Interval workout on Garmin: on the watch, in Garmin Connect, or in one sentence
For intervals on a Garmin, there are two routes: the watch's Intervals feature, set up in a minute, or a structured workout in Garmin Connect with a pace for every rep. Here are both step by step, three worked examples (10 × 400 m, 30/30, 5 × 1000 m) with paces as a percentage of MAS (maximal aerobic speed), then the same session asked of your assistant with Running Workout, ready on your watch within minutes.
Last updated: October 27, 2026
Connect your Garmin, then ask for the intervals
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Ask your assistant
Once your Garmin is connected, paste one of these into Claude or ChatGPT:
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« Create a 10 × 400 m at 95% of my MAS with 1 minute of jogging recovery, for Tuesday. »
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« Give me a 30/30: 2 sets of 8, 3 minutes between sets, 20 minutes warm-up, for Thursday. »
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« Send a 5 × 1000 m at 90% of my MAS with 2 minutes of recovery to my watch for Saturday. »
Free to start · 4 workouts a month sent to your watch
Route 1: the watch's Intervals feature
On most Garmin running watches, a simple interval session can be set up on the wrist, without Garmin Connect. On a Forerunner 970, according to Garmin's manual:
- From the watch face, upper-right button, Activities, Run, then Training.
- Intervals (or Targets & intervals, then Intervals), then Structured Repeats.
- More, then Edit Workout: Interval (distance, time or open), Rest, Repeat, and Warm Up if you want one.
- Do Workout, then start the timer: the watch runs through the reps and rests.
With Open Repeats, you mark each rep and each rest yourself with the lap button, handy on a track. The watch keeps your interval workout until you edit it again. The settings Garmin describes cover durations, distances and the number of reps: for a pace range on every rep, use Garmin Connect. The feature is not available for every activity, and menus vary by model.
Route 2: a structured workout in Garmin Connect
To aim for a precise pace, create the workout in the Garmin Connect app: More, Training & Planning, Workouts, Create a Workout, Run. An interval session fits in three blocks:
- Warm-up: 15 minutes, no target or a low heart rate zone.
- A repeat set to 10: a 400 m run step with a pace target, then a 1-minute recovery.
- Cool-down: 10 minutes.
- The option to skip the last recovery, then Save and send to the watch.
Garmin Connect asks for pace as a range, in minutes per mile: converting the percentage of MAS is up to you. During the workout, the watch alerts you when you leave the range and moves to the next step on its own at the end of each distance or time. The assistant connected through Running Workout does that conversion for you.
Three interval sessions worked out, for a MAS of 10 mph
The maths: MAS × percentage = speed, then 60 ÷ speed = pace per mile. For a MAS of 10 mph (about 16 km/h):
| Session | In Garmin Connect | Target |
|---|---|---|
| 10 × 400 m at 95% of MAS, 1 min recovery | Repeat × 10: run 400 m, recover 1:00 | 9.5 mph, about 6:19 /mi, or 1:34 per 400 m |
| 30/30 at 100% of MAS, 10 to 12 times | Repeat × 10 to 12: run 0:30, recover 0:30 | 10 mph, 6:00 /mi, about 134 m in 30 seconds |
| 5 × 1000 m at 90% of MAS, 2 min recovery | Repeat × 5: run 1000 m, recover 2:00 | 9 mph, 6:40 /mi, about 4:09 per 1000 m |
Enter a range either side of the pace, for example 6:13 to 6:25 per mile for the 400s. Choosing between short and long intervals, and where they fit in your week, is covered on our interval and 30/30 pages.
The same workout in one sentence, with Running Workout
With Running Workout connected to your Garmin, you write "10 × 400 m at 95% of my MAS, 1 minute recovery, for Tuesday" to Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini. The assistant reads your MAS from your profile (a test, a value you entered or an estimate), turns it into a pace range, builds the warm-up, the repeat and the cool-down, shows you the workout and, once you agree, sends it to your Garmin Connect calendar. The watch receives it at the next sync.
If it does not know your MAS, it does not make one up: it suggests a 6-minute test or a heart rate target instead. It can also look at your latest Garmin runs before suggesting an intensity. One limit to know: for running, one target per step, either pace or heart rate.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do intervals on a Garmin without creating a workout?
Yes: the watch's Intervals feature, in the Training menu of the Run activity, sets the rep, the rest and the number of reps, or lets you mark each interval with the lap button. It is not available on every model; your watch's manual gives the exact path.
What pace is 95% of MAS?
Multiply your MAS by 0.95, then divide 60 by the result: for 10 mph that gives 9.5 mph, or about 6:19 per mile. With Running Workout, the assistant does this from the MAS in your profile and writes it into the workout.
Will the watch alert me if I run too fast during the intervals?
Yes, with a Garmin Connect workout that has a target: according to Garmin, the watch alerts you when you leave the step's target, whether it is pace, cadence, heart rate zone or power zone.
How do I do a 30/30 on Garmin?
Create a repeat with two time-based steps: 30 seconds of running with a pace target and 30 seconds of recovery, repeated 10 to 12 times. Or ask your assistant connected through Running Workout for "30/30, 2 sets of 8".
Is Running Workout free?
Free to start: Garmin connection, plans, reading your activities and 4 workouts a month sent to your watch. Running Workout Pro (€4.90 a month or €35 a year, no commitment) removes the limit.
Connect your Garmin, then ask for the intervals
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