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.
Hi, thanks for the plan! I don’t see Sunday on the chart here. Is there anything scheduled on Sunday? Also, is this plan for 4 weeks only, or is there something I’m missing.
Hi Mike, it’s a 4-week cyclic plan. Please refer to Frequently Asked Questions page for more info.
Yes there is something scheduled on Sunday, do you not see it in your browser? It is long run day.
Hello Matt,
First of all, thanks for your great training programmes. Could you specify, what would be the pace for the “long runs”? Also, how to make a transition from sub 20min to let’s say sub 18, when sub 20 gets beaten? I mean, what’s the approach to start adjusting this sub 20 min training programme to start trying next step in beating 18 minutes. How would I do that?
Thank you very much in advance!
Hi Matt I want to ask what pace should I make my long Run. What is the best Fartlek Training.
The older I get the better I was it seems. 🙂 5 years ago I squeezed a 20:12 5k out of my leg on a pancake flat course. I’m doing a weekly hilly Parkrun now in around 22 minutes so I still believe with a bit of focus I can scare the 20 minute barrier. I’m 47 now so I’m hoping to scare a few of the youngsters. One question I have is warmup and cooldown. There’s no mention of either (I don’t think) so generally in the past, when I’ve done intervals in particular, I’ve started with a very easy mile/10 minute jog and finished with the same. Is this too much/too little/too fast (surely not)/too slow?
Works for old gits too – I have been haphazardly trying unsuccessfully for sub 20 for several months. Needed the speed work and drop in training hours – in 3 weeks parkruns went 20:47 then 20:23 then 19:32 (fastest VET 50). Had it been 19:59 I might have stopped and concentrated on endurance, but now I want sub 19 !
Well done, David! Keep up the good work!
Hi Matt. Have a current pb of 21:30 from a while back but have been doing very well with these workouts sessions. The course I am going to run for my next 5K has an intense hill a little under a quarter mile in length at the 2.7 mile mark and I am afraid I won’t be able to break 20 because of it. Any suggestions on how to push through on the hill & recover after so that I can still achieve my goal? Thanks.
Hi Hailey,
Certainly the hill makes things a little harder but all is not lost; one of my fastest 5k’s had a big hill in it. Mainly because what goes up, must come down. Do you know if there is equal distribution of downhill over the course?
There’s a short section on hill technique and some example hill training sessions on this website in the Training Sessions section. As it’s a relatively short but intense hill, I recommend doing some hill sprints in preperation and really nailing the technique so you are as efficient as possible. When going downhill try lengthening your stride, breathing very deeply and really concentrate on getting your heartrate under control so you can recover ready to attack again.
Thanks,
Matt