Running 5km in under 20 minutes

Art of Noise

Hi guys. Anyone know whats the best way to break this elusive (for me) barrier. I've been trying for over a year now and my best is 20:16. Its very frustrating as it seems that if i go out fast I just run out of energy at the end but if I start at a more modest pace I just have too much time to make up at the end. Can anyone who has run under 20 minutes (i'm sure some of you have done so easily) fill me in as to what strategy is the best to employ or what ye did when ye first went under 20 minutes. Is running a 5k race the best way to achieve it cos I have only ever run the distance in training.

Cheers.

Gringo78

If you've only ever tried running it in training, and you've run 20:16 in training, then running a 5k race should see you break it easy. The difference between training and a race is substantial. Sign up for a 5km race and you'll break that elusive barrier.

gmurran

Here is a track workout that you can repeat throughout a training cycle to help you improve your 5k PB. Simply take your current 5K pb and take off 20 seconds, which will be a challenging, but a realistic goal for a 5k 6-8 weeks from now.



Next, you need to calculate your pace per 400m: if your current 5k PR is 21:00 and you want to set a goal of 20:40, then convert 20:40 to seconds (1240 seconds) then divide by 5,000m (.248) then multiply by 400m (99.2 per lap or 1:39 per lap).



The workout is simple: run 1,000m at that pace, then 400m easy; 1,000m at pace, 400m easy; 1,000m at pace, 400m easy; 800m fast! You’ll run 5,000m in this workout and 3,800m of it will be at your goal pace. Only do this workout once every 10-14 days, yet feel free to speed up the recovery portions as your fitness improves. Good luck


The reps are 1000, 400 easy, 1000, 400 easy, 1000, 400 easy, 800. Worked for me to get under the 16 as below. This from a US coach Jay Johnson.





(960/5000)*400 =76.8
3.12 for 1000
2.33.6 for 800
76.8 for 400

Art of Noise

Thanks for your replies. I will definitely try the pace/easy/fast strategy as outlined above and must look out for a 5k race somewhere as I suppose the adrenalin of a race day may spur me on.

But I'll settle for anything sub 20. Sub 16 would be a pipe dream for me. Fair play gmurran.

Ol' Donie

Brilliant, i've been trying to get under 20 mins too, but having similar problems to op. Thanks guys.

airscotty

Currently im about a 18min 5k runner (hopefully less this yr! 1.5yrs ago i had never run a race or anything like that an asked my coach wha time i should be doing 5k in. He said about 20mins at the time so i went out with a fast friend, worked out how fast i should be running each 400m lap and just hit my target for each lap. Having a fast training partner ment i could just stick with him while he worried about if we were on target. Might be worth a try or just doing a well measured 5k race should give you the motivation to push either? Good luck:)

thirstywork

gmurran wrote: »

Here is a track workout that you can repeat throughout a training cycle to help you improve your 5k PB. Simply take your current 5K pb and take off 20 seconds, which will be a challenging, but a realistic goal for a 5k 6-8 weeks from now.



Next, you need to calculate your pace per 400m: if your current 5k PR is 21:00 and you want to set a goal of 20:40, then convert 20:40 to seconds (1240 seconds) then divide by 5,000m (.248) then multiply by 400m (99.2 per lap or 1:39 per lap).



The workout is simple: run 1,000m at that pace, then 400m easy; 1,000m at pace, 400m easy; 1,000m at pace, 400m easy; 800m fast! You’ll run 5,000m in this workout and 3,800m of it will be at your goal pace. Only do this workout once every 10-14 days, yet feel free to speed up the recovery portions as your fitness improves. Good luck


The reps are 1000, 400 easy, 1000, 400 easy, 1000, 400 easy, 800. Worked for me to get under the 16 as below. This from a US coach Jay Johnson.





(960/5000)*400 =76.8
3.12 for 1000
2.33.6 for 800
76.8 for 400

Nice idea there.I think sometimes people tend to run every training run as arace and get caught up in breaking there times over the same course.
try vary your training runs and sessions.
Also make sure your recovery is the same for each rep,no point taking 5mins between reps.
I tend to run my reps based on my current fitness rather than my pbs.
some good 5k sessions i like are 10 x 400m with a 60-75second rest in between.
As your fitness improves so will the time,id always keep the recovery no less than 60seconds unless you are a very elite runner.
or maybe try a pyramis session of 1k 800m 600m 400m 1k 800m 600m 400m,allow a longer recover on the longer reps and this session will teach you to judge the pace better !!!

TFBubendorfer

It's not what you do in the race, it's what you do in training that has a much bigger influence on the outcome.

Personally I found that my 5k time dipped under 20 minutes purely by increasing my mileage run at easy pace. I did not require any speed sessions, but if you specifically target the 5k distance they would certainly help.

Patrick_K

Thanks for that workout gmurran.
I'm a running noob and have entered Jingle Bellls as my first ever race - my aim is to break 20 mins in it
I did the workout at lunchtime today off 20 min pace and completed the 5K in 20'32 so am hopeful I'm on track.
Very good exercise in terms of learning about pacing yourself too, I'd recommend it to any of the other nooobs here if you havent tried it already. (even thoough my legs are pretty shot now)

Cheers
PK