How to Do Fartlek (and Seven Different Types to Try)

Posted on February 20, 2025 by resourcefulman

Fartleks is a well-known and popular running workout, or at least it’s one that runners talk about all the time. But how many of us went out and said, “I’m doing fartlek today,” and actually followed through? The original idea was that the workout is unstructured (the name means “speed game”), making it difficult to plan . Here’s what you need to know about fartleks, along with some tips on how to set yourself up for a fun and productive game.

What is considered fartlek?

Fartlek comes from a Swedish term meaning “speed play” and is commonly described as something you just go out and do for fun. You pick a landmark—say, a mailbox ahead—and decide to run faster until you reach it. Then you slow down again.

Most runners and coaches would agree with this description, but when you try to define fartlek, things start to fall apart. If you run fast for one minute and slow for four minutes, is that a fartlek or just a time interval? Can you run fartlek at a certain pace or just without vibration? I even saw one post on Reddit that argued that it’s not a true farlek if you know how long you’ll be leading each segment – you need a coach who will blow the whistle when you least expect it.

However, there are some commonalities among the descriptions I’ve read and we can use them as a guide:

Fartlek running involves short bursts of faster and slower running.
The slower run still continues, usually at your easy pace. So it’s not a sprint and walk situation, but more of a jog and a skip. (If you need to go through the recovery process, keep the pace strong and powerful.)
Exact tempos and timing are not required.
Faster segments should be short and easier segments should be longer.
The cues to speed up and slow down can come from your environment, your training partners, your whims, or the loose plan you had when you set out.
Fartlek running should be harder than easy running.

Why run fartlek?

The benefits of fartlek runs will depend on how you do them. Some fartleks are essentially threshold running, some end up being long runs with marathon work in the middle, and some are just standard speed work by another name. They will all have different benefits. If a coach or written program tells you to do fartlek, be sure to explain what it means.

Here are some of the reasons why fartlek is usually included in the program:

If the runner chooses his own intervals, it can be fun and enjoyable, a kind of mental break from structured training.
Since there are no strict pace targets, it can serve as a transition from easy running to more structured speed work (for example, as you finish your off-season and begin training for a race).
The variety of the run can make it a little less boring than a standard threshold or long run.
You can’t compare your time or pace to what you’ve done before as every fartlek is different. This can help if you’re worried about whether you’re “improving” enough.

Examples of fartlek runs you can try today

So we have some recommendations and we know when and why we can try fartlek. Thanks to this, you may well be able to create your own version, but first I would like to give a few examples. There are no wrong answers, so feel free to add your own!

In either case, plan to start and end your run with at least five to ten minutes of easy jogging (or however you prefer to warm up and cool down).

Fartlek music

For this you need a good playlist. (Luckily, we have a guide from our resident spinning instructor on how to make a great spinning rod.) If the song is slow, jog lightly. When the chorus picks up some energy, you can do this too. And if it touches a big emotional bridge, you know what to do.

You can also do the same idea song after song. Alternate between relaxing songs and more energetic ones and match that energy to your running speed. Remember, this is a fartlek, so you can always skip or repeat the song as you wish.

fartlek hill

Do you have a route with small hills or difficult sections here and there? Jog lightly, but when you get to one of those special spots, pick up a little speed and get up that hill. Or, if the hills are too steep for this to be realistic, choose a flat or downhill area where you can really open up the road and get your legs moving.

Fartlek on a lamppost

This is good for some distance guidelines if you are running in an area with lamp posts, mailboxes or some similar repeating structure. Starting at one pillar, run quickly until you reach the next one, then jog until you pass two or three more.

Haul Your Ass Triggers

I love this idea that came from an old comment on Reddit . The Redditor says, “I learned about fartlek runs in the US Army, and there are still certain spots on my routes that I consider “hauling ass” segments. I also have a rule that if certain songs appear in my playlist in random order, it’s sprint mode or skipping a song.”

This is like a speed version of the Run Until Challenge . The “butt hauling” segments may be your favorite hill or straightaway like we discussed above, but you can also come up with more creative options. Here are some of them: If you pass by a picnic where a tape recorder is exploding, run quickly while it is within earshot. If you see a cute dog or a cool bird, run faster for 30 seconds. And, of course, every runner’s favorite phrase in the park is: “Pass that person in front of me.” They don’t need to know that you think it’s a race.

Fartlek partner

It’s like a pick-a-mail fartlek, but the catch is that you and your running partner have to take turns. It can be playful, mean, or anything in between, depending on how you and your buddy get along. (Did he make me run for a long time? Okay, I’ll make him run up that hill!)

Time-based Fartleks

Some will say these aren’t true fartleks, but sorry – a lot of people do fixed-pace and free-paced interval training and call them fartleks. Here are some that I saw:

1 minute fast/4 minutes easy
Up and Down Pyramid: 1 minute fast, 1 minute easy, then 2 of each, 3 of each, then 2, then 1. Jog a bit before moving on to the next pyramid.
Downhill only: 5 minutes fast, 5 easy, then 4, 3, 2 and 1.

Fartlek treadmill

I now realize that some of my ways to make the treadmill less boring are essentially fartlek. My favorite is the simple rule of “change something every quarter mile.” This may mean increasing or decreasing speed. A slight bump on the slope. Maybe I’ll just try to run the last quarter mile as fast as possible.

Again, make up your own rules. You can do time-based intervals as above, or choose triggers such as sprinting for 30 seconds whenever the number 7 appears on any of the readouts in front of you.

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