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.
How do you run the actual 5k? Continuously? There aren’t any non-stop 5k runs in the training plan; will the program prepare me to run nonstop if that’s the case?
Hi Aidan, ideally you run the 5km at the end of a 3 week training block/ cycle. There is enough long runs and 30 min easy runs to prepare you to run continuously for 5km.
Interesting, so you never run the full 5k for time during training to benchmark progress? I’d be uneasy with having to keep up that speed continuously when during training I’ve only run at race pace with breaks every 90s/200m, etc.
Hi Aidan, I wouldn’t worry about running the 5k within the training block to benchmark progress. The point of the plan is to train your body so you are in a position to get the target time at the end of the cycle. The fact that you are following a particular plan means you already have a baseline. I.e., if you are following the sub 20 min 5k plan, then your PB should already be below 22mins. The training blocks are short so by all means you could run 5k at the end of each cycle to check for progress but having a 5k attempt within the training block would potentially just impeded the plan itself.
Cheers
Hey man, I am currentky having a pretty tough time getting to my form from last season. My best time this season is 22:12, last season was 20:29, is it still possible for me to break 20 with 5 meet left? Any tips?
Hey Gavin, sorry what do you mean by ‘5 meet’ left? Is that a typo? 🙂
Very thrilled to have made it under 20mins after just the first cycle of 4 weeks. Didn’t intend to try, but the legs felt good after the first half lap of parkrun and I got in by 3 secs. I missed a couple of the sessions in weeks 2 and 3 because of other commitments, but to be honest, just having a plan and running regularly did the trick. Thanks!
Great work, Toby. Well done and thanks for letting me know how you got on with the plan. Cheers.
Hi, I just started you plan for sub 20 minutes. My current 5k time is about 21 minutes. I was wondering what pace you would recommend I should run my recovery run in. Also, how far the long run should be and what pace this should be at?
Hi, the easy run should be about 30mins at 07:00 pace or thereabouts. Cheers
07:00min/mi pace for easy/recovery is completely wrong. That would mean running at roughly 10K race pace.
At 10k pace? For what 10k time? Not sure I understand the statement. An easy run that is 35+ seconds slower per mile than target race pace is acceptable but of course, you are free to modify the plan as works best for you :-). Cheers,
Re the easy / recovery run – for a recent half marathon training which I ran at 7:37p/m pace my recovery/easy runs were around a min/90 secs p/m slower. For this 5K attempt, on easy days still running at 7:00p/m still seems fast and not a recovery easy? Does this depend on overall fitness?
Great plan. Been stuck between 21-22mins for over a year now. Adapted it for Sub 21 and this morning went 20.42 after only 4 weeks. Really chuffed. Only managed the two interval type runs, parkrun, slow 10k and a swim each week, (and worked on upping my cadence too). Good to read the comments and suggestions, although might not try Jude’s 50 days of consecutive running. Wow and Ouch! Hope to consolidate todays result and work towards that Sub 20 now! Thanks for all the help. J
Thanks for the comment, James. It’s always nice to hear success stories, keep up the good work and let me know if/ when you get under 20. Cheers.
Hello Matt,
Your training plan is a jewel, thank you!
I wondered, how should I proceed forward in case if I become sick, injured or traveling etc.? Should I just pick up, where I left or adjust it to the week day I’m in currently?
Also, how do I proceed if I can’t, – let’s say, – break the time in 800m intervals and maintain demanded pace throughout all 6 sets? Do I just repeat the training plan so long until that starts happening or?
Kindly,
Audun
I would advise that you adjust the plan to suit your needs with regards to injury, sickness, etc. You know your body better than anyone so go with whatever feels right for you.
If you are not quite making the time intervals for the full session then I would suggest you repeat the plan until you can do so. Training your body into a position where it can meet the demands of the intervals at race pace is imperative part of the plan. Cheers
Thank for your responce, Matt!
I’m a kickboxer, so I tend to have to a lot of cardio. I wonder, how well this training plans are suited to supplement my trainng considering I train 4-5 times a week my sport?
Also, how would you recommend to get back on track after sickness exactly?
Hi Auden, I don’t know the first thing about kickboxer training I’m afraid. If it’s cardio you are after though, I think the training plans here will good you a good base to work from. After sickness, I suggest rather than starting at week 1, start at week 4 with the recovery week. Do this for a couple of weeks until you are ready to progress. I wouldn’t advise doing any of the speed interval sessions during or post-sickness. They will potentially degrade your immune system causing more illness or hampering recovery.