10-20-30 interval running in pairs
The 10-20-30 method strings together 30 seconds of easy jogging, 20 at a moderate pace and 10 at top speed, in five-minute blocks. Working in pairs that help each other with pacing, students improve endurance and speed in a short time.
How to play
- Explain the method: every minute is 30 seconds of jogging, 20 at a moderate pace and 10 of sprinting; five straight minutes make one block (2 min).
- Cone off a 200-meter oval; partners wear the same pinnie color to find each other (2 min).
- Block 1: five minutes of 10-20-30 with audio calling each change; partners run together during the jog and moderate parts (5 min).
- Walk for 2 minutes and talk with your partner about how the sprints felt (2 min).
- Blocks 2 and 3 with 2 minutes of recovery between them; in the last sprint each pair tries to go farther than in the first (12 min).
- Wrap-up: each student rates their effort from 1 to 10 and says whether they would keep this method in their plan (1 min).
Rules
- Always pass on the outside during sprints.
- Change pace gradually, with no sudden stops.
- Partners do not race each other: they encourage and compare how it felt.
- Anyone who cannot sprint swaps in the moderate pace.
Variations
Easier
Only two blocks with sprints at 80%.
Standard
Three 10-20-30 blocks with 2 minutes of recovery.
Harder
Four blocks, measuring the last sprint distance of each block with numbered cones.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: do the pace changes in a wheelchair or on a stationary bike.
- Hearing impairment: the partner signals changes by hand and the teacher uses a flag.
- Low fitness level: the jog becomes a walk and the sprint becomes a fast jog.
Learning goals
- Learn and practice the 10-20-30 interval method.
- Tell apart and hold three running intensities.
- Encourage and support a partner during hard efforts.
Equipment for a class of 25
- cones: 10
- speakers: 1
- pinnies: 26
Teacher tip
An audio track with change cues is key so no one gets lost. With mixed-ability groups, let each pair adjust the sprint without leaving the loop.
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