If you’ve set your sights on running a 5K in under 20 minutes, and feel that this is at attainable target, you can count yourself an advanced runner. It takes drive and consistency to achieve such speed, as well as a capacity to endure discomfort over this distance.
Sometimes, however, desire clouds reality, so you still need to be sure the sub-20 target is within your reach. To check where you stand, take this test:
- What is the 10-20-30 training method.
- An editors guide to running a faster 5k.
- Repeat the above, but aim to run further. If you can maintain the same pace for both efforts, you’re ready for this super-fast, sub-20 5K goal.
If you pass the test and are prepared to dig deep, read on for some top 5K training advice from the pros.
Tips for running a sub-20 5K
Train with a group
'When you get in a race with your teammates, and you’ve all done the same training, you know that you should be able to stay with them for the majority of the race,' says Galen Rupp, a 5000m finalist at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. 'If they pick it up, you know that you can, too. It can be a great source of confidence.'
Get race experience
'Do a few races to work out the kinks,' says Molly Huddle, who broke the US record for the outdoor 5000m with a time of 14:44 in 2010. 'When I got a PB, it was after completing three 5Ks in a row and learning something new about myself during each one.'
Think longer term
'Over the course of a season, you’ll have amazing days when you feel like you can beat anybody, and days where you think your PBs are over,' says Aaron Braun, who bagged his 5K PB of 13:27 in 2011. 'Don’t overanalyse one day of practice. It’s all about long-term consistency.'
Remember your ABCs
'When discouraging thoughts creep in during a race, I think: attitude, breathing, cadence,' says Julie Culley, who scored her PB of 15:21 with a fifth-place finish in the 5000m at the 2011 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon. 'Change your attitude, calm your breathing and increase your cadence.'
Speed workouts for a sub-20 5K
Two-mile tempo run
- Do this workout two and a half weeks out from race day.
- Do this workout five and three weeks out from race day.
8 x 500m
- Run the first three to four 500m reps at your 5K goal pace, then the final efforts up five to 10 seconds per mile faster. Jog or walk for one minute between each rep.
- Updated: 26 March 2024.
3 x one mile
- Run each mile a few seconds faster than your 5K goal pace. Jog or walk for 90 seconds between each mile effort.
- Updated: 26 March 2024.
How to avoid getting injured
All that running can take its toll – use this checklist to stay healthy throughout your training:
Get a massage
Use a foam roller of the best massage guns for runners massage gun or recovery boots to minimise muscular aches and pains and speed up your post-run recovery.
Stretch it out
After every run, stretch your quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves to eliminate tightness and reduce muscle soreness – the dreaded DOMS.
Take extra rest if needed
Check your The best running shoes for 2025, expert-tested when you first wake up in the morning. If you see that your The best running shoes for 2025, expert-tested has risen by 10% or more, this is a sign that you should take a day off, even if this isn't scheduled into your training plan. It's important to always listen to your body.
Put your feet up
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Mix up your training
On running rest days, spend 30 minutes or more doing low-impact cardio to help flush out waste products . This could be a walk, a swim or a gentle cycle.
