How to get faster at running | Breaking sub 19m 5km, Interval Workout - Lee Grantham

Aug 13, 2025

Intro

This is a quick summary of “How to get faster at running | Breaking sub 19m 5km, Interval Workout” from Lee Grantham. 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

Goal: Run a 5 km under 19 minutes (3:48 min/km). The sessions target VO₂‑max, lactate clearance, and running economy.
Mindset: Treat each session as a weekly priority; warm‑up thoroughly, give full effort, and recover well.
Pacing: Intervals are run about 10 % faster than target race pace (≈ 3:30 min/km) to develop speed.
Recovery: Use 90‑second rests between reps (longer than typical 60 s) to stay fresh and maintain quality.
Consistency: One session per week, with proper warm‑up and cool‑down, will yield noticeable improvements in 8‑13 weeks.

Workout Example

Warm‑up (10‑15 min):

Easy jog or walk for 5 min, dynamic stretches, then 2 × 30 s at target interval pace to prime the body.

Session 1 – 8 × 2 min

8 repetitions of 2 minutes at ~3:30 min/km.
90 seconds easy jog or walk between each rep.
Total work: 16 minutes at faster‑than‑race pace.

Session 2 – 5 × 3 min

5 repetitions of 3 minutes at ~3:30 km/min.
90 seconds rest between reps.
Total work: 15 minutes at the same target pace.

Session 3 – 4 × 4 min

4 repetitions of 4 minutes at ~3:30 km/min.
90 seconds rest between reps.
Total work: 16 minutes, pushing the race‑pace volume.

Cool‑down (10‑15 min):

Reverse warm‑up: easy jog ~1 km, then 500 m walk, static stretching, and a post‑workout snack to replenish glycogen.

Adjust the paces and rep counts to match your current fitness (e.g., start at 4:15 min/km if you’re currently 23‑24 min 5 km). The target is always a moving one – as you improve, speed up the intervals.

Closing Note

Give this workout a try this week and tweak the paces to fit your own numbers in the Pacing app. Consistency is key – keep the sessions sharp, respect the warm‑up and cool‑down, and you’ll be on your way to a sub‑19 minute 5 K. Good luck, and enjoy the progress!