To consider following this 24 minute 5k plan you should already be able to run at a target race pace of 07:41 minute for at least a mile (4:46p/km) and/or have a PB under 26 minutes.
If you are not quite there yet then take a look at the 25 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: 24 minute 5k
| Pace per Mile / Km | Treadmill Pace | 400m / 800m Splits | 5km Race Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07:41 / 04:46 | 7.8 mph / 12.5 km/h | 1:54s / 3:48s | 23min 50s |
Your 24 minute 5k training plan
| Week | 1 | 2 | 3 | Rec. Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 30min easy | 30min easy | Rest/ Cross-train | Rest/ Cross-train |
| Tuesday | Reps@4:46 per km/ 7:41p/m (90s rec.) | Reps@1:54 per 400m/ 7:41p/m (60s Rec) | Reps@4:46 per km/ 7:41p/m (90s rec.) | Rest/ Cross-train |
| Wednesday | Rest/ Cross-train | 30min easy | 30min easy | 30min easy |
| Thursday | Reps@3:48 per 800m/ 7:41 p/m (200m jog rec.) | Examples | Examples | Rest/ Cross-train |
| Friday | Rest/ Cross-train | Rest | Rest/ Cross-train | 30min easy |
| Saturday | Rest/ Cross-train | 30min easy | Rest/ Cross-train | Rest/ Cross-train |
| Sunday | Long run | Rest/ Cross-train | Long run | Rest/ Cross-train |
24 minute 5k Training Plan Components
Breakeven Sessions – 24 minute 5k
These sessions are used for maintaining fitness & recovery. Preparing you for breakthrough sessions:
- Steady Run – this should be no quicker than 09:40. Aim for somewhere between 09:40 and 10:10 p/mile.
- Long Run – slow & steady, this should be less than 1 hour.
- Fartlek – unstructured training. Example Fartlek sessions.
Breakthrough Sessions – 24 minute 5k
These sessions are meant to be challenging intense efforts, treat them as mini-milestones towards your target:
- 400m Reps – these need to be at 7:41 p/m pace (1:54 per lap) with a 60sec standing recovery.
- 800m Reps – should be reps at 7:41p/m pace (3:48 per 800m) with a 200m jogged recovery.
- 1km Intervals – hit 7:41p/m pace (4:46 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 24 minute 5k plan you should already be able to run at a target race pace of 07:41 minute for at least a mile (4:46p/km) and/or have a PB under 26 minutes.
The core work for the 24 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. Much like the recovery week this should start with 2-3 day's off from running completely and continue with a couple of break-even runs during the course of the week.
Hello Matt,
I presume day 4 of the plan is a typo? I tried banging out 3:48 per 800m and nearly died at least twice…..
Loving the plans though – cheers,
Actually, don’t worry. I mis-read and ran at 3:48 per 1km. *Face palm*
Hi Matt,
I’m following your sub 24 plan and loving it at the moment! I’m fairly confident I’ll hit sub 24 on my next attempt so I’d like to know your recommendation on transitioning between the plans.
Should I move straight into following the sub 22 plan and push myself to hit those training speeds? Or do I repeat the sub 24 plan, maybe increasing the speed a little to make it less of a jump? (Basically creating my own sub 23 plan!)
Hi Dan, good question. What I did in the past was to just start the sub 22 minute plan knowing that I wouldn’t quite be there but would push myself that bit harder to achieve. It actually worked as a good motivating factor for me. Obviously be careful not to over-do it and I would recommended you start the 22 min plan after the recovery week so you’re fresh. Good luck.
Hey Matt, thanks for posting this. Ran today to get a baseline and finished 5k in 24:45, but was pretty gassed. I figure I’ll follow this plan for 1-2 rotations and then move on to 22min plan. Goal is to get sub-20 by the summer.
What would you recommend as a pace for the Long Run?
Thanks again!
Patrick
Hi Patrick, I’d go for something in the region of 08:50-09:10 for your long run.
Good luck with the training and let us know how you get on. Cheers.
According to your plan, on which day exactly there are the greatest chances to run sub 24 min? After the recovery week (i.e. Monday of the 5th week)?
Thank you for this! Just curious, how many 3-4 week cycles would you guess it would take to get my time down to the 24 min? I’m sure there are many factors, but I just want to have a rough idea of how long I’d be training to get to that pace. I’m a pretty inexperienced runner but do tons of cross training. My most recent 5K was a PR at 25:58 (actually a little less because the race turned out to be 3.2 miles– jerks!). Just curious what your guess would be. 12 weeks sound reasonable?
Hi Julie, it’s so annoying when they get the course measurements wrong!
Yes there’s obviously a few factors involved but I would think with all things being equal that you could expect to get that down to 24 mins certainly within 4 cycles of the plan. I’ve known people who have done it in circa two cycles but this depends on many factors, not least previous experience to this sort of training, discipline, and eating the right things etc.
In short, your estimate sounds very reasonable but I’m sure you could achieve this earlier if desired.
Good luck and let us know how you get on 🙂
Matt
week 2 of 24min 5k plan; 400m/6:50 p/m is 1:43 per lap not 1:53
Thanks for pointing that out, Rich. Was caught out slightly with the mile/ kilometre conversions; I’ve adjusted the table so hopefully should all now be consistent.
Cheers,
Matt
Hi Matt,
Great training plan here! One question though- why are we doing only 3 x 1 km intervals? Should it not be 4 x 1 km or more like you have added into the faster training plans? Thanks