Running Drills for Beginners

Watch a running club before a session and you will often see people marching, skipping and bouncing along a path before the run starts. Those are running drills. They can look a little odd, but they are one of the simplest ways to practise the movement of running without the effort of running fast. This guide covers seven beginner-friendly drills, what coaches use each one for, and a 10-minute routine you can add to your week without a track or any kit.

What are running drills?

Running drills are short, exaggerated pieces of the running stride. Instead of running continuously, you isolate one part of the movement, such as lifting the knee, flicking the heel up or keeping your feet quick and light, and repeat it over 15 to 20 metres. Because each rep is short and the effort is low, you can pay attention to how you are moving, which is hard to do halfway through a 5K.

Coaches tend to use drills for three things: rhythm and coordination, posture (running tall rather than folding at the hips), and quick, light contact with the ground. The honest caveat is that research on how much drills alone change your everyday running form is limited and mixed. One biomechanics study found that A-skips load the foot and ankle differently from normal running, so drills are not a perfect copy of the real thing. Think of them as skill practice that sits alongside easy running and strength work, not as a shortcut.

Are running drills the same as a warm-up?

Not quite. A warm-up gets your body ready to train: a few minutes of easy jogging, some leg swings and other dynamic moves, and a gradual rise in your heart rate. Drills are practice for a skill. They work best when you are already warm, so always jog easily for 5 to 10 minutes first, rather than doing your first A-skip cold on the doorstep.

In practice, the two blend together. Many runners do their drills straight after a short jog, then go into their run or session. If you already have a warm-up you like, keep it, and add the drills to the end of it on one or two days a week.

Which running drills should beginners learn first?

Start with these seven. They are listed roughly from easiest to hardest, and the first one is a walking drill, so anyone can do it on day one.

1. A-march. Walk tall, lift one knee to roughly hip height with your toes pulled up, then place that foot down under your hips as the other knee comes up. Swing the opposite arm with each step. What it is for: learning the A-skip pattern slowly, with balance and posture you can actually feel.

2. A-skip. The skipping version of the A-march. Do a small hop on the standing leg as the other knee drives up, then land lightly on the ball of the foot, under your hips. Keep it bouncy rather than big. What it is for: coaches use it to practise knee lift, arm rhythm and a quick, springy foot contact.

3. High knees. Jog forward with short, quick steps, bringing each knee up towards hip height. Stay tall and avoid leaning back. Move forward slowly; the speed is in your feet, not in how much ground you cover. What it is for: quick turnover and staying light on your feet.

4. Butt kicks. Jog forward with short steps and let each heel come up towards your bottom. Keep your knees pointing down at the ground rather than forwards. What it is for: a relaxed, quick swing of the back leg, and a gentle loosening of the front of the thighs.

5. Ankling. Take tiny, fast steps with your legs almost straight, rolling over the ball of each foot and pushing off through the ankle. You only move forward a few centimetres with each step. What it is for: it is often used to practise quick, elastic contact through the feet and calves. Expect your calves to feel it.

6. Carioca. Move sideways, crossing your trailing foot in front of the lead foot, then behind it, letting your hips rotate while your shoulders stay fairly square. Do one rep leading with each side. What it is for: coordination and hip movement in a direction running never asks of you. Go slowly at first, as it is easy to trip over your own feet.

7. Strides. Not strictly a drill, but the natural finish. Run for 15 to 20 seconds, building smoothly to a quick but relaxed pace (around 80 to 90% effort, never a flat-out sprint), then ease off and walk back. What it is for: putting the drill patterns back into real running at a faster rhythm, without the strain of a hard session.

Once these feel comfortable, the B-skip is a natural next step. It is an A-skip where you extend the lower leg out in front at the top, then pull it back down under you, a bit like pawing the ground.

What does a 10-minute drill routine look like?

Do this after 5 to 10 minutes of easy jogging, on a flat, quiet stretch of path, grass or track. Each rep is about 15 to 20 metres. Walk back to the start between reps; the walk is your recovery, and it is built into the times below.

Short on time? Do the A-march, A-skip, high knees and two strides. That takes about five minutes and still covers the basics.

When should you do running drills?

• Before an easy run, once or twice a week. This is the simplest place to start, because your legs are fresh and the run afterwards is relaxed.
• Before a faster session or a 5K race. Here the drills double up as the last part of your warm-up and help you feel ready to move quickly.
• Not when you are already tired. Drills are about quality, so skip them at the end of a long run, or the day after a hard leg session if your legs feel heavy.
• On a flat surface with good grip. Grass, a track or a smooth path all work. Avoid uneven ground and wet, slippery pavements for the skipping drills.

Two short drill sessions a week is plenty for a beginner. More is not better here. The aim is a little practice, often enough that the movements start to feel familiar.

How should you build up over the first month?

The full routine above is the target. If you are brand new to running, or skipping feels awkward, build up to it like this:

• Weeks 1 and 2: A-march, high knees, butt kicks and two strides. Keep everything slow and controlled.
• Week 3: Keep one rep of the A-march, then add the A-skip and ankling once the march feels smooth.
• Week 4: Add carioca and a third stride. If everything feels tidy, try one rep of the B-skip at the end.
• After that: Keep the routine roughly the same and focus on doing each drill a little more relaxed, rather than piling on more drills.

What are the most common drill mistakes?

• Going too fast. Drills are not races. If your form falls apart, slow the drill down until it looks tidy again.
• Leaning back. This is common in high knees. Stay tall, with a very slight forward lean from the ankles rather than the waist.
• Landing heavily. You want quiet, light contacts. If you can hear every landing, shorten the step and soften.
• Forgetting your arms. Your arms set the rhythm. Keep your elbows bent at roughly 90 degrees and swing from the shoulder, front to back rather than across your body.
• Doing too many reps. Lots of sloppy A-skips just teach sloppy A-skips. Two good reps beat six tired ones.
• Starting cold. Always jog easily first. Skipping and bouncing on stiff legs feels awful and is not what drills are for.

Where do drills fit in a hybrid week?

If you run and lift, drills slot in neatly because they are short and low effort. A simple pattern is drills before one easy run and before any faster session, and none on the day after a heavy lower-body strength workout if your legs feel flat. For example: strength on Monday, drills and an easy run on Tuesday, rest or mobility on Wednesday, HIIT on Thursday, an easy run on Friday, then drills and a faster run on Saturday, with Sunday off. At ten minutes, drills rarely clash with your strength or HIIT training.

That balance is what Edge is built around. Edge is a free fitness app that treats running, strength, HIIT and mobility as one plan rather than separate hobbies. Edge Pro, from £19.99 a month with a free 7-day trial, gives you a fully personalised plan, ready in 15 minutes, and you can message a real coach anytime to ask where drills fit around your runs and lifting. It syncs with Strava, Garmin, Apple Health and Coros, and is used by 20,000+ members.

This article is general guidance, not medical advice. If you are new to exercise, returning from injury, pregnant, or managing a health condition, speak to your GP before starting, and see a physio for any niggle that does not settle.