The 5K Training You Need | Say Goodbye to Slow Progress - Stephen Scullion - Olympic marathoner

Aug 13, 2025

Intro

This is a quick summary of The 5K Training You Need | Say Goodbye to Slow Progress from Stephen Scullion - Olympic marathoner. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the workout today. Be sure to watch the full video for all the details.

Key Points

The 5K sits between short, fast races and longer endurance events, so you need both V̇O₂‑max speed and the ability to sustain that effort for 10‑12 minutes (about 90% of V̇O₂‑max). 
Improving V̇O₂‑max and, more importantly, how long you can hold it, is the key to shaving minutes off a 5K.
General fitness (volume, recovery, sleep, gym work) is essential, but specific V̇O₂‑max sessions give you the edge over even fitter athletes.
Plan a race‑specific build‑up of 5‑6 V̇O₂‑max sessions, a 3 km race or 2 km time‑trial 10‑12 days before the target 5K, then taper.

Workout Example

V̇O₂‑max Interval Session (once per week or every 10 days)

Warm‑up 10‑15 min easy.
10 × 60‑second intervals at 5K effort (≈90% V̇O₂‑max).
- Rest: 75‑90 seconds (or 60 seconds as you progress).
- Total work: ~10 minutes of high‑intensity effort.
Progression options:
- Increase total interval time to 2 min × 6 (90 sec rest), then 3 min × 5 or 4 min × 4 as you get stronger.
- Aim to build up to 20 minutes of total V̇O₂‑max effort over the weeks.
Optional pre‑race stimulus: a 2‑3 km race or time‑trial 10‑12 days before the target 5K to sharpen the system.
Taper (8‑9 days out): reduce to 6 minutes total with 45‑second intervals to keep legs fresh without hurting performance.

Practical Tips

Do the intervals on a consistent surface (track, road, grass) to track progress.
If you’re new, start with 10 × 60 s and 75‑90 s rest; later shorten rest to 60 s while keeping the same pace.
Keep your general training (steady runs, strength, sleep) strong, but don’t neglect the specific V̇O₂‑max work.
Use the Pacing app to customise the intervals to your own race‑pace (km or miles).

Closing Note

Give this V̇O₂‑max focused 5K build‑up a try, tweak the paces to match your own fitness, and watch your 5K times drop. Customize the intervals in the Pacing app and hit that race day stronger than ever!