Should you prioritise a fast 5k before going longer?

Interesting re mile

if I do a time trial how does one then create a training target for the mile based on that

You can estimate based on 5k pr (there are lots of calculators available on the internet) and then see if you can hit that time.

In your sit

Your 20 minute 5k friends should be able to run closer to 1:30 for the half marathon unless their 5k was done on a flat fast course. I was running around 21min 5ks and ran 7min pace or sub 1:32 on the challenging Atlanta half marathon course. Here is a progression of goals; sub 1:45 half Marathon, sub 4hour Marathon, sub 6min mile, sub 20 5k, sub 1:30 halfM, sub 19 5k, sub 1:25 halfM, sub 3hours Marathon. Give it a try for the next year or so.

* in your situation, you should probably try to time trial every few weeks and track your progression.

That's interesting. I wonder if you took a bunch of adult-onset runners and taught them with that approach. I mean the kind that are running 12 minute miles in a 5k. I'd think they be way more efficient if they started of with 100 meter to 400 meter sprints, as opposed to the slop type slow distance training.

That makes sense. I did a 1:33:45 split at Cbus 2021 and my 5k time at the time on the track, with nobody around, was 21:15 (time trial) a week later. I like that progression.

Na, you're just massively underperforming in the 5k.

Unless you're sub-elite or better (sub 14:30 5k, sub 68 half) there should be more of a gap than 12 secs/km between your 5k and half; considering it's more than 4 times the distance an all.

Develop your speed.

I know plenty of people with sub 6 miles who haven't broken 2 hours for the hm and sub 20 5ks that haven't broken 1:50. You guys need to actually interact with runners levels before you start making blanket statements about who can do what

The advice about training short distances first is right. The only people who got fast off high mileage slogging either had a ton of weight to lose or had very high vo2 max before they started running

Get your 200 meter time down. Everything else follows from there.

But yes, don't slog out long distances if you don't feel like you're really running.

I think Japanese marathoners are the counter-example here. With the Ekiden being so popular, runners focus on longer distances sooner. There have been very few (zero?) world-beating Japanese marathoners, but they had 42 guys run <2:10 in a single race. I don't think even 20 Americans have gone under 2:10 ever.

I'd say well-rounded training is more important than which distance you race.

The Japanese move to the marathon earlier than US runners do but they mostly start the same way, running for their high school and university teams at the normal track distances. I'm not sure what they do about cross country.

Yes, well rounded training is more important than the distances you race. But a well rounded racing schedule, over a long stretch of time, is likely to push you in the direction of well rounded training. Most of today's recreational runners who take up running as adults don't have the part about training for things like the mile as ones who raced in high school and college do and their training overall has not been as well rounded.

Yep! Marathon Hiking!