A 5k is one of the most common distances in running for beginners as they get into the habit of running. It is also the most common distance to run, which explains why many runners have a goal of improving their time in the 5k. Here you will find tips that will help you to improve at the 5k.
Run at different intensities (zones)
In order to get faster at the 5k you need to do various training exercises at different intensities. You can use the zones (listed below) to determine which intensity to run at for your workouts. I will also provide a simpler method if you do not have the equipment to calculate your heart rate.
These zones are relative to your maximum heart rate. The simplest way to do this is by subtracting your age from 220. For example, a 20-year-old would have a maximum heart rate of 220 – 20 = 200 beats per minute (bpm). However, this may differ for people with health conditions.
I recommend a heart rate monitor strap while running, here’s a polar heart rate monitor you can get from Amazon:
If you would like a watch instead, I would recommend:
Fitpolo watchZone training guide:
Zone 1 (around 55-65% max heart rate): Most of your recovery or easy runs should be at this pace. You should be able to talk freely at this range.
Zone 2 (65-75% max heart rate): Most of your Aerobic or base-building runs should be at this level. This should also be the majority of your workout. If you are running once each day for 5 days of the week, then 2-3 days should be at this rate. It may get harder for you to hold conversations.
Zone 3 (80-85% max heart rate): This is known as the tempo pace. This is the pace where you build strength and sustain an uncomfortable pace.
Zone 4 (85-88% max heart rate): This is known as your lactate threshold, where your body reaches the limit of using lactate as a fuel source. This is usually your maximum race pace. Therefore, running at this pace allows you to develop efficiency for you to run at a maximum sustainable pace.
Zone 5 (90% max heart rate or above): This is also known as the anaerobic zone, where your body cannot use oxygen efficiently. At this pace, your body uses your muscle fibers and helps you to improve your sprinting.
Create a clear schedule to improve your 5k time
Without a proper schedule, it would be much harder for you to improve your 5k times and come up with workouts.
You should create a clear calendar that suits your current speed. It is recommended to do 3-5 days per week to see the most improvement. As a beginner, you should run most of these at a zone 2 pace.
Here is a 3-week schedule you could use (assuming you can run a 5k without stopping). You can customize it to make it most comfortable for you. Feel free to add rest days if your current schedule does not allow you to run on some days.
| Day | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 |
| Monday | Easy run 25-40 minutes | Easy run 30-40 minutes | Easy run 35-40 minutes |
| Tuesday | 4×400 at a tempo pace or goal race pace | 6×400 at a tempo pace or goal race pace | 8×400 at a tempo pace or goal race pace |
| Wednesday | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day |
| Thursday | Easy run 25-40 minutes | Easy run 30-40 minutes | Easy run 35-40 minutes |
| Friday | Hill workout: Run quickly up and jog down, repeat for 20 minutes, 15 minute easy run after | Tempo run for 20 minutes, then Easy run for 20 minutes | 5k time trial or interval: 5×400 at 80% effort. |
| Saturday | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day |
| Sunday | Long run if possible (40-60 minutes) or easy run 25-40 minutes @ comfortable pace | Long run if possible (40-60 minutes) or easy run 30-40 minutes @ comfortable pace | Long run if possible (45-60 minutes) or easy run 35-40 minutes @ comfortable pace |
Keep track of your cadence
Your cadence is the number of times and the number of steps you take per minute. Cadence is also one of the factors that affect your running speed, in addition to stride length. You can check your cadence by running casually and counting the number of steps your left or right foot hits the ground in a minute and multiplying that by 2.
People usually set a goal to reach a cadence of 180, but this may vary for others. You could use a metronome to improve your cadence by setting it to your current pace and increasing it gradually.
If you’re interested in this, I recommend testing your cadence once every other week. This can be done after your easy run days by running for 10 minutes by running at your chosen cadence. Also, ensure it is separate from your easy runs and workouts so you don’t interfere with your pace in your training.
Warm-ups and cool-downs will help your improve at the 5k
It is important to stretch before and after running to not only avoid injuries but also recover quicker when trying to improve at a 5k.
For your warm-up, I recommend doing an 800-meter run at an easy, conversational pace (zone 1 or 2) and doing dynamic stretches afterward.
Here are some dynamic stretches (you should repeat them at least 8 times), but you are not limited to this list:
- Knee hugs – bring your knee close to your chest, without bending your back
- “Ankle Grabs” – Lift your ankle behind your back and bring it near your hips (hold for at least 2 seconds)
- Lunges
- Side lunges
- Switching between walking on your heels or toes
You should repeat each one multiple times before starting your workout to get your muscles loose.
After finishing your workout, you should at least 5-10 minutes before starting your cool down.
For your cool down, do a very light jog at an easy, comfortable pace (similar to the one in the warm-up), and then stretch out your leg muscles (static stretching).
You could do but aren’t limited to:
- Butterflies
- Runner’s lunge (each leg, hold for 30 seconds)
- Hamstring stretch (each leg, hold for 30 seconds)
- Knee hug (on the floor, each leg, hold for 30 seconds)
Improve by Incorporating various workouts
Here are the most common workouts for running and what they help with:
Easy runs: Many recommend that around 70 to 80% of your runs should be at an easy pace. This pace should be 2-3 minutes slower than your 5k PR mile pace.
Easy runs allow you to recover from hard workouts and develop your muscles, ligaments, and bones so that they can adapt to the stress of running. This will help you build endurance to run longer at a faster pace.
Long runs: This should be your longest run of the week and should be at an easy zone 2 pace. This will have the same advantages as easy runs, but a long run makes up at least 20-25% of your total mileage. For example: your long run should be around 6 to 7.5 miles if your mileage is 30 miles per week).
People usually do 1 long run per week, ideally at the end of the week (see the schedule above). Though you do not need to incorporate a very extensive long run to improve at the 5k, I would recommend to build your endurance up to 5 miles or 50 minutes.
Fartleks: Fartlek is a Swedish word that can be translated into “speed play.” Just like it sounds, fartleks consist of running at various paces to allow you to build your speed and endurance. This means that it will help condition the body of runners to become faster over longer distances. This means that this is perfect for the 5k as you have to run shorter distance at a faster pace.
An example of a fartlek exercise could be running for 1 minute and then 2 minutes slow and repeating that for at least 4 sets. Also, it adds variety to your workout, but you should incorporate it only if you are comfortable with your aerobic capacity and used to running.
Hill training: Hill training is simply running workouts that you can incorporate on a moderate incline. Similar to fartleks, hill training improves a runner’s cardiovascular and muscular endurance (VO2 max, strength, and speed).
This is perfect for 5k training, especially if you have to run over hills and different kinds of terrains during your races.
Tempo runs: These runs are at zone 3 – 4 HR and feel difficult to sustain, but not your maximum effort. They should ideally be around 20-30 seconds slower than your 5k goal pace or PR pace. You should not be able to hold a conversation at this pace and feel some fatigue after completing the workout.
These runs help increase your anaerobic threshold and help you run faster for longer distances. If you are a beginner, this is a very effective speed workout that could add to your schedule. Over time, your body will grow more comfortable sustaining initially difficult paces.
New runners should only do or build up to tempo runs for 20-30 minutes before increasing the time. This will help runners to run faster at longer distances.
Interval training: Interval training consists of running fast bursts of a specific distance. This could include exercises such as 4 sets of 400s with 90 seconds break between each one. This helps build your anaerobic endurance and is arguably one of the best workouts to improve your speed for a 5k.
These intervals are ideal for training for your goal pace as you can pace yourself for each set. For example, if you want a sub-6 minute mile, you could try running each interval at 90 seconds (which equates to a 6-minute mile after 4 sets).
As you progress and improve at running, you can add more sets to the intervals to make it challenging and allow you to improve your 5k time. You can mix in various other intervals as well, such as 4×800, 6×200, or even 5×1000. Ideally, These intervals should be at your goal pace or close to your PR, allowing you to reduce your rest over time and improve your speed.
Set yourself achievable goals for the 5k
If you’re willing to improve at the 5k, then it is important to set goals to achieve. As a result, you would be motivated to achieve these goals, allowing to be more consistent. A goal pace will also give you a clear indication of how much faster you need to run and help with pacing during your training, especially intervals.
Make sure that you set achievable goals because it will motivate you to run consistently. Setting unrealistic goals would slow down your performance and lead to frustration, so you should keep your goals simple and progress at a natural rate.
Always remember that consistency is the key to success in running.
Conclusion
Improving at the 5k may seem like a daunting task, but is much easier with proper planning and preparation. Make sure you have a clear schedule for running and follow the tips in this article to add variety to your runs and increase your rate of improvement. By following these guidelines and staying consistent, you’ll be well on your way to achieving a faster 5k time and enjoying the many benefits of running!
Good luck on your journey to improve your 5k pace!