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.
OH MY GOD THIS PLAN APPLY AND NOW JOIN I AM INDIAN ARMY JOB THANK U
I don’t mean to be “that guy” but the very first session is 5x1km at 4mins/km with 90s jogging in between. Honestly, if you can do that you run a sub 20mins 5k already – your issue is psychological, not physical. I’m consistently running 21mins/5km and couldn’t achieve even 4x1km at 4mins each. Maybe this is the training program to progress from sub 20 to sub 18 mins?
I agree
I disagree, I can do this and my pb is over 21 minutes.
disagree. Can do the 1km intervals but 5k pb is 20:50
lol what? 5x4min=20min + 4x90sec = 26 min
That only applies if you stand still while resting; the plan says to jog between the intervals. If you jog 90 seconds at 6 mph, you end up doing about 240 metres. After doing the first four 1k intervals (4 min each) and their respective jogs (1.5 min each), you’d be at 4960 metres in 22 minutes. So this workout (done properly) involves running a nearly 22 minute 5k and then immediately running another 1k at 20 minute race pace.
Disagree. I can do the intervals…easily. My PR is 22:10.
My PB is 21:54 and to me is so hard that I changed the order… I can’t run at 4:00 during 1km, I’m starting the 2nd week and my plan right know is to do the 10×400 at 6:15, and as I can see the progress, start doing the 800m and 1km.
This is a good point. I started with the 10x400s, then did the 6x800s, then the 5x1km. I think easing into the longer distance is helpful. Also, for newbies who don’t do speed work regularly ,I’d recommend only doing one speed workout a week for the first couple of weeks. Otherwise, you might be increasing your risk of injury. Like with any running goal, the key is to consistently get the work in at paces faster than your goal pace, without overdoing it, and let the body adapt over time.
What nonsense
Hi Matt, going to give your plan ago looks great! Can you explain what a Tempo run is?
It’s very similar to Fartlek – say a 30mins run at around 10k pace with faster intervals here and there. Could be running up a hill or just running faster for a couple of minutes and then back to 10k pace.
I honestly I include these into every “easy run.” Since I’m running “easy” if I see a hill, I just burst up it at tempo run pace, maybe even race pace, and return back to normal run pace. I don’t see why every run can’t be that way. Especially if you are running the same routes.
A tempo run is not similar to a fartlek. A tempo run is running at just under your lactate threshold pace i.e. the pace at which lactate acid begins to accumulate quicker than your body can clear it. Once lactate builds up it stops your muscles working properly (legs will feel heavy) and you slow down or stop. (You can normally tell when you cross the threshold as your breathing changes from controlled to breathing quickly). By training at just under this level, you are aiming to moving the point at which lactate builds up so you will be able to sustain a faster speed.
The threshold pace is around 20 secs slower than your 5k pace. So if your current 5k pace is 6.30/ mile your threshold or tempo pace will be around 6.40/6.45. To do a tempo run, warmup properly then run at this pace for 3-5 miles (build up over a few weeks). It’s important to keep a steady pace (so the opposite of a fartlek) so do it on a flat course – too fast and you’ll be working in the lactate zone (so watch that your breathing doesn’t suddenly change), too slow and you won’t be near enough to it – either of these will make it ineffective.
This might not seem much slower than your 5k race pace. But as your 5k speed is generally over the threshold, when you race it builds up. By running those few seconds slower, you will avoid this so should be able to run for significantly (relatively speaking) longer. You should finish feeling like you’ve had a hard run but could do more. Hope that helps.
Yes a tempo run is running quite hard and just slightly slowly than your race pace. In other words not quite flat out but pretty brisk (95%). If your pb for 5km is 21 mins, then run around 22 – 23 mins and possibly for up to 5 miles or so.
was here on 26th sept 2018. used the 20min plan, tweaked the long run and easy run duration. ran a little faster for the speed workout. exhilarating. ran yesterday at malaysian open masters athletics, timed 5000m, 18min10.2sec. just simply happy. next race, asian masters athletics at kuching,malaysia dec2 to dec7 2019. will post again end of the year. goal 17min 5000m. its all about patience and consistency.
Thanks for the plan. I had a couple of questions. Alot of things you read say to only do intervals once a week. Is this a safe plan to follow? Sounds like a lot of running at near max effort. Secondly, you mention to do your PB attempt at the end of the second or third week? Should that be the end of the fourth (recovery) week? Seems at the end of the second or third week you’ll just be too tired. Thanks again
Answering my own questions :). I’m almost done with my third week of the plan. There has been a big difference between the interval attempts in the first week and the third week! For the 1000m workout, I wasn’t able to jog any of the rest intervals in the first week, and I had to lengthen two of the rest intervals to .25 mile rather than 90 seconds, and only 2 of the 5 1000m intervals were under 4min, the other 3 ranged from 4:02-4:09. But, on the third week, after the Hill Sprint session on Monday, on Tuesday I was able to do all 5 1000m under 4min with all 4 rests at 90 second jogs!!! I was happy with the improvement! So while the efforts are a little intense, they do seem to reap some good benefits, and they get easier in the second/third weeks. Regarding the timing of the PR attempt, I found the answer in one of your replies below where you said “The fourth week is largely how I would treat the race week, you don’t want to go too hard in that week but then again you want to do enough to keep things ticking over”. Thanks for the plan, I have a 5k scheduled for next Saturday, fingers crossed! 🙂
A couple things here.
Honestly? You should already be able to consistently hit 21 minutes before attempting this plan. I know the plan says you should be able to hit 22. 5 x1km at 6:25 is already cruising for it to be your first thing, but if you area already at 21 minute fitness, it’s no problem then. But coming off of anything above that? It’s a challenge.
The other thing? You’ll greatly benefit, as you have, in the first 4 weeks of speed work. That’s just how it works. If you are to gain any benefit from them, it’s going to be in just the first 2, or 3 sessions. Anything beyond 8 weeks, they say, is diminishing returns and can even drop your performance, as your body gets burned out. So only do these about 4-6 weeks out from your event. That’s why the plan only goes up to week 4.
Hi
I’ve been trying to get under 20 mins in parkrun for a while now regularly getting under 21 !! My best to date is 20.08 which isn’t to far away but I am a big guy weighing in at almost 16st so do you honestly think if I shed a bit of weight I’d be closer to 19 ??
Thanks Rob
Hi Rob, I couldn’t say for sure obviously, but if you are able to run under 21 minutes at almost 16st then I don’t see why you couldn’t achieve your target after losing a little weight. Weight/fat loss and following these training plans were the two biggest factors in me taking my time from a 25 min 5k to a sub 16 min 5k when I started running a few years ago now. Cheers and good luck!