Training plan for 5 km under 20 min

Running 5 km in under 20 minutes is a significant milestone for many runners. Reaching this goal is not only a physical challenge, it also tests your mental resilience. You face the task of holding an average pace of under 4 minutes per kilometre.

A successful attempt at 5 km under 20 minutes calls for more than just aerobic fitness. The key is a combination of aerobic and anaerobic training, with an emphasis on strategy in the final attempt. You will most likely have to run faster than your lactate (anaerobic) threshold, which means that as a result of such intense physical activity there will be excessive production of lactic acid in the muscles, which when it builds up causes the muscles to stiffen.

The training will consist of sessions that are probably already well known to you. The basis for any longer timed run including 5 km is the weekly long run. Besides that, though, you also need to include track intervals, tempo running, easy recovery runs and strength training, although in this article we will focus primarily on the running side.

The structure of the training and the sessions

In our plan the long run is scheduled for Sunday, which tends to be the most comfortable for most runners, but you can also choose a different day, as long as you keep the order of the sessions. The length of the run should be at least 15, ideally 20 kilometres. Monday will be a day for recovery, but you can also include strength work. Tuesday is reserved for speed interval training, Wednesday for an easy run, Thursday for tempo running, Friday for rest and Saturday again for an easy run.

The whole preparation should last 8 weeks, and before you start you should be able to run 15 kilometres at a pace of 5:20 min/km, 400 metres at a pace of 3:30 min/km and 1 kilometre at a pace of 3:50 min/km.

It is also important to think through the strategy for the final attempt itself, whether you want to run in a race or are competing only against yourself. Simply holding a pace of 3:55 per kilometre may not be enough. It could happen that after 3 or 4 kilometres you can no longer hold the pace. It is more effective to start the first 2 to 3 kilometres at a pace of around 4:01 or 4:05 minutes per kilometre, and only then speed up.

Training schedule for 5 km under 20 min

For complete clarity I will also write out notes on the Tuesday interval session and the Thursday tempo run.

Tuesdays start with a 2 km warm-up at an easy pace with a smooth transition into a 400 m interval. Between intervals, rest by walking easily for the prescribed time with a smooth transition into the next interval. The jog-down at the end is at an easy pace.

Thursdays start with a 2 km warm-up at an easy pace followed by a continuous run of 1 or 2 km. After completing the distance at pace move smoothly into a jog at a lower pace and for the set time. Once that time has passed, move back into the higher pace. The jog-down at the end is again at an easy pace as at the start. Do not stop during the Thursday sessions.

Food, hydration and recovery

You need to realise that after a few weeks you will start to “feel” any continuous block of preparation. It hits some people harder than others. For you to be able to keep progressing in your training and to stick to the prescribed paces, times and distances, your body always needs to have enough energy and to start recovering after training.

So make sure you take in enough carbohydrates and protein. Depending on your diet, try to keep your carbohydrate intake at least at 5 g / kg of body weight a day and watch whether you are tired during training. If you are, increase your carbohydrate intake. In the case of protein stick to the standard 1.3 - 1.6 g / kg of body weight a day.

If you know that you will not get that much protein from your normal diet, I recommend trying hyve clear whey isolate. It is a protein with a natural composition, which does not have the typical milky taste, is digested very quickly and easily and after training is wonderfully refreshing thanks to its fruity flavour (lemon-pineapple or lime). We developed this protein specially for runners and cyclists for taking in protein after training. For those who prefer a classic milk protein we offer hyve wpc 80. It is a protein without artificial sweeteners or thickeners with perfect digestibility and nutritional properties.

Do not forget either about topping up the 4 basic minerals that you will lose in large amounts in sweat - these are sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium. I recommend reading the article about what electrolytes are and what their functions are.

Do not hesitate to join our running club hyve running on Strava, where I will be happy to answer any questions. Or contact me on Instagram.