Advanced 5K Training Plan

Bump up your speed and work towards a PR in your next race with this advanced 5K training plan!  This plan is perfect for runners who train consistently and have tackled the 5K in the past, but want to improve their race time.  You’ll find comfortable short runs, speedwork days, endurance runs, and more.

Note:  You’ll find the full training plan at the bottom of this post.  Please read the post in its entirety though so you understand the baseline fitness requirements, different workouts, and how to use the plan.

*Disclaimer:  This post was written and reviewed by Chrissy Carroll, RRCA Running Coach and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach.  It is for informational purposes only and does not constitute individual training advice.  Consult a doctor prior to beginning any new exercise program.

What level of fitness do I need to start this plan?

This advanced 5K training plan is designed for runners who have a solid running base and previous 5K experience.

Before you start, you should have a consistent running history of at least six months.  You should be able to comfortably run 5 miles, and should have no injuries or medical conditions that affect your ability to run.

If you’re not at this point yet, feel free to use one of our other running training plans that might be more appropriate for your current fitness level.  If you feel like this plan could work but might be just a smidge too intense, try checkout out our intermediate 5K training plan – still a great option to improve your 5K time, but a bit easier as far as the week by week training goes.

Schedule Overview

This plan lasts 8 weeks and includes five running workouts each week.  Each week should total around 20 to 27 miles of running.  You’ll find two easy runs, one endurance run, one track workout, and one tempo (or descending) day.

Here’s the quick overview:

• Monday – Track workout (speed)
• Tuesday – Easy run
• Wednesday – Rest or cross train
• Thursday – Tempo run (or descending run)
• Friday – Easy run
• Saturday – Endurance run
• Sunday – Rest

Workout Descriptions

Here’s a description and pacing details for each type of running workout on this advanced 5K plan:

Easy runs – Like it sounds, easy runs should feel easy and comfortable. This pace will vary based on your current fitness level, as there are different spectrums of “advanced” athletes. Run at a pace where you could carry on a conversation.

Endurance runs – These are your longest run of the week. In this plan, the endurance run varies from 4 to 8 miles. They should be done at an easy conversational pace. This pace should be similar to that of your easy runs, but may be slightly slower as you need to maintain the pace for a longer distance.

Tempo runs –  Tempo runs include a portion of the run at a comfortable pace, accelerating to the actual tempo pace, then dropping back down to a comfortable pace again. The tempo pace of the workout should be “comfortably hard” – you can do it, but you’d really like to be running a bit slower. (For the purposes of this plan, many athletes will be around 10K pace for their tempo pace – but I like going by the way your body feels for this rather than a specific number).

Track workouts – These are some of the most important workouts in the plan, as they’re used to improve speed. Start and end every single track workout with at least a 10-minute warm up and cool down at a comfortable pace (you can add a bit more on there if you’d prefer).

After your warmup, follow the plan to complete the intervals at the pace listed. Each workout includes the number of intervals to complete, along with recovery distances in between each.

For example, one workout in the plan is “5×800 at goal 5K pace with 400 m jog/walk recovery”.  This means your workout would look like:

• 10 minute warm up run
• 800 meters at goal 5K pace followed by 400 meters recovery jog or walk
• 800 meters at goal 5K pace followed by 400 meters recovery jog or walk
• 800 meters at goal 5K pace followed by 400 meters recovery jog or walk
• 800 meters at goal 5K pace followed by 400 meters recovery jog or walk
• 800 meters at goal 5K pace followed by 400 meters recovery jog or walk
• 10 minute cool down run

If you need help determining goal 5K pace based on final 5K finishing time, grab our downloadable 5K pace chart.

For easy reference, these are the track interval distances used in this program (when running in lane 1):

• 200 meters = ½ lap
• 400 meters = 1 lap
• 800 meters = 2 laps
• 1000 meters = 2 ½ laps

Additional Training Tips

Here are some additional tips that might be helpful as you consider training for your next 5K:

• Set realistic goals:  While this is an advanced training plan, don’t expect to drastically change your last 5K time – instead, aim for a small PR. Assess where you’re currently at and set a goal 5K time that’s slightly better and realistic to achieve in 8 weeks.  Exactly what that means will depend on your current fitness level (and genetics, to a degree!). For example, if you’re currently around a 28-minute 5K, it’s realistic that you might be able to knock a minute (or two) off that time.  If you’re currently around a 20-minute 5K, though, you might be aiming to take seconds off, rather than minutes.

• Choose the right pace:  Similar to above – you’ll need to choose appropriate paces that work for you based on your last race time and your current fitness level.

• Warm up and cool down:  Don’t skip out on these! Warming up is an essential part of your speed workouts – it gradually increases blood flow and prepares the muscles for the hard work ahead, thus reducing injury risk during the workout itself. Similarly, a cooldown helps the heart rate gradually return back down and allows you to get in extra comfortable mileage.

• Get good sneakers:  For most people, it’s worthwhile to invest in new sneakers if you’ve run more than 500 miles in your last pair, or used that pair for more than 6 months. If this applies to you, get your sneaks a few weeks before starting this training plan so you can feel if they’re right for you. Don’t use brand new shoes the day of a race.

• Take care of your body: In addition to the actual running, don’t forget all of recovery methods that can be helpful for optimizing your physical status. Stretch after your runs (and if you frequently find yourself with very tight muscles, consider adding foam rolling or a massage gun to your routine). Get enough sleep each night. Eat a balanced diet that fuels your body. Drink plenty of water each day.

Advanced 5K Training Plan

Download your 5K training plan here, or pin the image below to save it to one of your Pinterest boards.

For accessibility purposes, you can find the full training plan written out in full text beneath the image.

*This plan is for individual use only; it is not permitted for commercial use or display on other websites.*

Week 1:

• Monday – Track workout.  Start with a 10-minute comfortably paced run to warm up.  Do 6x400m at 10 seconds faster than current 5K pace.  Recover with a jog or walk for 400m between each.  Cool down with a 10-minute comfortably paced run.
• Tuesday – 3 mile easy run.
• Wednesday – Rest or cross train.
• Thursday – Tempo run.  Start with 10 minutes of comfortable running, accelerating to 15 minutes at tempo pace, then finishing with 10 minutes of comfortable running.
• Friday – 4 mile easy run.
• Saturday – 5 mile endurance run.
• Sunday – Rest.

Week 2:

• Monday – Track workout.  Start with a 10-minute comfortably paced run to warm up.  Do 8x200m at your best effort.  Recover with a walk for 200m between each.  Cool down with a 10-minute comfortably paced run.
• Tuesday – 3 mile easy run.
• Wednesday – Rest or cross train.
• Thursday – Tempo run.  Start with 10 minutes of comfortable running, accelerating to 15 minutes at tempo pace, then finishing with 10 minutes of comfortable running.
• Friday – 4 mile easy run.
• Saturday – 6 mile endurance run.
• Sunday – Rest.

Week 3:

• Monday – Track workout.  Start with a 10-minute comfortably paced run to warm up.  Do 3x1000m at goal 5K pace.  Recover with a jog or walk for 600m between each.  Cool down with a 10-minute comfortably paced run.
• Tuesday – 3 mile easy run.
• Wednesday – Rest or cross train.
• Thursday – Tempo run.  Start with 10 minutes of comfortable running, accelerating to 20 minutes at tempo pace, then finishing with 10 minutes of comfortable running.
• Friday – 5 mile easy run.
• Saturday – 6 mile endurance run.
• Sunday – Rest.

Week 4 (recovery week):

• Monday – Track workout.  Start with a 10-minute comfortably paced run to warm up.  Do 7x400m at 20 seconds faster than 5K pace.  Recover with a jog or walk for 400m between each.  Cool down with a 10-minute comfortably paced run.
• Tuesday – 3 mile easy run.
• Wednesday – Rest or cross train.
• Thursday – 4 miles descending (start at a comfortable pace and get slightly faster each mile).
• Friday – 4 mile easy run.
• Saturday – 4 mile endurance run.
• Sunday – Rest.

Week 5:

• Monday – Track workout.  Start with a 10-minute comfortably paced run to warm up.  Do 5x800m at goal 5K pace.  Recover with a jog or walk for 400m between each.  Cool down with a 10-minute comfortably paced run.
• Tuesday – 3 mile easy run.
• Wednesday – Rest or cross train.
• Thursday – Tempo run.  Start with 10 minutes of comfortable running, accelerating to 20 minutes at tempo pace, then finishing with 10 minutes of comfortable running.
• Friday – 4 mile easy run.
• Saturday – 7 mile endurance run.
• Sunday – Rest.

Week 6:

• Monday – Track workout.  Start with a 10-minute comfortably paced run to warm up.  Do 8x400m at 30 seconds faster than 5K pace.  Recover with a jog or walk for 400m between each.  Cool down with a 10-minute comfortably paced run.
• Tuesday – 3 mile easy run.
• Wednesday – Rest or cross train.
• Thursday – Tempo run.  Start with 10 minutes of comfortable running, accelerating to 20 minutes at tempo pace, then finishing with 15 minutes of comfortable running.
• Friday – 5 mile easy run.
• Saturday – 8 mile endurance run.
• Sunday – Rest.

Week 7

• Monday – Track workout.  Start with a 10-minute comfortably paced run to warm up.  Do 4x1000m at goal 5K pace.  Recover with a jog or walk for 600m between each.  Cool down with a 10-minute comfortably paced run.
• Tuesday – 3 mile easy run.
• Wednesday – Rest or cross train.
• Thursday – 4 miles descending (start at a comfortable pace and get slightly faster each mile).
• Friday – 5 mile easy run.
• Saturday – 7 mile endurance run.
• Sunday – Rest.

Week 8:

• Monday – Tempo run.  Start with 10 minutes of comfortable running, accelerating to 15 minutes at tempo pace, then finishing with 10 minutes of comfortable running.
• Tuesday – 4 mile easy run with 6 strides of 20 seconds each.
• Wednesday – 3 mile easy run.
• Thursday – 2 mile easy run.
• Friday – Rest (or 2 mile easy run if race is Sunday)
• Saturday or Sunday – RACE!

Share:  Do you have a 5K race coming up?  If you used this plan, how did it work for you?

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Chrissy Carroll

Chrissy Carroll is a Registered Dietitian and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach. She specializes in sharing nutrition and fitness tips, as well as recipes, for runners, triathletes, and active women.Chrissy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, a Masters Degree in Public Health, and is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer.

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