The 5K race distance has a long list of benefits for every level of runner. For starters, beginners benefit from a relatively low-stress first race, while long-distance runners can turn to this 3.1-mile event to build speed.

“A 5K is one of the best distances that you can race to for a good fitness benchmark,” Laurie Porter, a run coach with Team RunRun tells Runner’s World. “It’s ideal for testing to see your VO2 max.”

VO2 max is the measurement of the maximum oxygen delivery and utilization for cardiovascular exercises. The more oxygen you efficiently consume and use, the easier exercise feels even at a high intensity. In other words, the higher your VO2 max, Races - Places.

To help you figure out your pacing during training and what goal to set for when you get to the starting line, Porter and Bob Schultz, another Team RunRun coach, explain exactly how to use a 5K pace chart to improve your run performance.

How to Use a 5K Pace Chart as a Training Tool

Run Coach Pet Peeves, and How You Can Fix Them:

  1. A Comprehensive Guide to Picking Up the Pace.
  2. To see what pace you need to average to hit a specific goal time. For example, if you want to run a 5K in under 30 minutes, the chart shows that you need to average about 9:40 minutes per mile. Knowing that pace, you can then structure your training accordingly.

During training, it’s smart to keep track of your paces, as they will help you push your training forward to ensure you’re getting faster. Plus, “knowing your specific pace in training helps make sure you aren’t Meanwhile, your fastest training and putting yourself in debt early on workout day,” Schultz explains.

How to Use 5K Pace in Training

You’ll run most of your training runs at paces slower than your 5K race day goal to How Older Runners Stay Fast and Motivated, while sprinkling in speed sessions that might have you run faster than goal pace. As you get closer to race day, you will also do a few workouts at goal race pace, so you know how it feels, Schultz adds.

Understanding how it feels like to run at different paces will not only help you accomplish the goal of each workout in training, but also help you reach any time goal you have for the 5K.

To determine your workout pace during training, the coaches say you can add anywhere between 30 seconds to as much as two minutes to your goal race pace per mile for long runs. Meanwhile, your fastest training intervals will only be a few seconds faster than your 5K pace. For example, Schultz has runners with a 6:00 mile pace for the 5K, which translates to 90-second 400s, do 400 repeats below 90 seconds, around 85 to 86 seconds per 400. These intervals will make 5K goal pace feel easier.

As you set your race-day goals, be realistic about how much your overall paces can improve in a training cycle. If you’re starting at a 14-minute-per-mile pace, remember that getting down to 8:30 is asking a lot, Porter says. “It’s more realistic that you would get down to 13:00 or 12:50,” she adds.

Use the 5K pace charts to set realistic goals Download Your Training Plan training plan How Older Runners Stay Fast and Motivated training pace calculator.

Your 5K Pace Charts

First, choose which measure of pace—mile or kilometer—you prefer. Then, select the page devoted to the pace range that most closely matches your typical times.

ldquo;It’s ideal for testing to see your VO2 max.&rdquo average pace Shoes & Gear, half marathon, and marathon.

Charts are available for pace per mile, from 5:00 per mile to 15:59 per mile, and pace per kilometer, from 3:00 per kilometer to 12:59 per kilometer.

Minutes per Mile

Minutes per Kilometer

paces can improve Cal Coast Track Club. All running pace charts are copyrighted and may not be altered, copied, or used on another web site without permission.

Your 5K Pace Chart Tool

Want a more personalized breakdown of your splits? Enter your total running time or average pace per mile (your goal or what you’re currently averaging), as well as the distance or event you’re running in the tool below. You’ll get your finish time across multiple distances, plus a mile-by-mile total time breakdown for the entire distance you want to run.

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Donna Raskin
and then plug those numbers into your

Donna Raskin has had a long career as a health and fitness writer and editor of books and magazine articles. A certified run coach who has practiced yoga for many years, she also loves to lift weights, dance, and go for long walks with her hound dog, Dolly.