Is it realistic to aim for sub 15 5k within next 3 years?

Why is your aim to run 14:XX when you've only run 38:20 which is worth about 18:20?? You're either stupid or a troll. I'd say sub 17 would be a tough aim for you to reach.

Sub 17? I know people who went from a 19min to 17min 5k after one year of training, honestly you sound stupid.

5kpotential wrote:

Sub 17? I know people who went from a 19min to 17min 5k after one year of training, honestly you sound stupid.

no 5kp, he's offering you solid advice. Someone running a 19 minute 5k starting out is much, much more talented than you. Sorry, that's life. I was about where you are when I started running in hs and didn't break 15 until 10 years later. I know a Kenyan guy who's first race was around 20 minutes, 2 months later he was running under 15, only 2 months running experience, that's life.

These big goals are the sort of things high school beginners set and sprint out at the start of races, burning out because they think one day they'll be able to hold it and be the hero who runs 3 miles 10 secs/mile slower than their mile pr.

What I'm saying is set incremental goals. Focus on trying to drop 30 secs from your 5k, then another 30, etc. 3 years is too long a time and too arbitrary a time frame. Focus on immediate goals if you want to eventually get down to 15.

I cant really offer any advice, although I'm pondering a similar question regarding myself. I currently have a PR almost identical to yours for 10k, although I'm older (30) and I'm wondering if a 35min 10k is realistic in exactly one years time.

Longer term; who knows - but I dont think I'll ever have a sniff of a 15min 5k, or the 10k equiv.

I think the problem with predicting this is that a jump of 3 mins in the 5k is huge, although it doesnt look as daunting if you think it's just an average of 1 minute per year.

Lots of people will say its not possible, but everyone is different and if you are willing to give it absolutly everything you've got then who knows!

I think the key to me hitting my goals, and you yours, will be regular racing and small incrimental improvements.

This place can be a bit difficult for finding helpful advice for those of us who started running after reaching physical maturity. The majority here seem to have been training since they were kids, and saw massive improvents during their teens which continued in to their 20's.

Were you previously inactive or did you have some fitness in you already, at the point you started training?

To authorwonderer,

I played soccer my whole life which constituted training/running around about 3-4 times a week? That was until the age of 18, then I stopped training altogether until I was 21, did very little to no training for 3 years maybe I did cardio once a week just to keep a bit of weight off I honestly can't remember, then started running and after a couple weeks training ran 21:41. I have always had decent speed; 12 second flat 100m.

To edwardteach,

My brother went from a 29min 5k; doing no training for about 2 years to running a 19min 5k after 4 months, then it took him about another 7-8 months to run a 17min 5k, so he an improvement from 29-17min 5k after 1 year of training, and he wasn't a runner, he was a boxer, he ran only 3-4 times a week.

I use this example because I know I can run a sub 17 in a year from now or even less, just got to put in the hard work and I will.

5kpotential wrote:

To edwardteach,

My brother went from a 29min 5k; doing no training for about 2 years to running a 19min 5k after 4 months, then it took him about another 7-8 months to run a 17min 5k, so he an improvement from 29-17min 5k after 1 year of training, and he wasn't a runner, he was a boxer, he ran only 3-4 times a week.

I use this example because I know I can run a sub 17 in a year from now or even less, just got to put in the hard work and I will.

Ain't about working hard, it's about working smart.

5kpotential wrote:

To edwardteach,

My brother went from a 29min 5k; doing no training for about 2 years to running a 19min 5k after 4 months, then it took him about another 7-8 months to run a 17min 5k, so he an improvement from 29-17min 5k after 1 year of training, and he wasn't a runner, he was a boxer, he ran only 3-4 times a week.

I use this example because I know I can run a sub 17 in a year from now or even less, just got to put in the hard work and I will.

maybe you should start boxing then you dumb dumb kid.

I wouldn't say it's impossible, butI will say your looking way too far down the road and less on the task in front of you. Focus on more short term goals. You said you could probably get a low 18 5k, but since you haven't actually done that yet I would set a goal for sub 18 or 17:30. Running 15 min 5k is a world of difference from running a low 18 5k. There's a reason why local 5ks are not stacked with sub 16 5k runners much less sub 15 5ks runners! Something to think about. I won't say it's not possible or you can't do it, but I will say give the sub15 less though and more focus on something closer to your current fitness for now like a 17:30 or something. Then after that shoot for sub 17 and keep working down. Putting too much focus on the sub 15 5k will make you start training like you're a sub 15 5k runner and you'll slowly start trashing your workouts and get injured or burnt out. Train smart.

It's good to dream and aim, but as others have said take a step by step approach.

My progression was scattered, but went from 19 min solo tt at 18 (10 miles a week or less), to 18:20 race debut at 19 (30-40 miles a week for 5-6 months), to 16:15 at 20 (6-8 months at 60 to 70 mpw). But then I stayed stuck for several years (only running 5Ks specifically one of those years), but broke through sub 15:30 in my mid-20s following several years of marathon-type training.

So work steady, but don't rush it and get caught up in a timeline.

5kpotential wrote:

Hello Letsrun,

I started running 'properly' last august and ran a 5k after a couple weeks training in 21:41, 7-8 months later after averaging about 40 miles a week with a few weeks off during new year I ran a 38:20 10k on quite a hilly course splitting a 18:44 first 5k. I am 22 years old.

I have a medium/long term goal of running sub 15k before the age of 25, just wondering if this is realistic? Right now I think I may be able to run around a 18flat 5k on a flat course in perfect conditions.

I plan to progress by slowly building up mileage to around 70mpw this time next year, and within 2 years aim for 90-100mpw.

What do you guys think? Is this possible?

OP, have you run a sub 4:50 mile? What about a sub 9:40 two mile or a sub 9 3k?

These are other goals you should achieve before you even think about a sub 15 5k.

This is actually solid advice.

Not to sound like Larry Rawson, but if you can arrange it, get into a track meet, or, get someone better than you to help you time trial an 800, or, even a 400 or 600. If you can run under 2:15 right now, or, under 56, than I 'd say you have the potential to do it. (The converse isn't true...) That would mean what you lack is strength, something that miles and miles of running will get you.

What others are saying here, though, as per LR protocol may be unnecessarily mean, is true. Sub 15 requires unusual ability. My history sounds somewhat like yours. I ran some in hs quit for a few years, then decided to get serious about it my last year of college. After one year of training I ran close to 35 minutes on a hilly course (to be fair I was running a lot more than you). My lifetime PR for 5k? 15:17.

All that said, I say go for it! You won't know unless you try and in a few years it's likely that many other things will make focusing on running difficult. It's a good goal, fast enough to be exciting, but slow enough that maybe you can do it. You have to be lucky, but it's church bingo lucky, not powerball.

You should check in here regularly and report - even if you are a troll. :)

What kind of speed do you have right now? 100m, 400m, and especially 800m?

That's Great! Thanks for posting!

The first 5K I ever ran was under 20:00 as a high school freshman. I certainly didn't train as hard or smart as possible through college, but I started taking it pretty seriously about 5 years ago and have been putting in good mileage and smart training. I have never broken 16:00.

Working hard and smart isn't enough to get you there, you have to have some talent too. I'm a high school coach and I see hundreds of kids every year who run 17:00s and 18:00s off of terrible training. The vast majority of them could never break 15:00 with a perfect coach and perfect work ethic.

Basically, shoot for some reasonable short term goals and get over yourself.

I ran a 12 flat 100m a few weeks ago, so that's some decent speed right? Never ran a 400m or 800m all out before, I rarely do 400/800 intervals either, I focus on 1k or mile repeats usually but right now I'm just doing alot of steady running whilst slowly building mileage. I'll keep this post saved and come back to it after a few weeks/months to let you guys know of my progression.

Thanks for the replies, I'm going to set a goal of 17:30 within the next 12 weeks and focus more on short term goals.

Take a look at what sub 15 5k guys look like. I doubt you look like them now and in three years, do you think you can transform your body to look like that. Extremely lean but look athletic. Focus on improving your running form by running with your hips. Research a lot on hip flexor and running. Run a lot and eat moderately so you'll continuously lose weight until you look like a 15 min 5k runner.

In running, if you don't look the part, it's guaranteed you won't run fast.

edward teach wrote:

no 5kp, he's offering you solid advice. Someone running a 19 minute 5k starting out is much, much more talented than you. Sorry, that's life.

Not true. The starting point is affected by weight. A rail-thin runner could start out at 19min 5k, while an overweight runner could be at 22 minutes. If the 20-lbs overweight runner starts at 19min, they have more talent.

why the heck is the OP going for a 3 year goal??? That's a nice future hope, but make 1 year goals and try to hit them. Being let's say a low 18's runner right now and saying you want to run sub-15 is not a realistic goal, thats just a wish for the future.

Make a goal this year of running 17:20. If you hit that then next year try to run 16:20. If you hit that then the following year make a goal of running 15:30. If you hit that then the following year shoot for 14:59.

Though being more realistic you might be in the 16's in two years and then your progression will slow dramatically. You may be new to running but you're not a 15 year old. You are 22 and therefore have a matured body, so if you can only run 18:xx after 8 months of averaging 40 miles a week (which is not a ton of mileage for experienced runners but is a lot for someone in their first year or two) then please expect your progression to start slowing down a lot once you get under 17.

More realistic goals would be something like this:

2016 - 17:30

2017 - 16:30

2018 - 16:00

2019 - 15:40

2020 - 15:20

2021 - 15:05

2022 - sub15

Maybe you'll get there faster, maybe you'll top out at 16 minutes, you'll only know for sure after putting in the work.