Back to Fronts

The track is a great place to practise all different aspects of running. Often you’re there to work on your VO₂ max, sometimes it’s a time trial. You can also use it to try out some race day power! That’s where back to fronts come in. Your ability to surge past other runners as you look to gain places.

Here runners work as a group, continuously rotating the lead. The last runner in the pack sprints to the front, slots in smoothly, and the cycle repeats. This is often what happens in a race, closing a gap, responding to a surge, or overtaking someone cleanly. It also forces you to manage the psychological challenge of repeatedly putting yourself in discomfort, then recovering while still moving at a strong rhythm. There’s a few other benefits here as well…

Race awareness: You practise running close to others, dealing with the disruption of someone passing, and finding your rhythm again.

Pace changes: Your constantly changing paces, you’re teaching the body to deal with stress changes.

Efficiency: You learn to overtake without cutting in too sharply or wasting energy swinging wide.

By the time you move into the 800m repeats, the legs are already feeling the bite from the surges. You’re training to run fast on fatigue, just like in the later stages of a race.

Session Details

Pacing: The back to fronts should be run at the groups half marathon effort, when you surge to the front you are really picking up the pace and sprinting. The 800m efforts should be run at your 5km race pace.

Recovery: 200m light jog light jog after every 800m rep.

Group 1
2km back to fronts
4 × 800m

Group 2
2.5km back to fronts
5 × 800m

Group 3
3km back to fronts
6 × 800m

Group 4
3.5km back to fronts
7 × 800m