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5K Beginner Training Plan
You are relatively new to running and are now looking for a new time goal over the 5K. Here you find sub 30:00, 28:00, 26:00, and 24:00 minute time goal plans in 8, 12, and 16 week versions.
Not a beginner runner? Check out the intermediate or advanced plan.
The key to running a faster 5K is improving endurance, lactate threshold, VO2 max, and speed. You can develop these abilities by optimizing 3 training variables:- Purposeful workouts
- A balanced training week
- Intelligent training progression
Purposeful Workouts
Effective training for a fast 5K requires prioritizing VO2 max and speed, while avoiding weaknesses in all 12 training zones and sub-zones:
- Recovery run
- Easy run / Long run
- Moderate pace
- Marathon pace
- 30K pace (aerobic threshold)
- HM pace
- 15K pace (lactate threshold)
- 10K pace
- 5K pace
- 3K pace (VO2 max)
- 1500m pace
- Power
The 5K Beginner Training Week
The 4-day running week includes 2 key workouts and 2 easy runs. If you wish to modify the plan to a 3-day running week, you can cancel one easy run or substitute it with aerobic cross-training. You also have the option to schedule your first workout on Monday or Tuesday, postponing the consecutive runs by one day for the entire week.
- Key workout 1
- –
- Easy
- Key workout 2
- –
- Easy
- –
Intelligent 5K Training Progression
The 5K beginner training plans have three phases: base, support, and race-specific. The training starts with general intensities and then transitions towards 5K-specific efforts.
Base Training
During base training, you build your general endurance and strength over 6 weeks. This means gradually increasing your weekly mileage and doing some hill sprints to develop muscular strength for the upcoming training phase.
- Easy + hill sprints
- –
- Easy + hill sprints
- Easy/Moderate
- –
- Easy
- –
Support Training
In the 6-week support phase, we focus on improving your speed, VO2 max and high-end aerobic endurance. This means some intervals and tempo training on 2 days per week.
- Intervals 3K/1500m pace
- –
- Easy
- Moderate/Marathon pace
- –
- Easy
- –
Race-Specific
In the final 4 weeks, 5K-goal pace and lactate threshold training take center stage. 10 days out from the race, you will taper gradually so that you arrive on the starting line fresh and ready.
- 10K/5K pace
- –
- Easy
- HM/15K pace
- –
- Easy
- –
Customizing the 5K Beginner Training Plan
You can choose from 48 different versions based on 4 criteria:
- Time goal 30:00, 28:00, 26:00, or 24:00
- Plan duration of 8, 12, or 16 weeks
- Imperial or metric (miles or km)
- TrainingPeaks or FinalSurge
5K Beginner Training Plans
IN MILES
IN KM
Sub 30:00 min
Beginner
10 - 18 mi
per week, across 4 runs
-
Available in 8, 12, 16 weeks
-
Syncs to your Garmin
-
Email coach access
Choose Plan
Switch plans free
within 14 days
within 14 days
Sub 28:00 min
Beginner
11 - 20 mi
per week, across 4 runs
-
Available in 8, 12, 16 weeks
-
Syncs to your Garmin
-
Email coach access
Choose Plan
Switch plans free
within 14 days
within 14 days
Sub 26:00 min
Beginner
12 - 22 mi
per week, across 4 runs
-
Available in 8, 12, 16 weeks
-
Syncs to your Garmin
-
Email coach access
Choose Plan
Switch plans free
within 14 days
within 14 days
Sub 24:00 min
Beginner
14 - 24 mi
per week, across 4 runs
-
Available in 8, 12, 16 weeks
-
Syncs to your Garmin
-
Email coach access
Choose Plan
Switch plans free
within 14 days
within 14 days
Choose a plan according to your time goal but make sure you are realistic about it. If you current 5K PR is 26:00 minutes then you are unlikely to succeed with a sub 18:00 minute plan.
That said, the weekly mileage of the plan isn’t exact science to achieve a certain time goal. Rather, it is based on experience of what’s necessary to achieve a certain time. You may choose a 24:00 minute plan and achieve 22:00 minutes on race day — or vice versa. That means you could use the lower mileage 24:00 minute plan and personalize its zones for for a 22:00 minute time goal or use a 22:00 minute plan for a 24:00 minute time goal (if you are already comfortable with the weekly mileage).
But don’t worry, if a plan turns out to be too easy or too hard for you, I’ll change it for you free of charge within 14 days of your purchase.
Yes, you can fully adjust the plan to your needs.
Training zones
You can personalize the training zones of based on your fitness level for any plan with a click of a mouse button. Take a recent race result (or an educated guess) for your current ability and then update your zones as needed toward your goal race pace.
Training days
You can move your workouts easily with the drag and drop feature. For instance, if you prefer your long run on a Sunday instead of a Saturday, you can change the order of workouts. Just make sure you don’t have any hard back-to-back sessions.
You can also skip or replace some of your easy runs with aerobic cross-training, such as cycling or swimming. But I recommend a minimum of 4 running days per week.
Race Day
By default my plans assume the race is on a Sunday. Should your race fall on a Saturday, then remove Wednesday’s easy run and bring the workouts that follow 1 day forward.
TrainingPeaks and FinalSurge are the leading online training platforms for endurance athletes. Here you can upload your workouts to your running watch and follow the instructions in real-time. Post-workout it syncs your training data where you can observe your progress over time.
Both platforms come in free and paid versions. The free versions work just fine with any of my training plans.
If you want a maximum of training metrics then I suggest you use TrainingPeaks. But for an easy-to-use and beautiful interface I recommend FinalSurge.
You can contact me anytime via email if you have questions about the training plan or training in general.
But for personalized training consider my 1-on-1 online coaching.
