can help you pick up the pace for longer distances marathons or half marathons. First, you can quickly celebrate the results of your training—there is an excellent chance that you can run a local 5K within the next six weeks.
Second, even if 5K (3.1 miles), is shorter than your typical distance, a 5Run the Song—A Music Critic’s Playlist Ways to Make Hard Workouts Feel Easier.
Run the Song—A Music Critic’s Playlist run/walk method, Practice that during training and you’ll be ready to nail that 5K PR.
“The run/walk [method] is a good way for people to improve their 5K time without increasing the risk of injury,” Chris Twiggs, K Treadmill Training Plan to Help You PR Runner’s World. Remember, running faster which many runners use to tackle long-distance races and hit PRs fatigue.
Prevention, Experience Life run/walk method Don’t know your race pace or finish time goal yet? Do the run/walk method for half marathons or marathons, as well as for runners who have never used run/walk but would like to see if it can improve their overall pace. Whichever group you are in, Twiggs designed the detailed six-week plan for runners with race experience.
How to Use the Run/Walk Method to Train for and Race a 5K
First, understand that even if you typically tackle 5Ks at a fast, steady pace, the goal with incorporating walk intervals is to lower the continuous impact on your joints and support your effort to run faster when you aren’t walking. The walk intervals will be short, but you will continue to move forward while giving your body a break from impact and intensity.
For example, you may only take a 10-second walk every mile if you’re vying to break 20 minutes (average mile pace of 6:26) or if you want to run a 5K in under 25 minutes (average 8:02 mile pace), you might walk for a max of 30 seconds per mile—which means your running pace has to be even faster. It’ll take some trial and error in training to find the running pace and run/walk intervals that work best for you.
These speeds and walk times won’t surprise you if you already use the run/walk method for half marathons and marathons. But expect your run/walk ratio to change for a 5K. “A general rule of thumb is to keep the walk breaks shorter compared to your half marathon or marathon walk breaks,” Michelle Baxter, an RRCA-certified running coach in Minnesota tells Runner’s World.
Don’t know your race pace or finish time goal yet? Do the Magic Mile. Created by Jeff Galloway, this useful calculator estimates how much time it takes run/walkers to complete common race distances. For example, to estimate your 5K pace, add 33 seconds to your Magic Mile, then multiply that number by 3.1 to get your estimated 5K finish time.
Here, two running coaches explain how to use the
Now that you have a pace goal for your 5K, here’s how to set up your training.
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Improving any race speed is no easy feat. It takes a lot of work for a runner to push past their current pace limits. In fact, if you’ve recently run a marathon, rate of perceived exertion half marathon, says Twiggs.
For this run/walk 5Run the Song—A Music Critic’s Playlist, Twiggs recommends running three to four days a week, with one day dedicated to speed work, one to a longer run, one to a race rehearsal, and an optional easy day, Why Runners Botch Pace on New Race Distances.
Speed Work
Meter Repeat Workouts 400-meter repeats, Twiggs suggests taking short, 20-second walk intervals at the midpoint of the run intervals. So, run 200 meters, walk 20 seconds, then run the final 200 meters; rest for a few minutes and go again.
“Do the repeats at the same pace as your Magic Mile,” Twiggs says, but with one catch: Take the 20-second walk interval into account. For example, if your Magic Mile was 8 minutes, aim to complete the 400-meter lap in 2 minutes, including the walk interval. “This means your run pace is going to be closer to 7:50,” says Twiggs.
Taking a short walk in the middle of a fast run will help you practice building up to a good speed again so you can average your target pace. It’s also very challenging and will replicate the demands of running a faster 5K. “We want to simulate that fatigue so you can get used to it and not be afraid,” Twiggs says.
Long Runs
give yourself a month to recover before training for a fast 5K; wait two weeks if you raced a aerobic base needed for a 5K and typically call for longer running intervals. “Depending on the distance of your long run, you might run five, seven, or 10 minutes before taking a walk,” Baxter says.
This is a great time to experiment with different walk intervals and see how long you can push your run blocks, while still keeping your effort relatively low.
Whatever approach you take, aim for an average running pace that is at least two minutes slower than your goal race pace, says Twiggs.
Race Rehearsal Workout
Your third running workout is a race rehearsal. Begin with an easy one-mile warm-up, then run one mile using the run/walk ratio you intend to use during the race, says Twiggs. Cool down with another easy mile.
Ask yourself some questions after your race simulation: Can you run faster? Do you need a longer walk interval? These rehearsals are a time to reflect on your training strategy, and update your paces based on your performance and how you feel.
to run a faster 5K. There are tips for those who already use the
If you’re coming off marathon training, training for a 5K might sound like a breeze. Remember, though, training for—and running—a faster 5K requires greater speed and intensity. “You’re going to have to think differently about your pace and what that effort feels like,” Baxter says.
On the rate of perceived exertion (RPE) scale, where zero is no exertion while 10 is all-out work, a marathon likely falls between a 6 or 7 for most of the race and potentially progresses to a 9 or 10 by the end, Baxter says. A 5K, on the other hand, feels like a 9 or 10 from start to finish, she notes.
Train to Run/Walk a Marathon mental strategies. For example, while you might distract yourself during a long-distance run, during a 5K you need to focus through harder efforts.
Practice that during training and you’ll be ready to nail that 5K PR!
Lauren Bedosky is a freelance health and fitness writer who specializes in covering running and strength training topics. She writes for a variety of national publications, including Runner’s World, Half Marathon Training and Women’s Running.
