How would you adjust Franz Stampfl's miler training plan for a 5k runner?

Franz Stampfl wrote:

Franz Stampfl training for milers in November.

Day 1 - warm up then 10x 440 yards in 70 secs with 2 1/2 to 3 minutes recovery

Day 2 - warm up then 5 miles easy

Day 3 - 10 x 440y in 70 secs

Day 4 - 6 x 880y in 2mins 20 secs with 10 minutes recovery

Day 5 - indoor calisthenics

Day 6 - 6 – 8 miles fartlek

Day 7 - rest

In the same book that schedule is from, there is a 5000m training plan.

Needs more sand dunes and less track work.

Iffley Road 1 wrote:

Franz Stampfl wrote:

Franz Stampfl training for milers in November.

Day 1 - warm up then 10x 440 yards in 70 secs with 2 1/2 to 3 minutes recovery

Day 2 - warm up then 5 miles easy

Day 3 - 10 x 440y in 70 secs

Day 4 - 6 x 880y in 2mins 20 secs with 10 minutes recovery

Day 5 - indoor calisthenics

Day 6 - 6 – 8 miles fartlek

Day 7 - rest

In the same book that schedule is from, there is a 5000m training plan.

Day 1 - 15 x 440 y, 75 s, 2.5-3 min recovery (1 laps slow)

Day 2 - 15 x 440 y, 75 s

Day 3 - 8 x 880 y, 2:30 mmin, 6-7 min recovery (2 laps slow)

Day 4 - 15 x 440 y

Day 5 - indoor training - callisthenics

Day 6 - 10-12 miles easy cross country

Day 7 - rest

from: Franz Stampfl on running, p. 130-131 (H. Jenkins ltd., London 1955)

Franz Stampfl wrote:

Franz Stampfl training for milers in November.

Day 1 - warm up then 10x 440 yards in 70 secs with 2 1/2 to 3 minutes recovery

Day 2 - warm up then 5 miles easy

Day 3 - 10 x 440y in 70 secs

Day 4 - 6 x 880y in 2mins 20 secs with 10 minutes recovery

Day 5 - indoor calisthenics

Day 6 - 6 – 8 miles fartlek

Day 7 - rest

Interesting, I always found it hard to understand how people ran so well off this sort of training. He trained Roger Bannister of course and I think Chris Chattaway, did he train any other famous runners?

progression December -> May

increase number of 440 y repetitions from 15 to 20 occasionally

decrease time from 75 down to 63 s (15 x) and 67 s (20 x 440), 2:10 for 880 y repetitions, gradually like 2 s per 440 y per month

introduce longer repetitions (3/4 mile, one mile and even 1 1/4 mile), all 70 s lap pace

that was for 3 miles/5 k like OP asked for

the milers gradually increase their pace down to 60 s laps but stay with 10 x 440 y and just once a week 880 y or 3/4 mile

If you cannot imagine how Bannister went sub 4 with this: in the end he was capable of 10 quarters in 58-58 s, while recovery was quite long with 1 lap slow jogging - but don't forget he did that 4-5 times a week not just 1-2 times like modern milers...

Bannister's recovery lap was not too slow; there is reference to covering the lap in 2 minutes.

Add in sessions such as 2x1320 at mile pace and this training is not easy. It's not as hard as some modern schedules but it isn't a walk in the park. Remember, Bannister and his contemporaries at Oxford University adopted an air of casual excellence; everything had to be seen to be done with minimum effort, to be seen to be trying too hard was somehow not the done thing!

interested reader wrote:

Interesting, I always found it hard to understand how people ran so well off this sort of training. He trained Roger Bannister of course and I think Chris Chattaway, did he train any other famous runners?

Chris Brasher, 1956 OG SC champ: