Running Glossary

Gear4Run’s running glossary explains 50 key terms every runner should know.

running glossary

General terms

  1. PR / PB – Personal Record / Personal Best
  2. BQ – Boston Qualifier
  3. DNF – Did Not Finish
  4. DNS – Did Not Start
  5. Splits – times for individual segments of a run
  6. Negative Split – running the second half faster than the first
  7. Positive Split – running the second half slower than the first
  8. Even Split – maintaining the same pace throughout
  9. Cadence – steps per minute
  10. Stride – one complete step cycle (left + right)

Training

  1. Tempo Run – sustained effort at comfortably hard pace
  2. Intervals – repeated short segments at higher intensity
  3. Fartlek – “speed play,” alternating fast and slow running
  4. Hill Repeats – repeated uphill sprints
  5. Long Run – extended distance training run
  6. Recovery Run – easy-paced run for active recovery
  7. Shakeout Run – short, easy run before a race
  8. Strides – short accelerations to improve form and speed
  9. Warm-up – preparatory jog or drills before a harder effort
  10. Cool-down – easy jog after training or racing

Racing

  1. Pacer – runner who sets a consistent race pace
  2. Chip Time – official time recorded by a timing chip
  3. Gun Time – time measured from the race start signal
  4. Corral – starting area based on predicted pace
  5. Lapped – being overtaken by a faster runner on a track
  6. Taper – reduced training before a race for peak performance
  7. Bonking / Hitting the Wall – extreme fatigue during long races
  8. Carb-loading – increasing carbohydrate intake before races
  9. Race Splits – timing breakdown during competition
  10. Kick – sprint finish at the end of a race

Equipment & Biomechanics

  1. Drop – heel-to-toe height difference in a running shoe
  2. Stack Height – total cushioning under the foot
  3. Neutral Shoe – a shoe for runners with normal pronation
  4. Stability Shoe – a shoe for runners with overpronation
  5. Supination – outward rolling of the foot
  6. Pronation – inward rolling of the foot
  7. Carbon Plate Shoe – performance shoe with carbon-fiber plate
  8. Minimalist Shoe – low-cushion, barefoot-like shoe
  9. Maximalist Shoe – a shoe with extra cushioning
  10. Gait – runner’s style of movement and foot strike

Physiology & Performance

  1. VO₂ max – maximum oxygen uptake capacity
  2. Lactate Threshold – intensity where lactate builds up in the blood
  3. Heart Rate Zones – intensity ranges based on heart rate
  4. Aerobic Run – low-intensity, oxygen-based effort
  5. Anaerobic Run – high-intensity effort without sufficient oxygen
  6. RPE – Rate of Perceived Exertion
  7. Overtraining – fatigue from excessive training without recovery
  8. DOMS – Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
  9. Periodization – structured training cycles
  10. Streak Running – running daily without missing a day