Sarah's Sub-20 5K Repeats

Workout - Sarah's Sub-20 5K Repeats

• 12min @ 6'00''/km
• 5 lots of:
  • 1.0km @ 4'00''/km
  • 2min rest
• 10min @ 6'00''/km

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Intro: Here’s a breakdown of RUNNING A SUB 20 MINUTE 5K - here’s how I did it! … and what I’d do differently! by Sarah Place. It’s worth watching. We’re covering the key takeaways so you can try this workout today. Watch the full video for the rest of the detail.

Key points:

• Marathon-level training volume (roughly 100 km per week) builds an aerobic base and teaches your body to handle hard efforts.
• Two main weekly workouts: short, punchy repeats (1-2 minutes) plus longer intervals (1-2 km or about 1 mile) at 10K pace or slightly easier, with marathon-pace segments woven into your long run.
• A final confidence-building session a few days before race day: 5 reps of 1 km at target 5K pace.
• On race day, start just under 4:00 min/km (roughly 6:26 min/mi), keep an even pace, and pick it up toward the finish.
• Stay relaxed, check lap splits on the watch, and practice finishing strong with progression runs, fast finishes, and strides.

Workout example:

Goal-pace 5K workout (confidence boost)
- Warm-up: 10-15 min easy jog
- Main set: 5 x 1 km repeats at goal 5K pace (~4:00 min/km). Rest 2 min easy jog between reps.
- Cool-down: 10 min easy jog

If 5K is your primary goal, trade those 20-mile marathon long runs for long runs of up to 2 hours, then add more speed work:

• Short repeats: 200-400 m efforts faster than 5K pace, with good form.
• Longer repeats: 1 km repeats at 5-10K pace, or 1-mile efforts at tempo pace.
• Tempo runs: 20 min easy warmup, 20 min at tempo pace, 20 min easy cooldown.
• Strides: 6 x 20-second fast bursts with 45-60 seconds of easy jogging between, after an easy run.

Closing note: Try this workout, adjust the paces to your current fitness using the Pacing app, and get to work on that sub-20 5K.

References

• RUNNING A SUB 20 MINUTE 5K - here’s how I did it! … and what I’d do differently! - YouTube (YouTube Video)