5k Training: 3 Strategies for Your Fastest 5k - StrengthRunning

Aug 13, 2025

Intro: This is a quick summary of 5k Training: 3 Strategies for Your Fastest 5k from StrengthRunning. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the workout today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.

Key Points:

A solid 5k plan balances three fitness components: speed, endurance, and race‑specific fitness. Over‑emphasizing any one will leave you flat on race day.
Speed work: strides (100 m accelerations, 20‑30 sec, 2‑3 × /week after easy runs) and hill sprints (8‑12 sec all‑out up a steep hill, 1‑1½ min walk down, 3‑10 reps, 1‑2 × /week).
Endurance: consistent long run of 7‑10 mi (or 15‑18 mi for advanced runners) plus a modest 20 % weekly mileage increase over time.
Race‑specific: interval session at goal 5k pace – e.g., 6 × 0.5 mi at goal pace with 400 m easy recovery (total ~3 mi). Adjust reps, distance, or recovery to suit your fitness.

Workout Example:

Warm‑up: 10‑15 min easy jog
Strides: 4‑6 × 100 m accelerations, build to ~95% max speed, 20‑30 sec each, full stop.
Hill Sprints: 8‑12 sec max‑effort hill sprints, 1‑1.5 min walk down, start with 3 reps, build to 6‑10 reps over a month.
Long Run: 7‑10 mi at an easy pace (or 15‑18 mi for advanced runners). Add 1‑2 mi each week if you’re comfortable.
Race‑Specific Intervals: 6 × 0.5 mi @ goal 5k pace (e.g., 8:00 /mi), 400 m easy jog recovery. Adjust reps or distance as needed.
Cool‑down: 10 min easy jog + stretch.

Closing Note: Give these three pillars a try this week—adjust the paces to match your own goal in the Pacing app, and watch your 5k get faster. You’ve got this! 🚀