Every Runna workout is broken into stages that guide you step by step through your session. Understanding what each stage does helps you know what to expect — and how to adjust things when you need more flexibility.
How Runna Workouts Are Structured
A standard Runna workout includes:
Warm-up: a gentler opening section to prepare your body for the effort ahead
Main session or the Set: the core of the workout (easy running, intervals, tempo, hill reps, etc.)
Rest and recovery periods: between or after reps during interval or hill sessions
Cool-down: a lighter closing section to support recovery
You can see the full stage structure before you start by tapping into any workout in your Plan tab.
For example, an interval session might look like:
1.2km warm-up → Set: 3× (300m @ 6:15/km + 300m recovery @ 7:00/km) → Rest: 90s walking rest → 1km cool-down
How to Read Your Workout Description
Every workout in your Plan tab shows a description of the full session. Some Runna workouts like Tempo Runs or Intervals include a more structured Set with repeating blocks. A Set groups multiple steps together that you complete in order as one rep — then repeat the whole rep the specified number of times before moving on to the next stage.
For example, a Tempo Run workout could look like:
Warm-up. 800m at conversational pace. No faster than 7:15/km.
Set. Repeat x3:
400m at 6:20/km
400m at 6:55/km
Rest. 90s walking rest
Cool down. 800m at a conversational pace.
This means your workout would look like this:
Workout Stage | What You Should Do |
Warm-up | Run 800m at conversational pace (no faster than 7:15/km) |
Set: Rep 1 | Run 400m at 6:20/km, followed by 400m at 6:55/km |
Set: Rep 2 | Run 400m at 6:20/km, followed by 400m at 6:55/km |
Set: Rep 3 | Run 400m at 6:20/km, followed by 400m at 6:55/km |
Rest | Walk for 90 seconds |
Cool-down | Run 800m at conversational pace |
How Your Workout Stages Progress
Runna advances you from one stage to the next based on the Intervals/Tempo on Track setting in Profile → Workouts:
If the Intervals/Tempo on Track toggle is OFF: stages advance automatically when you hit the distance or time target for each step.
If the Intervals/Tempo on Track toggle is ON: stages don't advance automatically. Press Continue (phone) or Lap (watch) to move to the next step.
When to enable Intervals/Tempo on Track:
OFF: best for most road workouts
ON: best for track sessions, where you want to lap at the exact line rather than at a distance target
How to Extend Your Warm-Up (Open Warm-Up)
By default, your warm-up ends automatically when you hit the prescribed distance. If you need more time — for example, to jog to the start of a track or reach the base of a hill — you can enable Open Warm-Up.
With Open Warm-Up ON, your warm-up won't end automatically. You decide when you're ready to move on.
To enable:
Go to Profile (top-left)
Tap Workouts
Toggle Open Warm-Up ON
When you're ready to advance to the main session during your run, press and hold Continue on your phone, or press Lap on your smartwatch (Garmin, COROS, etc.).
You can disable this at any time: go back to Profile → Workouts and toggle Open Warm-Up OFF.
⚠️ If you have Open Warm-Up ON and aren't receiving audio cues, this is expected — audio cues won't play until you manually advance past the warm-up stage.
Workout Stages for Hill Sessions
Hill sessions have a slightly different structure from other workouts because the recovery happens on the way back down, not at a fixed distance.
Warm-up: complete as normal
Run to base of hill: jog to your chosen hill during this step. Your distance is still tracked, but the workout waits for you to be ready at the bottom.
Uphill effort: effort-based (no pace targets)
Walking or standing rest at the top
Jog or walk back down for recovery
Press Lap / Next when you're back at the base to start your next rep
Cool-down after all reps are complete
⚠️ Hill sessions never auto-progress between reps: you always need to manually advance at the base of each hill. Press and hold Next Lap on your phone, or press Lap on your smartwatch. If you need extra time to jog to your hill before starting reps, enable Open Warm-Up so your warm-up doesn't end before you arrive.
FAQs
Why isn't my workout advancing to the next stage automatically?
There are a few reasons this can happen:
Open Warm-Up is ON: Open Warm-Up prevents your warm-up (and cool-down) from ending automatically. Turn it OFF in Profile → Workouts if you want automatic progression for your warm-up or press Continue (phone) or Lap (watch) when ready to advance manually.
Intervals/Tempo on Track is ON: Intervals/Tempo on Track ****disables automatic progression for interval and tempo stages. Turn it OFF in Profile → Workouts for most road workouts.
You're doing a hill workout: hill sessions never auto-progress between reps by design, since the downhill recovery varies for every runner. Press and hold Next Lap (phone) or Lap (watch) at the base of each hill to start the next rep.
Can I make my cool-down longer too?
Yes — Open Warm-Up applies to both the warm-up and the cool-down. With it ON, neither will end automatically until you manually advance.
Why don't hill reps auto-progress?
Hill sessions can't auto-progress because the downhill recovery varies for every runner and every hill. Since the app can't detect when you're back at the base and ready, you advance manually.
Need support? Reach out via the in-app support tab and we'll do our best to help!