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 definitely worth watching—we’re covering the key takeaways so you can test this workout today. Check out the full video for the complete details.

Key Points:

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

Workout Example:

Goal-pace 5 K workout (confidence boost)
- Warm-up: 10–15 min easy jog
- Main set: 5 × 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 long 20-mile marathon runs for long runs of up to 2 hours, then add more speed-focused work:

• Short repeats: 200–400 m efforts at speeds faster than 5K pace, emphasizing good form.
• Longer repeats: 1 km repeats run 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 repetitions of 20-second fast bursts with 45–60 seconds of easy jogging between them, done after an easy run.

Closing Note: Test out this workout, adjust the paces to your current fitness using the Pacing app, and get to work on that sub-20 5K. You have everything you need—now go make it happen! 🚀

References

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