How Anyone Can Run A Faster 5km - The Running Channel

Aug 13, 2025

This is a quick summary of How Anyone Can Run A Faster 5km from The Running Channel. 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:

Warm‑up matters: A proper warm-up is non-negotiable. Think dynamic leg swings, lateral lunges, and skips, followed by a 10‑minute easy jog to get your body ready.
Figure out your true 5 km race pace: Know your “red line” before you start training so you can target your efforts effectively.
Train at several speeds: The secret to getting faster isn’t just running hard all the time. It’s about variety, including race-pace intervals, VO₂‑kinetics efforts, and easy/threshold runs. This approach is central to effective training, and you can learn more about the science behind it in our guide to Mastering Interval Training: Science-Backed Workouts and How a Smart App Can Personalize Them.
Choose the right gear: Your gear should feel light and supportive. Shoes aren’t magic, but the right lightweight pair can certainly help you feel faster on your feet.
Secret weapon: Short 100‑m strides at ~90% effort are fantastic for sharpening your running form and improving top-end speed.

Workout example (can be done in one session):

Dynamic warm‑up – 12 leg swings each leg, 8 lateral lunges each side, 20 m of skips.
10‑minute easy jog.
VO₂‑kinetics – 2 × 30 seconds at a hard pace (≈10% faster than your race pace) with full recovery between each.
Race‑pace strides – 8 × 100 m strides at 9/10 effort, with a 30 s jog for recovery.
Cool‑down – easy jog for 5 min.

Weekly structure (optional):

Sun: 60‑min long run (well beyond 5 km). This weekly long run builds the aerobic base that supports your speed work, a key principle that applies whether you’re chasing a 5k PB or Mastering the 10K: Proven Training Plans, Pace Strategies, and How a Smart App Can Elevate Your Performance.
Tue: 8 km easy + 8 × 100 m strides.
Wed: 5 × 1 km at race pace, with 2 min recovery. This is a classic speed session, but it’s just one of many effective workouts. For more ideas, explore our guide on Mastering 5K Speed: Proven Interval Strategies to Cut Minutes off Your Time.
Fri: 8 km threshold run – 1.5 km easy, 5 km at marathon pace, 1.5 km easy.

Closing note:

Try the warm‑up, stride, and interval combo today and tweak the paces to match your own goals in the Pacing app. You’ll feel faster fast—and the full video has even more drills and tips, so give it a watch