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5K Intermediate Training Plan
Ready to run a faster 5K? You are in the right place. Find 8, 12, and 16-week sub 23:00, 22:00, 21:00, and 20:00 plans.
Not an intermediate runner? Check out the beginner or advanced plan.
The key to running a faster 5K is improving endurance, lactate threshold (and lactate tolerance), VO2 max, and speed. You can develop these physiological abilities by optimizing three training variables:
- Effective 5K workouts
- A balanced training week
- Intelligent training progression
Effective 5K Workouts
For a fast 5K time, avoiding weaknesses in any training zone is essential. However, unlike for longer races, VO2 max and speed training are given more importance. The 5K intermediate training plan features 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 Intermediate Training Week
The 5-day running week includes 2 key workouts and 1 weekend long run. In case you wish to modify the plan to a four-day running week, you can either cross out one easy run or replace it with aerobic cross-training. You also have the option to schedule your long run on Saturday and start your first workout on Monday or postpone the entire week by one day with your long run on Sunday and the first workout scheduled on Tuesday.
- Key workout 1
- –
- Easy
- Key workout 2
- –
- Long run
- Easy
Intelligent 5K Training Progression
The 5K intermediate training plans consist of three phases: base training, support training, and race-specific. The training progression follows funnel periodization, starting with general intensities and gradually moving towards race-specific efforts.
Base Training
During the 6-week base phase the focus is on building your general endurance and speed. You gradually increase your weekly mileage, and some easy runs include hill sprints to help develop muscular power for the next training phase. Essentially, this phase is all about preparing your body for the following training phase.
- Easy + hill sprints
- –
- Easy + hill sprints
- Moderate
- –
- Long run
- Easy
Support Training
The 6-week support phase improves your speed, lactate tolerance, VO2 max, and lactate threshold. This phase begins with endurance and speed support, meaning two race distances above and below your 5K pace. Then, it transitions to direct endurance and direct speed support, optimizing performance with one race distance above or below your 5K race pace. This not only helps with 5K pace training in the next phase, but it also prevents peaking too soon.
- Intervals 3K/1500m pace
- –
- Easy
- Tempo Mar/HM/15K pace
- –
- Long Run + fast finish
- Easy
Race-Specific
During the last few weeks before your race, it’s important to focus on your 5K goal pace. This means doing longer workouts at your 5K pace and taking shorter rest breaks in between. Your most challenging race-specific workout will be 10 days before race day. After that, you will start to gradually taper your training to arrive at the starting line fresh and rested.
- 5K/3K pace
- –
- Easy
- 10K pace
- –
- Long Run
- Easy
Customizing the 5K Intermediate Training Plan
You can choose from 48 different versions based on 4 criteria:
- Time goal 23:00, 22:00, 21:00, or 20:00
- Plan duration of 8, 12, or 16 weeks
- Imperial or metric (miles or km)
- TrainingPeaks or FinalSurge
5K Intermediate Training Plans
IN MILES
IN KM
Sub 23:00 min
Intermediate
18 - 26 mi
per week, across 5 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 22:00 min
Intermediate
20 - 30 mi
per week, across 5 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 21:00 min
Intermediate
22 - 34 mi
per week, across 5 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 20:00 min
Intermediate
25 - 37 mi
per week, across 5 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.
