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Breaking 30 minutes for 5k
The sub 30 minute 5k is often the first real running goal for a new runner after becoming able to run continuously. The popularity of both the Couch to 5k programme and Park Run has created a vast number of new runners. Some — those blessed with appropriate genes — will crack 30 minutes for 5k on their first attempt; they might well go on to threaten the 20 minute barrier with some focussed training. As the saying goes, if you want to be a highly successful runner, choose your parents well — and then train and train some more. For many though, the 30-minute 5k is found only after some more training.
Anyone who cannot currently run 5k in under 30 minutes is limited by either speed or endurance and possibly both. So although there are many and varied approaches to improving your 5k time depending on the individual, the aim remains the same; running 5k or 3.1 miles at an average pace of 6 mins per k and 9.39 per mile.
Who is this plan for?
Aside from the obvious runners who want to run under 30 minutes for 5k.
- New runners, who can run for 5k.
- Runners who usually run at the same, consistent pace during their runs.
- Experienced runners, who do not utilise mixed-pace running and want some guidance on how to adapt their training so that they can run faster.
Some realism is required here. This plan is for 8 weeks. That is plenty of time to make real, measurable differences to your physiology that will enable you to run faster. You can develop both your cardiovascular system and musculature over the training plan and even notice the effects within a week or two depending on your usual training schedule. Indeed, one the main determinants of running performance, Vo2Max, can adapt to training within just one week (Vo2Max is a measure of how much oxygen you can utilise during exercise). There is of course a limit though, we are all born with varying degrees of potential, some will adapt more quickly and in greater scale than others.
However, if you are knocking on the door of 30 minutes, and don’t have a structured training regime already, then this plan could get you there.
What about age?
Of course, age is a factor, the older we get the more challenging it is to maintain our speed. As at 2019, the 5000m world records for 65 year old male and female runners are: 16.38 and 20.08, compared to the outright records of: 12.37 and 14.11.
Thirty minutes for 5k
What does it take? Regardless of age, gender or ability it is still going to require an average pace of 9.39/mile or 6.00/km. If you can get to a standard 400m running track, this equates to 2.23 per lap for the 12.5 laps.
Your potential
The plan begins with an honest self assessment of your own running ability; it’s usually pointless to plan for any goal unless you know from where you are starting.
Can you actually run for 5k or 3 miles? How long does it take?
How long does it take you to run 1km as fast as you can? If you know your best 1km time, you can make an informed guess of your potential for 5k.
If you are new to running, you might not have tried to run 1km as fast as you can. It’s a useful test, you’ll get a feel for full exertion and discomfort. These are vital to become familiar with on your way to running your best 5k. Indeed, many runners have the physical ability to run under 30 minutes, but not the mental strength to accomplish it. Running our best 5k hurts and if we are not used to this discomfort then it’s going to slow us down more than it could.
The table below provides rough predictions of 5k potential based on best 1k times.
| Best time to run 1k | Predicted 5k time |
| 5.15 | 29.36 |
| 5.30 | 31.00 |
| 5.45 | 32.25 |
| 6.00 | 33.49 |
| 6.15 | 35.14 |
| 6.30 | 36.39 |
Of course, these are only predictions, some people whose predicted time is under 30 minutes will be unable to achieve that time due to a lack of speed endurance ability.
As you can see, the factors limiting 5k performance are varied, it’s useful to know your limiting factor when you adapt your training plan. You might benefit more by emphasising the speed element, others might need to work more on endurance. The training plan will develop both, but there is scope to tailor it to your requirements.
The Training Plan
The training schedule is 8 weeks long, and is progressive. Some of the sessions are optional and completing these additional sessions will depend on your current running or exercise load. When adapting the plan keep in mind the dangers of increasing your running quantity and intensity too quickly. It’s very easy (especially for new runners) to become highly motivated as they improve. This increased motivation can lead to an almost obsessive desire to get out and run given any opportunity, but beware, injury and illness go hand-in-hand with over-training. There is an age-old rule in running training of not increasing distance by more than 10% per week; it applies to both the total weekly distance and also the long-run distance. The rule is not scientifically proven, but still provides a sensible guide.
The plan includes 3 types of key sessions:
- Interval session
- Threshold run
- Endurance run
Interval session
An interval session includes periods of higher intensity exercise with recovery periods. The higher intensity sections can be at various effort levels. Running at higher intensities trains both body and mind to be able to run faster. The details of each interval session are given in the schedule below. In some sessions, the pace is shown as ‘hard’. This pace is faster than 5k race-pace, but not completely flat-out. It’s about as fast you can manage for the duration of the rep without having to slow down during the rep. The hard pace in these sessions is likely to be similar to your 1-mile race pace.
Threshold run
What follows is a simplification of a complex topic, but should provide enough info for the application of this training plan.
As running speed increases, the energy system providing the fuel changes, as these changes occur the body becomes less able to deal with the effort required to maintain pace: the byproducts of the energy production build up faster than the body can clear them away, which has a negative impact on our running pace. Essentially, we get exhausted and have to slow down. This is a different kind of exhaustion that comes from running long distances, which more akin to fatigue; it is the speed that limits us rather the the distance.
The point at which these physiological changes occur is termed lactate threshold (lactate being a byproduct of anaerobic energy production). We can raise that threshold by training the body to clear the lactate more efficiently; if we raise the threshold, we can run faster. The way we raise it is to train at and around that specific pace; the body adapts over time. What pace is it? To accurately determine it we’d require testing in the lab. However, we can get a very rough idea because it’s about the fastest speed we can maintain for an hour. For a well-trained, elite athlete, this could be half-marathon race pace. For recreational runners it will be closer to 10k race pace.
Endurance run
Although a 5k race is run at a faster pace than most of us normally run, it is still an endurance event and so it helps if we can complete the distance without fatiguing and slowing down. Our endurance run trains the body to cope with the distance. Our endurance or long run is also where most of our valuable training adaptations occur. The endurance runs in this plan range from 3 to 8 miles depending on your experience and current training level. If you’ve only just managed to run 3 miles, then don’t jump into the longer runs straight away, build up gradually.
Warm Up and Cool Down
It’s recommended that you do the warm up and cool down as part of the speed sessions. The warm up helps get your body and mind prepared for running faster than normal. The cool down helps bring your body back to restful state gradually and (from our experience at least) will help ease out any stiffness resulting from increased effort. We have a page offering guidance for warm up. For the cool down we advise some gentle running/jogging for 5-10 minutes are exertion.
Training for mental strength
Training the body to run faster is only one side of the performance equation. A large part of our limitations come from what our brains are communicating to our bodies subconsciously.
For example, what does discomfort mean to you? Something to fear or avoid? To run to our best ability we must challenge our perception of the discomfort that running faster produces. We must view it as an indication that we are performing at a high level, therefore it becomes something to seek and experience.
Breaking through barriers makes very special demands of our toughness. And although it sounds rather cheesy, in running, the saying is true: when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Developing this mindset isn’t easy, but guided visualisation, and especially, hypnosis can help us immensely.
Hypnosis is a great way to develop our ability to run to our true potential. We have used and strongly recommend the downloadable audio hypnosis sessions from Uncommon Knowledge. Once you have them, you can use them time and time again to move your running up to a higher level. Take a look at their various sports and running specific hypnosis downloads.
Training Plan
| week 1 | Monday | optional easy run | 3-4 miles, 5-7.5k |
| Tuesday | interval session: 3x1k @ 10k race pace. 2 mins rec | 10 min warm up and cool down | |
| Wednesday | rest or cross train | ||
| Thursday | Threshold: 2x 2k@ threshold 3 min rec | 10 min warm up and cool down | |
| Friday | rest or cross train | ||
| Saturday | optional easy run | 3-4 miles, 5-7.5k | |
| Sunday | Endurance run | 3-6 miles, 5-10k | |
| week 2 | Monday | optional easy run | 3-4 miles, 5-7.5k |
| Tuesday | interval session: 6x400 (or 2mins) hard 90 sec rec | 10 min warm up and cool down | |
| Wednesday | rest or cross train | ||
| Thursday | Threshold: 15mins @ threshold | 10 min warm up and cool down | |
| Friday | rest or cross train | ||
| Saturday | optional easy run | 3-4 miles, 5-7.5k | |
| Sunday | Endurance run | 3-6 miles, 5-10k | |
| week 3 | Monday | optional easy run | 3-4 miles, 5-7.5k |
| Tuesday | interval session: alternate 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy (8 each) | 10 min warm up and cool down | |
| Wednesday | rest or cross train | ||
| Thursday | Threshold: 2x 2k @ threshold 3 mins rec | 10 min warm up and cool down | |
| Friday | rest or cross train | ||
| Saturday | optional easy run | 3-4 miles, 5-7.5k | |
| Sunday | Endurance run | 3-6 miles, 5-10k | |
| week 4 | Monday | optional easy run | 3-4 miles, 5-7.5k |
| Tuesday | interval session: 4X1k@ 10k pace 90 sec rec | 10 min warm up and cool down | |
| Wednesday | rest or cross train | ||
| Thursday | Threshold: 20 mins @ threshold | 10 min warm up and cool down | |
| Friday | rest or cross train | ||
| Saturday | optional easy run | 3-4 miles, 5-7.5k | |
| Sunday | Endurance run | 3-6 miles, 5-10k | |
| week 5 | Monday | optional easy run | 3-4 miles, 5-7.5k |
| Tuesday | interval session 10x 200m (or 1min) hard 90 sec rec | 10 min warm up and cool down | |
| Wednesday | rest or cross train | ||
| Thursday | Threshold: 2x 2k@ threshold 3 min rec | 10 min warm up and cool down | |
| Friday | rest or cross train | ||
| Saturday | optional easy run | 3-4 miles, 5-7.5k | |
| Sunday | Endurance run | 3-8 miles, 5-13k | |
| week 6 | Monday | optional easy run | 3-4 miles, 5-7.5k |
| Tuesday | interval session: 8x400 (or 2mins) hard 90 sec rec | 10 min warm up and cool down | |
| Wednesday | rest or cross train | ||
| Thursday | Threshold: 25 mins @ threshold | 10 min warm up and cool down | |
| Friday | rest or cross train | ||
| Saturday | optional easy run | 3-4 miles, 5-7.5k | |
| Sunday | Endurance run | 3-8 miles, 5-13k | |
| week 7 | Monday | optional easy run | 3-4 miles, 5-7.5k |
| Tuesday | interval session: alternate 1min hard, 3 mins easy (8 each) | 10 min warm up and cool down | |
| Wednesday | rest or cross train | ||
| Thursday | Threshold: 2x15mins @ threshold, 3 min rec | 10 min warm up and cool down | |
| Friday | rest or cross train | ||
| Saturday | optional easy run | 3-4 miles, 5-7.5k | |
| Sunday | Endurance run | 3-8 miles, 5-13k | |
| week 8 | Monday | optional easy run | 3-4 miles, 5-7.5k |
| Tuesday | interval session: 12x 200 (or 1min) @ 5k 1 min rec | 10 min warm up and cool down | |
| Wednesday | rest or cross train | ||
| Thursday | Easy run | 3 miles, 5k | |
| Friday | rest or cross train | ||
| Saturday | optional easy run | 3-4 miles, 5-7.5k | |
| Sunday | Race |
Training Pace Calculator
RPE is a Rating of Perceived Effort, for more detailed info, see our page explaining training paces
Ref:
Linear increase in aerobic power induced by a strenuous program of endurance exercise
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_world_records_in_masters_athletics
The calculator shows my 10K pace and my threshold pace being almost identical (6:19 and 6:18 respectively). Is that correct for my 30 min/5K pace ?
Edward, yes that would be about right.
Threshold pace is about the pace you could possibly maintain for an hour. An elite male runner can run a half marathon in an hour, so their threshold pace will be roughly the same as their half marathon pace. For most mortals, threshold pace is going to be between 10k and 10-mile race pace.
If you can just about run 10k in an hour, that’s your approximate threshold pace. 30-min 5k for 5k will transpose to a slightly slower 10k than an hour, but you’ll be in the right ball-park. Notice that the terms I’m using are somewhat vague, that’s because training paces are not absolute. Without a proper lab test, you won’t know for sure. And even then, conditions prevailing when you train are seldom perfect (hills, wind, fatigue, etc).
So as long as you are there or thereabouts, that’s ok.
Good luck with your training.
Graham
Hi! Thanks for the great information. At what pace should I be running the endurance and easy runs, respectively?
Eileen,
Endurance and easy runs can be at a similar pace to long runs.
They should feel very easy and even include some walk breaks if needed, especially if there are hills involved.
Currently I run about a 34:10 pace for a 5k… I am interested in using this program. Should I use my current paces (34:10) for the duration of the program, or should I attempt to use the recommended paces for a 30.00 pace?
Todd, you should use your current fitness level to determine your training paces.
Four minutes is quite a chunk to take off a 5k time in 8 weeks. Your potential to do that will depend on many factors including your running experience, age, lifestyle and motivation.
If you do manage it, then your fitness will develop rapidly and you will need to adjust your training paces as you progress through the schedule. It’s useful therefore to run by intensity and feel. As you get fitter, you’ll be able to run the sessions at faster paces,but they will still be as challenging.
So, start from where you are now and adjust as you go. Maybe you’ll be able to break 30 at the end of 8 weeks, but it will likely take a while longer.
Hi,
This looks like a really good plan. I did the first interval run today. I had one question on interval runs moving forward. Some of the interval runs ask to run “hard”. What should this hard pace be? Thanks.
Mitul, Good question (I’ve added some detail in the ‘Interval session’ info above.
This ‘hard’ pace is faster than 5k race-pace, but not completely flat-out. It’s about as fast you can manage for the duration of the rep without having to slow down during the rep. The hard pace in these sessions is likely to be similar to your 1-mile race pace.
Hope that helps.
Hello,
Thank you for this programme . I really like that fact that you dont have to have an athletics track and can perform the 400m intervals as minutes instead. This seems like a plan I could actually stick to!!
I am currently averaging 35mins 40secs for my 5ks and put this into the calculator. Are the pace times that come out the ones I should try to stick to throughout my training to try and acheive sub 30 or do I need to test my 5k in a few weeks to see if I have got quicker to then alter the paces again?
Sorry for the long ramble, I look froward to starting the plan next week
Thanks
Thanks Beth,
You should calculate your training paces from current, known fitness, so use your 35.40 time.
Improving by more than 5 minutes in 8 weeks is quite ambitious, not impossible, it depends on your current circumstances, but you might need a little more time. Be sure to add in an easier week every 4 or 5.
As you work through the schedule, your fitness should improve and your 5k time will reduce. There’s no harm in using goal-time to set for a session such as 4 or 5 x1k with 90-second recoveries. This would be used as a reality check, because if you cannot manage that, then there’s a way to go yet (you’ll still get a good session under your belt too)
As your 5k time improves you then use the new time to set your paces. It’s not vital that you are absolutely accurate nailing the paces. Of course, you might not get many opportunities to post a 5k time, so try and get a feel for the intensity or effort required and notice how running at a particular speed become easier. When that happens, you can move up a little on your training paces.
Let us know how you get on.
Good luck.