what-is-a-recovery-run — Recovery runs boost your circulation and muscle recovery.

By Marnie Kunz,
NASM-certified trainer,
USATF- RRCA-certified running coach

If you’ve ever finished a tough workout or long run and wondered, Should I run again tomorrow?, the answer might be a recovery run. So, what is a recovery run, exactly? A recovery run is a short, easy-paced run that helps your body bounce back from harder training sessions. Instead of taking a full rest day, you’re giving your muscles a chance to loosen up and recover while still building aerobic fitness.

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This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about recovery runs - from how and when to do them to enjoy the most benefits. As a running coach and lifelong runner, I’ve come to appreciate how important recovery runs are for reducing post-workout tightness and maintaining aerobic fitness. Whether you’re doing a running streak, speed workouts, running a 5K, or just ran a marathon, recovery runs are one of the smartest tools for improving endurance and preventing burnout. In this article, we’ll break down what a recovery run is, the key benefits, how to find the right pace, and when to add it into your training plan.

What Is a Recovery Run, According to a Run Coach

A recovery run is a low-intensity run at a slower pace and shorter distance than your regular base runs (which are your regular relaxed-pace training runs). Recovery runs are a form of active recovery that you do following a hard running workout or race. A recovery run is an easy run in Zone 1 if you're training by heart rate zones.

Doing a recovery run after a hard workout is a great way to maintain your aerobic fitness, get your blood circulating to prevent muscle soreness and tightness, and speed up the recovery process. Adding recovery training sessions to your running routine helps your muscles repair after workouts at high intensities.

Whether you run track races of less than 1 mile or do long runs for half marathon and marathon training, recovery runs are a great tool to help you become a better runner. Recovery runs help your body bounce back after tough workouts while also training your body and mind to run even while feeling fatigue.

Benefits of Recovery Runs

There are many benefits of incorporating recovery runs into your running program. Here are some of the advantages of doing active recovery workouts:

Boosts blood circulation, improving muscle recovery. A recovery run gets your blood flowing and helps your muscles recover after hard workouts. This is also helpful to prevent your muscles from getting too tight from lack of movement. The last thing most people want to do after a marathon or tough run is to run more, but a recovery run that suits your fitness level will work wonders to improve your circulation and muscle recovery. Sitting still for too long and not moving will make your blood flow more slowly and tighten up your muscles more, making recovery take longer.
Maintains your cardio fitness level without the higher impact or stress of more intense workouts. For intermediate runners or anyone who runs more than three times per week, recovery runs should be an integral part of your training to get your miles in and keep your fitness base.
Improves your running performance. Recovery runs help you stay consistent with your running and maintain the benefits from the hard workouts and races that you do. They also improve your mental toughness from running in a fatigued state.
Improves your mood. After a marathon or tough workout, taking a long rest can be mentally challenging as you don’t get the endorphin boost of exercise. A recovery run is a great way to boost your mood with the endorphins from running while enjoying the mental break from worrying about times and paces. You can even leave your watch at home and just enjoy a relaxed recovery run.

How to Do a Recovery Run

Now that you’re no longer questioning what is a recovery run, we can move on and cover how to do a recovery run. First, do your recovery run within a few days after a hard race or workout. This will help you maximize the benefits of your recovery run. To do your recovery run, pick a short, flat course and do an easy pace run at a conversational pace.

If you train by Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE), recovery runs are a 2 or 3 out of 10 on the effort scale. It should feel like an easy run, at an affort level just above a walk but less intense than a tempo run, intervals, or other speed workout. For heart rate training, recovery running falls into Zone 1, so it is easier and less intense than Zone 2, which is base run pace.

If you use your running watch or running app, you can check to make sure your pace is slower than your base run pace. A good general guideline is to run at 30 to 50 percent of your max effort level. If you are flexible in your approach, you will be able to adjust to make sure your recovery run isn’t too difficult for your current fatigued state.

Note, if your body feels completely exhausted and you need a rest, don’t be afraid to take a rest day or two before doing your recovery run. You don’t want to risk overtraining.

Tips for Recovery Running

Keep your run short - between 20 and 40 minutes. Your run shouldn’t be as long as your regular training runs.
Take it easy - don’t hit steep hills or challenging terrain during your recovery run.
Go slow. You should be able to easily carry on a conversation and your effort level will feel like only 30 to 50 percent of your maximum effort level.
If you feel sharp pain, stop. If you think you may be injured or experience sharp or ongoing intense pain, stop running and go see your doctor or physical therapist.

How Often to Do Recovery Runs

If you’re not sure when to do recovery runs, the answer is it depends on your running training program. If you run up to 3 days a week, you most likely won’t need to do recovery runs because you already have plenty of rest days. If you run more frequently than 3 days per week, you can incorporate recovery runs into your training.

If you always do easy effort runs at your base run pace, you will not need to do recovery runs. However, if you run races of any distance - from 1 mile to a marathon or longer, or if you do speed workouts or hill workouts, you will benefit from recovery runs.

Generally, it’s best to do a recovery run within 24 hours of a hard workout. The exception is long races How often you need to do recovery runs depends on how often you do hard runs. If you race every weekend, for instance, you could do a recovery run every weekend on the day after your race. If you do two hard workouts a week, you may want to do two short recovery runs per week or one recovery run and one complete rest day.

The National Academy of Sports Medicine recommends pairing your active recovery with plenty of sleep, hydration, and dynamic stretching to boost your workout recovery.

FAQs

What’s the difference between a recovery run and an easy run?
A recovery run is done after a hard workout or race to promote active recovery, while an easy run is a general low-intensity run meant to build your aerobic endurance. Both are run at a relaxed pace, but recovery runs usually come the day after a tough effort and are often shorter and slower than your normal easy runs.
Is it better to do a recovery run or rest?
It depends on how your body feels. If you’re very sore, fatigued, or showing signs of overtraining, a rest day may be the smarter choice. But if you feel just a bit tired or tight, a short recovery run can help loosen up your legs and improve blood flow. Active recovery promotes circulation and helps reduce soreness, which can speed up the healing process after a hard workout.
What’s a good distance for a recovery run?
Most recovery runs are between 2 to 5 miles (3 to 8 km), depending on your fitness level and weekly mileage. The key is to keep it short enough that you finish feeling better than when you started. Marathoners or high-mileage runners might go slightly longer, but beginners should stick to the lower end of that range, doing 1 or 2 miles for a recovery workout.
What pace is a recovery run?
Your recovery pace should feel very easy—usually about 30–50% of your usual effort level. You should be able to chat comfortably without gasping for breath. If you’re unsure, err on the side of slower as it’s better to go too easy than too hard on recovery days.

Improving Your Race Recovery

As you can see, recovery runs can be personalized to your fitness level and running training plan. If you need a training plan designed by a running coach, check out our shop for training plans.

Have you tried recovery runs? Comment below. Get more training and fitness tips on my Runstreet Youtube and follow and tag @Runstreet on Instagram to share your workouts and get cheered on. Happy running to you and happy recovering!😊

Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified Brooklyn trainer, USATF, and RRCA-certified running coach, and the creator of Runstreet. She lives with her bossy Akita dog in Brooklyn.

What Is a Recovery Run - Complete Guide from a Coach