Best time to run

The best time is the one you can stick to: the health and fitness benefits are the same morning or evening.

• Late afternoon and early evening: body temperature, flexibility and strength peak, often the best moment for hard sessions and personal bests.
• Morning: easier to keep regular, cooler in summer, less traffic; your body is stiffer, so warm up longer (10 to 15 minutes) before fast efforts.
• Intense sessions ending less than an hour before bed can delay sleep in some people; easy evening runs rarely do.
• Your body adapts to your usual time: if your race starts early, train at that hour in the final weeks.