Your Speed/Distance Training Zones: 18 minute 5k
| Pace per Mile/ Km | Treadmill Pace | 400m / 800m Splits | 5km Race Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05:45 / 03:35 | 10.4 mph / 16.6 km/h | 86s / 2:52 | 17min 55s |
Your 18 minute 5k Training Plan
| Day | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Rec. Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 30mins easy | 30mins easy | Examples | Rest/ Cross-train |
| Tuesday | Reps@3:35 per km / 90s 5:45p/m (90sec rec.) | Reps@84s per 400m/ 5:35p/m (60s rec.) | Reps@3:35 per km / 90s 5:45p/m (90sec rec.) | Rest/ Cross-train |
| Wednesday | 30mins easy | 30mins easy | 30mins easy | to include 3miles @6:00 p/m |
| Thursday | Reps@2:49 per 800m /5:40p/m (200m jog rec.) | Examples | Examples | Rest/ Cross-train |
| Friday | Rest/ Cross-train | Rest | Rest/ Cross-train | 30mins easy |
| Saturday | 30mins easy | Reps@2:49 per 800m /5:40p/m (200m jog rec.) | 30mins easy | Rest/ Cross-train |
| Sunday | Long run | Long run | Long run | Rest/ Cross-train |
18 Minute 5k Training Plan Components
Breakeven Sessions – 18 minute 5k training plan
These sessions are used for maintaining fitness & recovery. Preparing you for breakthrough sessions:
- Steady/ Easy Run – this run should be according to how you feel, don't worry about the time, make sure it's no quicker than 07:45 p/m. Concentrate on recovery and form.
- Long Run – slow & steady run, this should be less than 1 hours work.
- Fartlek – unstructured training. Example Fartlek sessions.
Breakthrough Sessions – 18 minute 5k training plan
These sessions are meant to be challenging intense efforts, treat them as mini-milestones towards your target:
- 400m Reps – these need to be at 5:35 p/m pace (84s per lap) with a 60sec standing recovery.
- 800m Reps – should be reps at 5:40p/m pace (2:49 per 800m) with a 200m jogged recovery.
- 1km Intervals – hit 5:45p/m pace (3:35 per km) with a 90sec jogged recovery.
- Hills: Kenyans/ Hill Sprints – alternate between Kenyans and Hill Sprints to get a balance of power and endurance training. Example Hill Training Sessions.
About this Plan
Remember that to even consider following this 18 minute 5k plan you should already be able to run at a target race pace of 5:45 for at least a mile (3:35 p/km) and/or have a PB under 20 minutes.
The core work for the 18 minute 5k training plan is set over a 3-week period with the addition of 1 week's recovery. At the end of the first 4-week cycle you can repeat and/or tailor the plan to your individual needs to focus on your particular 5k event.
It is recommended that after three months following the 18 minute 5k plan that you reduce your training for a period of one to two weeks to allow your body time to recover from the impact of running. This should mean more time cross-training with a couple of nice easy runs every few days to keep the legs ticking over.
Hi, I’m 14 and I can currently run 19:20. The plan looks really good but I’ve got a few questions. I’ve never run before this week but I used to do a lot of swimming. I’m wondering if I should start off straight away or ease into it. Also, how long and at what pace is the long.
Hi sam, I’m 18 now but have a very similar background to you. I used to swim a lot so had good aerobic fitness and could run a sub 20 5km. However, I made the mistake of just going straight into running training and I ended up getting shin splints almost immediately. I would recommend easing into it with a few easy runs (conversational pace) a week for about 4 weeks before picking up intensity, and again build intensity slowly. This is something I learnt too late on. Patience is definitely key. You will get faster with time as long as you don’t get injured. Maybe look for a 12 week training plan instead which includes base building weeks.
I am not a couch, but have long experience in failing to improve the run 🙂
I think cross training is as important as running and I would keep swimming. First, to avoid the injury (I feel that swim helps to recover from from run) and second to activate other little muscles that are hard to active during running. I did that for my 19:00 BP.
However, the main intervals you should prioritize: do them on the fresh legs, prepare mentally and give the best shot. It shaved 1min for 6weeks in this way for my 5k.
If I were you I would ease into it. I’m 15 running a 19:38 5k. That’s about a 6:28 pace.
Hello, I am a 15 year old boy and I am currently able to run an 18:10 5k. I was wondering how many repetitions of your training plan should I do to at least run 17:55?
Hi Rhys, thanks for this and your previous question. You are very close to it already so I would expect one to two cycles and you should be there or thereabouts. Cheers
Thank you very much for your advice. I plan to start it in the next week or so.
I am able to run an 18:10 5k at the moment and I am going to do this training plan. I was just wondering, since I am already close to running sub-18, how many repetitions of this plan will I have to do to get my 5k time down to at least 17:55?
How about you change to the next sub 16 min Plan. I would recommend that for you so you push yourself more instead of not improving as much as you could
Please sir 3month
Running training program please sir
Hi, can you explain the difference between training shoes to competition shoes?
Really? Isn’t the name self-explanatory?
why do we use diffrent shoes?
You could have training shoes with allot softer cushioning to ease the impact of your feet and legs.. then on race day you might want a shoe with less cusioning. Which in turn will be much more responsive for your race
Hey Matt, Hey. I had a question about the easy and long run paces. I saw that you wanted the easy runs to be ran at 6:30 ish and around the same for the long run. I ran an 18:36 for the 5k but i don’t think I could maintain that pace for the long run. Also for the easy runs it would be difficult to really recover while running that fast, I usually do easy runs at like 7:50 right now. Are the easy runs supposed to be more tempo-like. Would it be better to take it easy like 7:00-7:20 ish for the easy runs and long runs, or should I try to push through it and give it everything I have everyday?