Running Terms Explained

You've signed up, laced up, and you're training hard. But then your running group starts throwing around words like "bonking", "BQ", "fartlek", and "negative split" — and you nod along hoping no one asks you to explain them.

Here's your no-nonsense guide to the running terms that actually matter — from training concepts to race-day tactics — so you can speak the language and, more importantly, use it to perform better.

BQ — Boston Qualifier

Running a time fast enough to earn entry into the Boston Marathon

A BQ is one of the most coveted achievements in recreational running. The Boston Marathon sets strict qualifying standards based on age and gender, and earning entry means you've hit a time benchmark that most runners spend years chasing.

It's not easy. It's not meant to be. But for those who earn it, a BQ represents the intersection of talent, training, and — crucially — smart race execution. Worth everything.

Easy Pace / Zone 2

Conversational running pace

Zone 2 running sits at 60–75% of your maximum heart rate — a pace comfortable enough that you could hold a full conversation without gasping between words. It's the foundation of endurance training and the pace at which most of your weekly volume should be run.

Here's the thing: most runners run their easy runs far too fast, turning recovery sessions into moderate efforts that leave them too fatigued for quality workouts. If your easy pace feels embarrassingly slow, you're probably doing it right.

Zone 2 training builds your aerobic base, improves fat oxidation, and reduces injury risk. Slow down on easy days so you can go harder when it counts.

DNF / DNS — Did Not Finish / Did Not Start

The two race results nobody wants

A DNF means you crossed the start line but couldn't make it to the finish. A DNS means you never made it to the start line at all — injury, illness, or circumstance kept you away.

Both hurt. The DNF carries the weight of having tried and fallen short. The DNS carries the frustration of preparation without the race. Neither defines you as a runner. Every elite athlete has at least one of each. What matters is what you do next.

Taper

The pre-race reduction in training

Taper is the 2–3 week period before race day where you deliberately cut your training volume to allow your body to recover fully and arrive at the start line fresh. After months of hard work, you back off — and that's exactly the point.

Almost every runner experiences "taper madness": you'll feel slow, unfit, heavy in the legs, and convinced your fitness is evaporating. Your mind will tell you that you're not doing enough. Ignore it. That feeling means it's working. Your body is consolidating the gains from all that training, and you'll feel it on race day.

Cadence

Steps per minute

Running cadence is the number of times your feet hit the ground per minute. It's one of the most overlooked metrics in running, yet it has a significant impact on efficiency and injury risk.

Elite runners typically target 170–180 steps per minute. A higher cadence reduces ground contact time and impact forces on your joints, improves running economy, and lowers your injury risk. Most recreational runners take too few steps and overstride — landing with their foot too far in front of their body.

If you're new to tracking cadence, don't try to hit 180 immediately. Aim to increase your natural cadence by around 5% and build from there.

Fartlek

Swedish for "speed play"

Fartlek is one of the most enjoyable and versatile training sessions in a runner's toolkit. Originating in Sweden, the concept is beautifully simple: unstructured speed work where you mix fast and slow efforts whenever you feel like it.

No watch alerts, no structured intervals, no precise rest periods. Just run fast when you feel like it and back off when you need to recover. A lamp post to lamp post sprint here, a gentle float there. No structure. Just feel.

Fartlek sessions are particularly useful early in a training block when your body isn't yet ready for the demands of formal track or tempo sessions. They're also, frankly, the most fun you'll have on a hard training day.

Strides

Short controlled accelerations

Strides are brief accelerations — typically 20–30 seconds at a fast but controlled effort — done at the end of easy runs. They're not sprints; they're a controlled build to around 90% effort, followed by an easy walk or jog back to recover.

Strides wake up fast-twitch muscle fibres, reinforce good running form, and keep your legs feeling sharp without adding meaningful fatigue. Think of them as sprints without the full commitment.

Adding four to six strides at the end of two or three easy runs per week is one of the simplest upgrades you can make to your training.

Lactate Threshold

The point where running gets hard fast

Your lactate threshold (LT) is the pace at which lactic acid begins to build up in your bloodstream faster than your body can clear it. Below it, you can sustain effort for hours. Above it, you're in trouble within minutes.

Your tempo runs live at or just below this threshold. Training at lactate threshold pace is one of the most effective ways to get significantly faster — it pushes that tipping point higher, meaning you can run at a faster pace before things start to fall apart.

A good rule of thumb: lactate threshold feels "comfortably hard" — you can speak a few words, but not a full sentence.

Hitting the Wall

When your body runs out of glycogen

The wall is the marathon runner's nemesis. It typically strikes between km 32 and 35 — the point where glycogen stores run critically low and the body struggles to maintain pace. Your legs turn to lead, everything slows, and your mind screams stop.

Hitting the wall is distinct from bonking in that it's primarily a glycogen depletion issue tied to distance. The good news: it's avoidable. Proper fuelling during the race — taking on carbohydrates consistently from early on — combined with smart pacing is how you get to km 35 with something left in the tank.

Negative Split

Running the second half faster than the first

A negative split means you ran the back half of your race faster than the front half. It's the holy grail of race execution — and far rarer than it should be.

The most common mistake in racing is going out too fast. The excitement of race day, the crowd, the adrenaline — it all conspires to push you beyond your planned pace in the first few kilometres. You feel great, right up until you don't. The second half becomes a survival exercise.

The runners who execute well hold back early, run their own race, and finish strong. A negative split isn't just satisfying — it means you raced smart.

Fuel Smarter, Race Smarter

Understanding the language of running is one thing. Putting it into practice on race day is another — and a big part of that comes down to nutrition. Whether you're trying to avoid bonking, nail a negative split, or finally hit that BQ, getting your fuelling right is non-negotiable.

Use the Endurance Kollective Fuel App to build a personalised race-day fuelling plan — so you arrive at the start line not just prepared, but ready.

Try the Fuel App: fuel-ready-go.base44.app