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.
Hey! I finished the plan and ran a 20:07 5K! There were 18 MPH winds, and I had an elevation gain of 57 and a loss of 80, so I probably would have made the 20 minute mark if it weren’t for the condition. Thank you so much for this training plan!
I think I might do this plan one more time and then move on to the 18 minute 5K plan. I’ll let you guys know how that one went once I do it.
Hi Jude,
Well done, that’s a great result considering the conditions. Do pop back sometime and let us know how you get on, sure you’ll be on to the sub 18 minute plan in no time at all.
Cheers,
Matt
Hi,
I just don’t understand how does all those training sessions add up to 8-10 hrs a week. You have at most 6 training sessions a week. This would mean something like 1hr and 30 min per training session which is pretty much even for a long run session (which I suppose is the longest session of them all).
Hi Bogdan, thanks for the comment; you are quite right to query that. I’ve made a slight adjustment to the time commitment requirement as it should be 4-8 depending on number of hours spent cross training.
Cheers,
Matt
Hi Matt! When do we use the “steady pace” run? That seems too quick for a recovery or for the long run (for me at least 😉 )
Thanks!
Hi Alandra,
Thank you for your comment, I hope you find the training plans useful.
As for the ‘steady pace’ runs, you can view these as the “30mins easy” sessions specified in the plan. I have recommended it as no faster than 7 min/per mile pace so covering these at 7:25 would also be fine. This would be a minute per mile slower than your target race pace so should not tire out the legs too much and keep you fresh for the harder sessions.
Good luck with the training and pop back sometime to let us know how you get on.
Cheers,
Matt
Could you please explain the details of the tempo run in the recovery week (Tempo Run
inc. 3m @6:40 p/m). Not sure what it means.
Hi Joe,
It is recommending that during the recovery week that you do a tempo run so your legs don’t completely forget what you have been doing the previous 3 weeks. The pace should be easy to begin with, for about a mile, then try doing 2-3 miles in the middle that is at 6:40 per mile pace (this is still slower than your target race pace for this plan), followed by another slower mile to finish.
Hope that helps.
Cheers,
Matt
Hey everybody! I am 16 and have been running for about a year now, I nave a 21:01 5K PR. I am going to give this training plan a shot, I’ll let you know how it went once I am done.
ran a PB of 20:43 today released iv got to have a constructed training plan instead of “just going for a run” to be able to get a sub20 5k. Great plan and very useful will start to add these different sessions in each week and see how i get on.
Thanks, Ben
Hi Ben,
Congrats on the PB. Yes it can make a massive difference following a plan where you are actively training at your target pace. Like you, I spent ages ‘just going for a run’ and I got faster initially but then reached the inevitable plateau.
Good luck with the sub 20 minute 5k plan and drop us a note to let us know how you get on.
Cheers