Workouts to suggest sub 15 minutes for 5km

week 1 - 5 x 1000 @ 4:48 pace w/ 200m recovery in 60 seconds

week 2 - 4 x 1200 @ 4:48 pace w/ 200m recovery in 60 seconds

week 3 - 3 x miles @ 4:48 pace w/ 200m recovery in 60 seconds

week of race - 12 x 400 @ 72 seconds w/ 100m recovery in 30 seconds

cut back mileage a bit in the race week if this is a goal race

20x400m off 45 seconds in 72's, hit 72s throughout, you're go sub 15.

An old test workout: 4 x 1 mile @ goal pace with 90 seconds rest. If you can run 19:12 (4:48 pace) you can pull off sub 15.

I like these work outs although they look pretty damn tough!

1k, 400m, 1k, 400m, 1k, 90 seconds recovery throughout

2.50, 65, 2.50, 65, 2.50

Certainly sub 15 minutes if you run this.

look for the 5k workouts and convey the speed to your abilities. In the end, it´s also important to listen to your machines signals:

after, for example, tiring legs for 30min try to do a 16:00-20/5k, in my view that already inidicates a good shape. I´ve done that type of training several times, run 2 weeks later 14:07

According to W. Kostre (Ethiopian headcoach) the combination of superfast workouts and short+SLOW breaks is the key:

10x400 69-67 ; very delicious: 3000m/9-9:10 + 12x100 15´

sam wood wrote:

I like these work outs although they look pretty damn tough!

Tough is irrelevant, all these work outs are basically just testing if your body is comfortable running at 15 min pace (4:48 miles, 72 second laps) he is either capable of running them or he isn't. I would say they are good test work outs but they will not "get" you to a sub 15 only prove whether or not you can run one. If you are 4 weeks out that means you really only have 1 or at most 2 weeks left to add any real fitness that will help you in your race, which means you have maybe 2 to 4 work outs left anyway, which may mean this whole discussion is pointless (i.e. you have almost no time to make your self significantly faster in 4 weeks, you either are fast enough or you are not). However if your long term goal is to run a sub 15, here are some work outs that will help you get there.

Pace work outs (getting your body comfortable at race pace)

25 X 400 in 72 with 90 sec rest

4 X 1600 in 4:47ish with 3 min rest

Over pace work (getting your body stronger to handle extended running)

3 X 2000 in 75 sec lap pace 2:30 rest

6 X 1000 in 75 sec lap pace 75 sec rest

20 min tempo run 5:30 pace

Under pace work (pushing your body under your race pace to make running on pace more achievable)

14 X 400 in 65 with what ever rest is necessary to maintain pace

6 X 800 in 2:15 with what ever rest is necessary to maintain pace

The point is to make your self capable of running a certain pace you can't just run that pace, you must go above(for strength) and below (for speed). Good luck bro update this thread when you race and tell us how you did.

I have hit 70-90 miles for the past 5 weeks. Last week included, first workout stated at start of thread,Thursday 5 miles at 5.25, 5.20, 5.15, 5.10, 5.08. On Saturday 3 miles @ 5.05 p/m. Then 8 miles @ 6 minute p/m (incorporated into a 12 mile run). Today 15 miles easy running.

I have 4 weeks to race day. I will run 10 miles per day. Workout days will include 2 runs, long runs will be 15/18 miles. Thursday's will be more tempo based workouts.

I will certainly incorporate some of the workouts people suggest. I have run 14.45 for 5000m/5km, 30.45 for 10km and 50.45 for 10 miles.

Try the old Oregon drill - 400m at goal pace followed by 200m in 40s. Repeat for 4000m of continuous running. Generally I've found that if I can run the 4000m (6 x 200 + 7 x 400) under 12:12 then I'm in sub 15 shape.

Don't go out to hard - you'll pay.

Keeno, the first time I broke 15 I took it all the way down to 14:17. I absolutely hammered stuff like 10x1000 and 30 min. tempo runs for a month.

One good workout that can really get you rockin' is an 8km tempo on the road, then 3km time trial on the the track. (how fast you do the 8km tempo is up to you, I suggest you do not do it full out). Do about 3 minutes rest between the tempo and the 3km time trial.

I like this post, interested to see what session people do to suggest they are in sub 15 minutes shape. 666EnergyDrink, that is some chunk off 15 minutes!

Thanks for messages, I really appreciate people's comments and suggestions.

Today I did 3 x 1 mile off 200m jog (70 seconds), I ran 4.46, 4.47, 4.42. It was very windy and I was on my own.

I then took 25 minutes recovery and joined in with local runners and did 3 x 1.5 mile efforts, off 1 minute recovery, not sure of times, although avg. 5.38 miling for the session (including recovery).

I still think I'm a long way from cracking 15 minutes but we're see. 3.5 weeks to race day. i will attempt some form of tempo run on Thursday.

You are doing too much of pace work above 4:48/mile. Remember: you have 4 weeks to go - you will not improve your threshold level significantly.

Incorporate 10x400 with 1 min recovery, 20x200 with 200 jog. 15 x 300 etc.. Get that leg speed going. My experience is that if you can hit67 -68 quarters quite comfortable in workouts you will be able to 12.5 laps at just under 72 come race day.

And don't over-do it. Make sure you are rested.

Thanks again for the suggested workout. I'm going to try a quicker session on Friday, maybe some quicks 400ms. If anyone knows of a good one for this 5km please let me know.

Tonight I did 2 miles 9.34, lap jog (400m) then 4 x 1km in 3.04s (controlled) off 200m jog (80 seconds), then 1 mile in 5 minutes (controlled again).

Although I tried to run session controlled, the 2 mile was hurting last lap.

Still think I'm a long way off 15 minutes!

4 x 1 mile 90 secs recovery is the predictor session

'I recently did 1 mile relaxed'

I'm relaxed on my armchair don't talk BS

'RE: Workouts to suggest sub 15 minutes for 5km'

'I have run 14.45 for 5000m/5km, '

Surely you already know the answer to your question

One that I liked was two sets of 1500m at 3k pace, 800m at mile pace, 400m at 800m pace with 5-7 minutes rest between each section.

Another was 3k at 5k pace, 5-10 minutes rest, then 2x2400m of sprint 50m/float 50m.

5x1000m at 2:59 with 0 seconds rest

Keeno wrote:

Today I did 3 x 1 mile off 200m jog (70 seconds), I ran 4.46, 4.47, 4.42. It was very windy and I was on my own.

You're ready.