If you are not quite there yet then take a look at the 24 minute 5k training plan instead and then come back to this one once you are in a position to run at this pace.
Other 5k training plans: 16 minute 5k || 18 minute 5k || Sub 20 5k || 22 minute 5k || 24 minute 5k || 26 minute 5k || 28 minute 5k || Sub 30 minute 5k || Couch to 5k Training Plan
Please read before starting a training plan:
Frequently Asked Questions | Signs of Overtraining
Your Speed/Distance Training Zones: 22 minute 5k
| Pace per Mile / Km | Treadmill Pace | 400m / 800m Splits | 5km Race Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07:00 / 04:22 | 8.5 mph / 13.7 km/h | 1:44 / 3:29 | 21min 50s |
Your 22 minute 5k training plan
| Day | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Rec. Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 30min easy | 30min easy | 30min easy | Rest/Cross-train |
| Tuesday | Reps@4:23 per km/ 7:03p/m (90s rec.) | Reps@1:42s per 400 / 6:50p/m (60s rec.) | Reps@4:23 per km/ 7:03p/m (90s rec.) | Rest/Cross-train |
| Wednesday | 30min easy | 30min easy | 30min easy | 30min easy |
| Thursday | (200m jog rec.) | Fartlek Examples | Examples | Rest/Cross-train |
| Friday | Rest/Cross-train | Rest | Rest/Cross-train | 30min easy |
| Saturday | 30min easy | (200m jog rec.) | 30min easy | Rest/Cross-train |
| Sunday | Long run | Long run | Long run | Long run |
22 Minute 5k Training Plan Components
Breakeven Sessions – 22 minute 5k training plan
These sessions are used for maintaining fitness & recovery. Preparing you for breakthrough sessions:
- Steady Run – this should be no quicker than 09:00 p/m, ideally aim for somewhere around 09:00-09:30 p/m.
- Long Run – slow & steady, this should be less than 1 hour.
- Fartlek – unstructured training. Example Fartlek sessions.
Breakthrough Sessions – 22 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 6:50 p/m pace (1:42 per lap) with a 60sec standing recovery.
- 800m Reps – should be reps at 7:00p/m pace (3:29 per 800m) with a 200m jogged recovery.
- 1km Intervals – hit 7:00p/m pace (4:22 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 consider following this 22 minute 5k plan you should already be able to run at a target race pace of 07:03 minute for at least a mile (4:22p/km) and/or have a PB under 24 minutes.
The core work for the 22 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 2/3 months of using the training plan that you take a break and treat yourself to a couple of weeks of low-key training. This should start with 2-3 day's off from running completely and continue with a nice short easy run every other day.
I’m going to start this from next week. My best is 21:49 but haven’t hit that in a couple of years (averaging around 23 these days).
I’ll post my results on here in a few weeks time. Super excited 🙂
What pace are the recovery runs meant to be at?
Hi Adam, don’t worry too much about the pace for these, just make sure they are not too quick. Something in the region of 8 – 8:15 per mile I would say for this target time.
Hi Adam. Please confirm that 200 m recovery between 800 reps needs to be covered from 1 min to 1 min 4 seconds time. As for me its way too fast and minimum as twice less time than needed. Jack Deniels says that rest has to take from 60% to 100% of interval time.
This program works. I repeated the full program three times through. On the third time through I tested on the Saturday of week 3. I ran a 21:40 on hilly terrain in the high desert (~2000′ elevation).
Shaving an extra 1:40 off sounds like a tall order to make it under 20:00, but the sub 20 program looks like it might be aggressive enough to do the job – if I can stick to it. Thank you for the programs!
Matt,
I just started this week but with adjustments to fit my goal for training for marine corps pft. The test is only 3 miles so it’s a bit shorter but I’m following this because my goal is a 21 minute 3 mile. And a 22 mine 5k is the equivalent.
I did 3 sets of 1 miles instead of the 1k (found this program after I did that workout) so this week I did that instead.
Then for the easy run I always do 3 miles in 24 minutes with a cool down to hit 30 minutes.
I did the 800m sprints today.
My questions is, should I be trying to hit 3:29 pace ? Or if I can go faster is that alright?
I was able to do 4 sets at 3:16-2:20 and then 2 sets at 3:25. Thing is I walked 200 meters Which took as long as 3-4 minutes. Will
I still get the benefits of the workout?
This was still a hard workout. Thanks I’m advance
Emmanuel,
I am also using these programs to get a faster 3 mile time on the PFT. I have been sticking to the program as prescribed and I’m seeing the results.
I’m not the trainer here, but I would say for the 800m you can go faster than 3:29 AS LONG AS you can meet the 3:29 (or better) pace for every interval. That’s how I’ve been treating them. For instance, on the 1km repeats, the target pace is 7:03 per mile. I started the interval at around a 6:25 pace and didn’t let myself drop below a 7:00 pace per mile through the interval.
Started running 2 months ago. First my lungs were burning and couldn’t keep up with my legs, I sounded like injured camel. I’m 194cm tall and 93kg, so I must’ve looked lie one too, because my cadence was 155. Most help so far I have found is to follow my running steps bpm music, as I started to build up my cadence with bpm, bumped up my 5bpm every couple of weeks. As I got closer to 170-175 cadence I noticed that most efficient way to run bounce off the ball of the foot. So now I’m down to 23:25 5k from 28min. Hopefully it’s hope for all of the camels out there 🙂 If you got any tips for me you’re more than welcome to reply 🙂
Nice program. I am running 5 k in 22:35 min for a while. Yet, I am always broken during the interval training. It is very very hard. I went back to the 5k in 24 min traning and now I am preparing to try this one again.
Thank you very much for this page.