Your Speed/Distance Training Zones: 20 minute 5k
| Pace per Mile / Km | Treadmill Pace | 400m / 800m Splits | 5km Race Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06:25 / 04:00 | 9.3 mph / 15.0 km/h | 96s / 3:12 | 20min 00s |
Your sub 20 5k training plan
| Day | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Rec. Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 30min easy | 30min easy | 30min easy | Rest/Cross-train |
| Tuesday | Reps@4:00 per km/ 6:25p/m (90s rec.) | Reps@93s per 400m/ 6:15p/m (60s rec.) | Examples | Rest/Cross-train |
| Wednesday | 30min easy | 30min easy | Fartlek Examples | inc. 3m @6:40 p/m |
| Thursday | Reps@3:12 per 800 / 6:25p/m (200m rec.) | Examples | Reps@4:00 per km/ 6:25p/m (90s rec.) | Rest/Cross-train |
| Friday | Rest/Cross-train | Rest | Rest/Cross-train | 30min easy |
| Saturday | 30min easy | Reps@3:12 per 800 / 6:25p/m (200m rec.) | 30min easy | Rest/Cross-train |
| Sunday | Long run | Long run | Long run | Rest/Cross-train |
Sub 5k Training Plan Components
Breakeven Sessions – Sub 20 5k training plan
These sessions are used for maintaining fitness & recovery. Preparing you for breakthrough sessions:
- Easy/ Steady Run – this run should be according to how you feel, don't worry about the time, make sure it's no quicker than 08:25 p/m. Concentrate on recovery and form.
- Long Run – slow & steady run, this should be less than 1 hour.
- Fartlek – unstructured training. Example Fartlek sessions.
Breakthrough Sessions – Sub 20 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 6:15 p/m pace (93s per lap) with a 60sec standing recovery.
- 800m Reps – should be reps at 6:25p/m pace (3:12 per 800m) with a 200m jogged recovery.
- 1km Intervals – hit 6:25p/m pace (4:00 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 Sub 20 minute 5k Training Plan
Remember that to consider following this sub 20 minute 5k plan you should already be able to run at a target race pace of 6:25 for at least a mile (3:59p/km) and/or have a PB under 22 minutes.
The core work for the sub 20 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 sub 20 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.
Is the 3m @ 6:40p/m for the tempo run in recovery week 3miles?
Started this plan back in mid July after coming off the back of a 21:29PB. Done two cycles (8 weeks total) and managed to end up with a 20:03 for my efforts. Frustrating but pleasing none the less. Moving onto your sub 18 plan now which i’ll adapt for sub 19 and change the timings. Thanks again for the information which has no doubt helped me progress
Followed this training plan for 3 weeks and my time has gone down from 22 to 19:39! I may have gone a bit insane and bet 3 of my mates £100 each that I can get a sub 17:30 5k before new year. I’m training every day with gym sessions and cross training, this will actually be one hell of an achievement if I can complete this! I’m 16 wish me luck
Good luck!! 🙂
Just reading your post now. Did you get your sub 17.30?
My PB is 20:16 from a few years ago. I took a few years off but now back at it. I ran 21:45 last weekend now training hard for a race 6 weeks from now. I have two questions:
In other forums I’ve seen it suggested that for sub-20 performance, mileage should really be increased to 40+. Your training plan gets you to about 30 if you add in some warm up/warm down miles. What say you? Would more miles be beneficial or is there too much risk of over training? I have several months of 25-30 mpw under my belt but haven’t exceeded that.
Secondly, at this stage I can’t maintain the target pace on all reps. Would it be better to:
1. Pick a slower pace that I can complete successfully then decrease incrementally.
2. Hit the target on the first couple intervals then allow for slower times but still do all reps.
3. Only do as many reps at goal pace as I can do (for example I could only do 3×800 at goal pace this week- I finished a fourth in 3:26 and then stopped because stopping felt really good)
Thanks in advance for any guidance and for all of the great information here!
Answering my own question: first off, I just ran a 19:49 today! I basically did 6 weeks of week 1-3 twice, then did a taper week leading to today. My question on interval pace went away because once I did a couple hill workouts and she’d a few pounds, I could hit the target pace, first with longer rest in between, then eventually with just the 90 seconds. For those interested, I read another blog that recommended just that: adhering to the target pace and increasing rest time as necessary to be able to complete the work out. As you progress, the rest time decreases but you’re always running at the target pace (for the 6×800 and 5x1k workouts).
Thanks again for the resource you’ve provided here to us weekend warriors!
Cheers,
Dan
Feeling exicted. lots of positive comments here. started running mid 2017 and ran a couple of ultra’s this year with 3 days/per week training. a couple days ago ran a 5k solo road test, 21m10s. will start 20min plan next week. will update and share my progress.
exhilarating. ran MALAYSIAN OPEN MASTERS ATHLETICS yesterday, 5000m result 18m10s. used 20min training plan but trained a little faster and tweaked the longs run and easy runs duration. its all about patience and consistency. it takes time to improve.
Hi Matt,
So I have a 22-ish 5k right now, and would like to become sub 20 (hopefully around 18-19) in the next 10 months. If I follow your sub 20 program, do you think it would be a realistic goal for me to break 20 min by august?
Hi Ryan,
Yes I think that is highly achievable. Obviously you will also need to make sure you eat right and train smart but you definitely have time to get to that sort of time between now and August. Good luck and let us know how you get on. Cheers.