Do Sprints Make You Faster? | Speed Gains That Stick

Sprinting is a direct signal for speed. If you want to run faster for sport, fitness tests, or day-to-day athleticism, sprints help. Still, not every hard run is speed training. A rushed, tired sprint at the end of a workout often turns into a grind, not a speed-builder.

This article shows what sprints change, how to set up sessions that stay fast, and how to avoid the common traps that lead to sore hamstrings and stalled progress.

Do Sprints Make You Faster? What Actually Changes

Speed has three parts: acceleration (getting up to speed), max velocity (your fastest running), and speed endurance (holding high speed before you fade). Sprint training can hit all three, but the session has to match the target.

Fast running is also a skill. Each rep is practice in pushing the ground hard, landing under your hips, and cycling the legs without extra tension. An open-access paper on sprint performance notes that sprint-specific endurance work is often built with short runs at near-max intensity and full recovery between reps. Open-Access Sprint Performance Paper.

Mechanics matter because small errors act like a handbrake. Overstriding, collapsing at the hips, and braking on contact all leak speed. A World Athletics coaching PDF warns that placing the foot too far in front can create braking forces that slow you down. World Athletics Sprinting PDF.

Hard Effort Versus Fast Reps

You can feel wiped out after runs and still not train speed. Speed work is about quality. If your speed drops each rep, the session shifts toward fatigue training. Fatigue work has a place, but it should be planned, not accidental.

A simple check: if your form gets sloppy or your “pop” is gone, end the set or lengthen the rest. You’re protecting the goal of the day.

Quick Signs A Sprint Session Is On Track

• You start each rep feeling ready, not gasping.
• Your last reps look close to your first reps.
• You finish feeling worked, not wrecked.

Sprinting To Get Faster In 6 Weeks With Two Sessions

Two focused sprint sessions per week is a strong starting point. Place them on days when you can sprint fresh, and keep at least one easier day between them. If you also lift, pair heavy lower-body lifting with sprints on the same day, or the day after, so you keep true rest days.

Pick one main target per session. Use short distances for acceleration, flying runs for max velocity, and longer reps for speed endurance. Repeat the same structure for a few weeks so you can measure change.

Speed Target	Sprint Type	Sample Set
First-Step Acceleration	10–20 m from a still start	6–10 reps, 90–120 s rest
Drive Phase Power	Hill sprints (moderate grade)	6–8 x 8–12 s, walk-back rest
Max Velocity	Flying 20s (run-in + fast zone)	4–8 reps, 3–5 min rest
Speed Endurance	40–80 m fast runs	4–8 reps, 4–6 min rest
Start Skill	3-point or crouch starts	6–12 reps, full reset each rep
Turnover Skill	Wickets or mini-hurdle runs	4–6 passes, 2–3 min rest
Change-Of-Direction Carryover	Short shuttles with full rest	6–10 reps, 2–3 min rest
Easy Strides	Relaxed runs on grass	8–12 x 100 m, 45–60 s rest

Session A Acceleration And Clean Mechanics

Warm up for 10–15 minutes, then do a few drills that cue posture and quick contacts, like skips and short build-ups. Keep the warm-up crisp and stop before it turns into its own workout.

Run 6–10 sprints of 10–20 meters with full rest. Think “push and rise.” Your first steps should feel powerful, with your torso angled forward, then you rise as you speed up.

Run on a flat, grippy surface. Grass or a track works. Avoid slick pavement. Wear shoes that let you feel the ground; worn soles slip and force you to brake. Start each rep from the same marked line. Use cones and a phone timer so you don’t cut distances short when tired. Indoors, use a straight lane and stop early each rep.

Form Cues That Keep You Quick

• Drive your foot down and back under your hips.
• Keep ribs stacked over pelvis as you rise.
• Let arms punch back, not across your body.
• Stop the rep before your form frays.

Session B Max Velocity Or Speed Endurance

Max velocity work needs longer rest than most people expect. Your nervous system needs time to reset so you can hit near-peak speed again. Flying sprints are a clean way to train this: a smooth run-in, then a fast zone where you run tall and quick.

Try 4–8 flying 20s with 3–5 minutes rest. Mark a run-in of 20–30 meters and a fast zone of 20 meters. Build up into the fast zone, then relax and carry speed through it.

If your sport needs you to hold speed under fatigue, swap flying runs for 4–8 reps of 40–80 meters with 4–6 minutes rest. The reps should stay smooth. If you can’t hold your shape, shorten the distance or cut the set.

Warm-Up And Safety Checks Before You Sprint

Sprinting is high-force work, so your warm-up should ramp you up. It also makes the first rep feel smooth, not like you’re slamming the brakes on.

Simple Warm-Up Flow

1. Easy jog or brisk walk: 3–5 minutes.
2. Mobility: leg swings and ankle rocks, 4–6 reps each side.
3. Activation: glute bridges and calf raises, 8–12 reps.
4. Build-ups: 3–5 runs of 20–40 meters, each one a bit faster.

Red Flags That Mean Not Today

If you feel a sharp tug in the hamstring, a pinching hip, or a calf that feels tight and grabby, back off. Swap the session for easy strides, bike intervals, or a lift. One skipped sprint day beats weeks of rehab.

How Sprint Work Pairs With Strength Training

Sprints can make you faster, and strength work can help you produce force with less wobble. Treat the weight room as your force builder and the track as your speed practice.

A simple pairing is sprints plus a lower-body lift on the same day. Keep lifting volume reasonable on sprint days so your next speed session stays snappy.

Lifts That Pair Well With Sprinting

• Squat or split squat
• Romanian deadlift
• Hip thrust or hinge pattern
• Calf raises
• Core bracing drills

Common Mistakes That Slow You Down

Most speed plateaus come from the same few mistakes. Fixing one can change the whole feel of sprinting.

Turning Every Run Into A Test

Testing has a place, but chasing a personal record every session is a quick path to tight mechanics. Save all-out testing for a planned day. On training days, chase clean reps.

Too Little Rest Between Reps

Short rest turns sprinting into conditioning. If your goal is speed, you need rest that keeps you fast. Give yourself time to breathe, reset, and hit the next rep with pop.

Adding Volume Too Fast

Sprinting volume is like seasoning. Start small, then add reps over weeks. If you jump from zero sprinting to a hard session, hamstrings often complain.

Sample Sprint Workouts You Can Rotate

Use these sessions as plug-and-play options. Pick one acceleration session and one max velocity or speed endurance session each week. Stick with the same pair for three to six weeks so you can track progress.

Workout	Main Set	Rest Rule
Acceleration Ladder	2 x (10 m, 15 m, 20 m) x 2 rounds	90–120 s between reps, 4 min between rounds
Hill Power Sprints	8 x 10 s on a moderate hill	Walk back, then wait 30–60 s
Flying 20s	6 x (20–30 m run-in + 20 m fast zone)	3–5 min between reps
Speed Endurance 60s	6 x 60 m fast with smooth form	5–6 min between reps
Start Practice	10 x 10 m from a 3-point start	Full reset each rep
Wicket Runs	5 passes through 10–14 mini hurdles	2–3 min between passes
Strides On Grass	10 x 100 m at a relaxed fast pace	45–60 s between reps

How To Tell If You Are Getting Faster

Speed progress shows up in two ways: faster times and easier speed. You might run the same rep in the same time, yet it feels smoother and less tense. That often shows up before a clear time drop.

Simple Ways To Track Speed

• Time a 10 m or 20 m sprint every two weeks, after a warm-up.
• Video one rep from the side to check overstriding and posture.
• Log your rest times and how each rep felt.

Use “same session, same rest” comparisons. Run the same set every two weeks and see if your best rep improves or if you can hold speed across more reps.

Best On-Ramp If You Are New To Sprinting

If you have not sprinted in months, start with easy strides and short hill runs before you go all-out on flat ground. Keep the first two weeks light: fewer reps, more rest, and clean form.

So, do sprints make you faster? Yes, when you treat sprinting like skill work and protect quality with full rest. Put two smart sessions in your week, stack them for six weeks, and you’ll feel the change. If you want the safest start, begin with hill sprints and relaxed strides, then build into faster reps as your body adapts.

One last reminder: do sprints make you faster? They can, but only if you warm up well and give yourself recovery days so your best speed shows up on the track.