You’ve done your easy jog.
Your body is warm.
Your legs are moving.
But there’s still one more thing you can do before heading to the parkrun start line:
Strides.
A few short, controlled strides towards the end of your warm-up can help bridge the gap between easy jogging and the much faster effort you’re about to ask your body to produce over 5km.
What Exactly Is a Stride?
A stride is a short period of controlled faster running.
It isn’t a sprint.
Instead, you gradually accelerate from an easy pace, reach a quick but relaxed speed, then smoothly ease back down again.
The whole effort might last around 15–20 seconds.
The important word is controlled.
You should feel quick, smooth and relaxed rather than straining to run as fast as possible.
Why Strides Work So Well Before parkrun
Think about the difference between your warm-up pace and your parkrun pace.
You might spend ten minutes jogging comfortably, then suddenly expect your body to run considerably faster as soon as the countdown finishes.
That’s a big jump.
Strides help bridge that gap.
They give your legs a brief taste of faster running before the real effort begins, helping prepare your neuromuscular system and running mechanics for the quicker turnover you’re about to need.
Strides are commonly used as part of a warm-up before races and harder running sessions for exactly this reason.
Wake Up Your Legs
This is the way I like to think about strides:
You’re waking up your legs.
During an easy jog, you’re moving comfortably and efficiently, but you’re not asking your body to recruit the same movement patterns you’ll need when running hard.
A few strides change that.
Your cadence increases.
Your stride becomes more purposeful.
Your arms become more active.
Your body gets a reminder of what faster running feels like.
Then, when parkrun begins, that quicker movement doesn’t feel completely unfamiliar.
How to Do Them
After you’ve completed the easy running portion of your warm-up, find somewhere safe with enough space to run freely.
Start jogging easily.
Gradually accelerate over several seconds.
Build to a fast but relaxed pace.
Hold that speed briefly.
Then gradually ease back down.
Walk or jog easily until you’ve recovered before repeating.
For most parkrunners, three or four strides will be plenty.
You’re not trying to accumulate fatigue.
You’re simply preparing yourself to run.
Don’t Turn Them Into Sprints
This is probably the biggest mistake runners make with strides.
Faster doesn’t automatically mean better.
If you’re grimacing, straining or trying to reach your maximum speed, you’ve missed the point.
A stride should look and feel smooth.
Think:
Quick. Relaxed. Controlled.
You should finish each one feeling like you could comfortably have run faster if you’d wanted to.
Save the maximal effort for the final stages of your parkrun.
Give Yourself Plenty of Recovery
Strides aren’t intervals either.
You don’t need to rush from one into the next.
Walk around.
Jog gently.
Let your breathing settle.
Then complete another stride.
The recovery is part of the process because the objective isn’t cardiovascular conditioning.
It’s preparation.
Time Them Close to the Start
There’s little point completing your strides and then standing around for another 15 minutes.
Ideally, they should come towards the end of your warm-up, reasonably close to when you’re going to start running.
Once you’ve completed them, keep gently moving while waiting for the briefing and start.
You want to maintain the readiness you’ve just created.
Don’t Introduce Something Completely New on PB Day
If you’ve never done strides before, practise them during training first.
Add a few towards the end of an easy run and learn what controlled faster running feels like.
That way, when you incorporate them into your parkrun warm-up, they’re already familiar.
Your Saturday morning routine should give you confidence—not introduce something you’ve never tried before.
What Should the 1st Km Feel Like?
Strides aren’t going to magically make parkrun easy.
It’s still 5km of hard running.
But they can help make the transition into your target effort smoother.
Instead of spending the opening few hundred metres waiting for your legs to wake up, you’re already prepared for quicker running.
That means you can concentrate on something much more important:
Pacing your first kilometre properly.
Bringing It Back to Saturday
At your next parkrun, don’t finish your warm-up with nothing but easy jogging.
Once you’re properly warm, add three or four short, relaxed strides.
Accelerate smoothly.
Run quickly without straining.
Recover properly between each one.
Then head towards the start line feeling sharp and ready to run.
You’re not trying to get fitter five minutes before parkrun.
You’re simply making sure the fitness you’ve already built is ready to perform.
Want a complete routine you can follow before your next parkrun?
Download my free Arrive Ready: The Complete parkrun Warm-Up Guide.