Hi Victoria,

As Dave says, the main thing is to enjoy your running.

However, now that you're spending a good bit of time on your feet, run/walk can be used as a technique to become faster. It'd work by you pushing yourself to run a bit faster than usual, but only for a set period (ie, 1k), when you'd take a short walk break. Then you'd run hard again, then walk, and repeat throughout your run.

In very general terms, this type of fast/slow technique helps you to become faster; while running at a constant slower speed helps you build stamina and run further. I found that by doing a bit of both, I made my best progress!

Hi Victoria,

Hope you're enjoying your parkruns!

That's the important thing, really - if you're uncomfortable, or perhaps feel you're cheating yourself, by run/walking, then keep running! On the other hand, if you're happy to walk a bit now and then, give it a go and see whether your times improve.

Either way, the more you do, the faster and more confident you'll get, but there's no 'right way'.

Have fun.