Figure out your current speed. Before you can increase your speed, it is important to time how fast you are currently running, so you can accurately measure your progress. Use a stopwatch to time how long it takes you to run a mile. Once you have an exact time - whether it's 8 minutes or 16 minutes - you can work on improving it!
This is where running on a track comes in handy, as each 400M lap of the track is equal to 1/4 of a mile, so four laps of the track is equal to one mile.
If you don't have access to a track, measure an exact mile on a stretch of flat, traffic-free road, then use that to time your run.
You should also try to measure the number of strides you take in a minute. You can do this by giving yourself a minute on the clock, then counting the number of times your right foot hits the ground as you run. Whatever number you come up with, you should try to double it as you increase your running speed.
