,” Phillips explains. “I think there’s a simplicity to saying, ‘Hey, you’re gonna go out, you’re gonna run for half an hour’” without having to worry about completing a certain route or number of kilometres.
A time-centric approach can also encourage athletes to embrace easy effort runs because they remove intrinsic pressure to run hard, says Phillips. After all, if time is the only goal, it doesn’t matter how fast you go—you’ll be successful in that day’s workout by simply moving for the prescribed duration.
This can also make time-based training a good idea for busy runners. Say you only have 30 minutes today to break a sweat. With a duration-focused plan, you’ll be able to complete your planned workout, even if variables like the terrain you’re running over or your energy levels that day impact your usual pace—you’re done in 30 minutes no matter what happens.
Opting for timed runs can also make sense for folks who are trail running in off-the-grid locations where there are no kilometre markers and GPS devices don’t always function well, says Hamilton. Instead of fixating on how far they’ve run—which may be challenging if not impossible given the circumstances—runners can be successful by simply going out for a certain number of minutes.
A duration approach can also come in handy for traveling runners, says Hamilton. When you’re in an unfamiliar location, there’s no need to expend effort trying to figure out how to make a eight kilometre loop from your hotel. Instead, you can run out-and-back for 45 minutes and call it a day.
Lastly, because there’s less emphasis with time-based runs on achieving a certain pace, they can help you “get into different heart rate zones and stay in a specific zone for a prescribed period of time,” says Rideout. This can be beneficial in improving your overall fitness, he explains.
The Disadvantages of Time-Based Run Plans
Time-centric running isn’t for everyone. Like we mentioned, if you’re training for a specific race distance, following a plan that’s focused on duration and nothing else may not give you the physical fitness or the confidence that you’d be able to achieve the given distance you’re gunning to complete.
Time-based plans may also not be a fit for runners with a strong competitive drive who enjoy closely tracking their pace and hitting certain distance milestones.
Time vs Distance Running: How to Choose the Right One for You?
When comparing time versus distance running, know that “both ways can be very, very beneficial,” says Phillips. It all just boils down to finding the right plan that fits your goals and lifestyle.
In general, new runners will likely find success with a time-based approach while more experienced runners, especially those gunning for a specific goal time in a race, “tend to do a little bit better with a volume-based approach,” says Phillips.
Your personality and preferences for a workout plan may also influence which philosophy to follow. “As a coach, I like saying ‘hey, we did X amount of kilometres this week, and next week we’re gonna do X amount of kilometres’,” says Phillips, noting that many of the runners he trains also prefer to track their progress via distance logged week to week.
On the flip side, “there are some people who just don’t want that,” says Phillips. “They don’t want the stress of comparing week to week or even day to day, so I think it just comes down to what you enjoy more.”
Hamilton, for her part, tends to recommend plans that mash together time and distance prescriptions—for example, run ten kilometres in 60 minutes—because she finds that hybrid approach helps her athletes develop confidence in running certain distances while also keeping their pace in check.
Rideout is of the mindset that a well-rounded training plan will include both types of runs. “I try to always keep things fresh, keep my body guessing, and try to optimize performance all the time,” he explains. Regularly introducing different types of training—via time-centric workouts and distance-focused runs—is a good way to ensure your body continues to adapt and improve.
No matter what plan you choose, you can always sub one time-focused run for a distance-based workout, and vice versa, if you think it helps your mindset that day.
