Session of the Month: 12 x 500m (300m jog recovery)

As the weather starts to warm and track season approaches, it’s time to sharpen the legs and reintroduce a bit of rhythm and speed.
This month’s session -12 x 500m with a 300m jog recovery - is a simple but effective bridge between winter strength and summer pace.

Why we love it

The 500m rep sits in that sweet spot: long enough to build aerobic endurance, short enough to let you find some turnover. It’s a controlled grind that rewards pacing and focus.

This session keeps you honest - you can’t go out too fast, but you can’t hide either. Over 6km of quality work, you’ll build both strength and rhythm, developing the kind of consistency that translates across every distance.

And with track season just around the corner, it’s a great opportunity to get familiar with the oval again - feeling the surface underfoot, practicing your pacing, and settling into that steady discomfort that track racing demands.

How to run it

  • Warm-up: 3–6km easy jog + strides

  • Main set: 12 x 500m with 300m jog recovery

  • Cool down: 2–4km easy

Training zones & focus

  • Aim to start around threshold / 10K pace, holding even splits across all reps.

  • As you progress through the set, focus on maintaining form and rhythm rather than chasing times.

  • Advanced runners can progress toward 5K pace in the final few reps.

  • The 300m jog recovery should take roughly 90–120 seconds - enough to reset, not enough to fully recover.

Key benefits

  • Builds aerobic strength and repeatability

  • Improves pacing control and mental discipline

  • Sharpens leg speed and efficiency without full lactic fatigue

  • Provides a great transition into track work as summer racing approaches

Community note

If you give this one a go, tag us on Insta @onerunningapparel - we’d love to see how you tackle it. Whether it’s with your club, a few mates, or solo at sunset, this is one of those sessions that connects us all through the shared effort.

 

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