This 8-week 5K training plan is the next step after Couch to 5K, for runners who can already run about 30 minutes or 3 miles and want to finish a 5K faster. It uses four runs a week: two easy runs, one speed or tempo workout, and one longer easy run. Weekly mileage ranges from 12 to 17 miles.
The 8-Week 5K Training Plan
Suggested days are Tuesday (easy), Thursday (workout), Friday or Saturday (easy) and Sunday (long run), with the other days for rest or cross-training. Warm up with 1–1.5 miles of easy running and cool down with about a mile easy on workout days. Those miles are part of the weekly total.
| Week | Easy day | Workout | Easy day | Long run | Total mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 mi easy + 4 strides | 6 × 400 m at goal 5K pace, 400 m easy jog between | 3 mi easy | 4 mi easy | 13 |
| 2 | 3 mi easy + 6 strides | 1 mi easy, 15 min tempo, 1 mi easy | 3 mi easy | 4.5 mi easy | 14 |
| 3 | 3 mi easy + 6 strides | 5 × 800 m at goal 5K pace, 2–3 min jog between | 3 mi easy | 5 mi easy | 15 |
| 4 (cutback) | 3 mi easy | 8 × 45 sec hills, jog down | 2 mi easy | 4 mi easy | 12 |
| 5 | 3.5 mi easy + 6 strides | 1 mi easy, 20 min tempo, 1 mi easy | 3 mi easy | 5.5 mi easy | 16 |
| 6 | 3.5 mi easy + 6 strides | 4 × 1,000 m at goal 5K pace, 3 min jog between | 3 mi easy | 6 mi easy | 17 |
| 7 | 3.5 mi easy + 6 strides | 3 × 1,200 m at goal 5K pace, 3 min jog between | 3 mi easy | 5 mi easy | 16 |
| 8 (race week) | 3 mi easy + 4 strides | 2 mi easy with 3 × 400 m at goal 5K pace | rest or 1–2 mi shakeout | RACE: 5K | ~11 |
Pick Your Goal 5K Pace
"Goal 5K pace" in the workouts means the average pace for your target time. Start from a realistic goal: plug a recent race or time trial into the Race Time Predictor, or use the 5K Pace Calculator.
| 5K goal | Pace / mile | Pace / km |
|---|---|---|
| 20:00 | 6:26 | 4:00 |
| 22:00 | 7:05 | 4:24 |
| 25:00 | 8:03 | 5:00 |
| 28:00 | 9:01 | 5:36 |
| 30:00 | 9:39 | 6:00 |
| 35:00 | 11:16 | 7:00 |
| 40:00 | 12:52 | 8:00 |
A 400 m repeat at goal pace takes about a quarter of your per-mile pace. For example, at 8:03 per mile (a 25:00 5K), each 400 m takes about 2:00. See every pace on the 5K pace chart.
The Workouts Explained
Easy runs: conversational and relaxed. They build your aerobic base and let you recover for the workouts.
Strides: 15–20 seconds of fast, smooth running after an easy run, with a full recovery between each one.
Intervals (400 m to 1,200 m): run at goal 5K pace with easy jogging between. They teach your body and brain what race pace feels like. If you can't hold the pace on the last repeat, slow down a little next time.
Tempo: a sustained "comfortably hard" effort, slower than 5K pace. It raises the pace you can hold before fatigue builds.
Hills: hard 45-second climbs that build strength and power with less pounding.
Long run: easy pace. It builds endurance so the last mile of your 5K doesn't fall apart.
No track? Run the intervals on a measured road, use your GPS watch, or set the treadmill with the treadmill pace chart.
How to Race the 5K
- Warm up: 10–15 minutes of easy jogging plus a few strides.
- Mile 1: right at goal pace or a few seconds slower. Adrenaline makes fast feel easy, and that's a trap.
- Mile 2: the hardest mentally. Hold steady and focus on the runner ahead.
- Last 1.1 miles: push, and give it everything for the last few hundred meters.
Find a target race in the 5K race calendar, and read How to Run Faster for more ideas.