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5km Training

As all athletes have different needs, a single program suitable for all athletes is not possible. A training program has to be developed to meet the athlete's individual needs and consider many factors: gender, age, strengths, weaknesses, objectives, training facilities etc. The program supplied here is just an example and will require updates to meet your specific aims and objectives.

Before starting any training, you must have a medical examination to ensure it is safe for you to do so.

Overview of the Training Program

The season's training plan is based on six phases, each comprising a repeated four-week program. The workload in the first three weeks of the four-week program increases each week (easy, medium, hard), and the fourth week comprises active recovery and tests to monitor training progress. The four-week cycles aim to:

  • Build you up to a level of fitness (3 weeks)
  • Test, recovery and adjustment of the training program (1 week)
  • Build you up to a higher level of fitness (3 weeks)
  • Test, recovery and adjustment of the training program (1 week)
  • Build you up to an even higher level of fitness (3 weeks)
  • and so on

Remember, a training program is athlete specific, and the results of the tests in the fourth week can be used to adjust the training in the next four-week cycle to address any limitations.

The content and quantity of training each week and phase will depend on many factors. The Planning page provides an insight into data gathering and preparing training programs.

Example Training Plan & Programs

The objective of each phase, with links to examples of a season's training plan and four-week training programs for phases 1, 2 and 3, are as follows:

  • Training Plan - General overview of the season by phases
  • Phase 1 - General development of strength, mobility, endurance and basic technique
  • Phase 2 - Development of specific fitness and advanced technical skills
  • Phase 3 - Competition experience - the achievement of qualification times for the main competition
  • Phase 4 - Adjustment of the technical model, preparation for the main competition
  • Phase 5 - Competition experience and achievement of outdoor objectives
  • Phase 6 - Active recovery - planning preparation for next season

The content of the four-week programs in phases four and five depends very much on the athlete's progress and competitive races. Your aim in these phases is to address any limitations the athlete may have to bring them to a peak performance for the major competition in phase five.

Specific Training

In the specific training phases, you will see that you run at three different paces - race pace, 5% faster than race pace and 5% slower than race pace. You must decide on a realistic target time for your 5km in phase five. The use of appropriate tests in week four of the training plan can determine if your target time needs adjustment and the session times on your training plan.

What are the objectives of running at these three different paces?

  • 5% faster than 5km pace - to improve leg speed and the ability to pick 'it up in a race-specific endurance session would involve maximum distances of 1.5km in a single repetition
  • 5km race pace - to improve VO2 max and resistance to fatigue and train the body to operate at the required 5km pace - specific endurance sessions would involve maximum distances of 4 km in a single repetition
  • 5% slower than 5km race pace - to improve lactic threshold and teach you to function for longer periods - helps when there is a heat before the final - specific endurance sessions would involve maximum distances of 8 km in a single repetition

Training Activities

The following are links to the appropriate page for the activities identified in the training programs.

Training Pace

The pace indicated for the sessions is in terms of the percentage of a distance PB. e.g. 3 × 1 km in tpb+5%. If the athlete has a target personal best (tpb) of 13 minutes for the 5km, then running at tpb+5% pace would require the athlete to complete the 5km in 13 minutes 40 seconds (13 x 100 ÷ 95), so the 1 km should be completed in 2 minutes 44 seconds.

Training Pace Calculator

Enter the Event Distance, the Target Personal Best Time for the event distance, the Training Session Distance, and the Training Session Effort and then select the "Calculate Training Session Time" button.

Event Distance metres   Target Personal Best Time mins secs
Training Session Distance metres   Training Session Effort
  Training Session Time mins secs

Evaluation Tests

The following evaluation tests can be used to monitor the athlete's development:

5km Time Predictor

The following test can be used to predict your 5km time:

Race Time Goals

For the 5km specialist, predicting their goal race times for other distances is possible. Enter their current 5km time and select the "Calculate" button:

5km time is: mins secs  
10km: mins secs   3km: mins secs
1500m: mins secs   800m: mins secs
400m: mins secs    

It is possible to predict your 400 metres, 800 metres, 1500 metres, 3 km, 10 km, ½ Marathon and Marathon times from your current 5km time using Frank Horwill's four-second rule for males and Frank Horwill's five-second rule for female athletes.

Rules of Competition

The competition rules for this event are available from:

Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

  • MACKENZIE, B. (2001) 5km Training Program [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/longdist/tp5k.htm [Accessed