A 4-Week Sprint Training Plan for Beginners

This plan is built for someone starting from scratch — fit enough to run, but new to structured sprint training. It runs three sessions a week, with at least one full rest day between sprint sessions, and finishes with a simple time trial so you can see exactly what four weeks of focused work actually did.

Before you start

You need: a flat, grippy surface around 100-150m long (a park, a school field, an athletics track if you have access to one), trainers with decent grip, and 5-10 minutes for a proper warm-up before every session. A phone propped up to film your sprints is genuinely useful — see our start technique guide for what to look for on video.

Every session should open with the same warm-up: light jogging for 5 minutes, dynamic stretches (leg swings, walking lunges, high knees), then 2-3 short build-up runs at increasing speed before any maximal effort.

Week 1 — Foundations

• Session A: Warm-up, then 6 x 20m "build-ups" (jog into a relaxed sprint, not maximal effort), focusing purely on tall, relaxed running posture. Full recovery (90+ seconds) between reps.
• Session B: Bodyweight gym session — squats, lunges, glute bridges, planks, calf raises. 3 sets of 8-12 reps per exercise.
• Session C: Warm-up, then technique drills from our start technique guide (wall drills, falling starts), plus 4 x 20m starts at moderate effort.

Week 2 — Building acceleration

• Session A: Warm-up, then 6 x 30m sprints at near-maximal effort, focusing on the drive phase staying low for the first several steps. Full recovery (3+ minutes) between reps.
• Session B: Gym session — add light external load if available (a backpack with books works for bodyweight squats), same exercise list as Week 1, slightly higher effort.
• Session C: 5 x 20m starts at maximal effort with full recovery, then 4 x 30m relaxed build-ups to finish on good posture rather than fatigue.

Week 3 — Adding distance and intensity

• Session A: Warm-up, then 5 x 40-50m sprints at maximal effort, full recovery (3-4 minutes) between reps. This is where the transition from drive phase into upright sprinting becomes the focus.
• Session B: Gym session — same structure as Week 2, aim to add a small amount of load or a couple more reps versus the previous week.
• Session C: 4 x 60m sprints at maximal effort, full recovery, finishing with light mobility work.

Week 4 — Test and consolidate

• Session A: Easier technical session — build-ups and starts at moderate effort, nothing maximal, to stay sharp without adding fatigue.
• Session B: Light gym session, lower volume than previous weeks, to arrive at the time trial fresh.
• Session C — Time trial: Full warm-up, then a timed 60m or 100m sprint (whichever you have room for), repeated twice with full recovery, taking your best time. Compare it honestly against how you'd have run it cold four weeks ago.

What comes after week 4

If your time trial went well, repeat a similar four-week block with slightly longer maximal efforts and heavier gym loads. If you noticed lingering fatigue, take a lighter week before building again — see our recovery guide for how to tell the difference.