Goal time · 5K
A 17:00 5K works out to 5:28 per mile, or 3:24 per kilometer. Below are the mile splits for a slightly faster second half, the halfway time to aim for, and the training paces that go with this goal.
The numbers
This plan starts about 1% slower than goal pace and finishes about 1% faster, so the second half is slightly quicker than the first. The elapsed column is what your watch should read as you pass each marker.
| Mile | Pace for That Mile | Elapsed Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:31 | 5:31 |
| Halfway (1.6) | 5:29 | 8:33 |
| 2 | 5:28 | 10:59 |
| 3 | 5:26 | 16:25 |
| Finish (3.1) | 5:25 | 17:00 |
Measured against the latest published results of 5,229 5K races on RunSesh.
One edition per race, from RunSignup races with published results. Fields include walkers and charity entrants, so this describes these races, not every runner in the country.
These are the paces for a runner who can already race a 17:00 5K, worked out with Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas, the method behind the training tables in Daniels' Running Formula. If your most recent race is slower, train at the paces on the page for that time.
Most of your weekly miles, including the long run.
Steady longer runs at the pace this fitness would hold for a marathon.
A steady run of about 20 minutes, or longer repeats with short rests.
Repeats of 3 to 5 minutes, with easy jogs between.
Abbiss and Laursen's 2008 review in Sports Medicine found that pacing more evenly across events lasting over two minutes may improve performance times. The plan here puts slightly more effort in the second half, which serves a practical purpose: it creates a ceiling on the first half. When you know the finish is meant to be a touch faster, you resist going out hard. Use the halfway marker as the checkpoint for that restraint.
Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas treat a 4:57 mile as the same performance as a 17:00 5K. If your recent mile time sits near there, the goal aligns with your current fitness.
The RRCA pace chart developed by Amby Burfoot is direct on this point: "don't begin with a future goal time." Base your paces on what you've run recently.
USATF certifies courses along the shortest possible route. A runner who drifts from that line covers more ground than the stated distance, so a watch can show a faster average pace than the course actually required. Hold 5:28 per mile by the course markers, whatever the watch average says.
Daniels and Gilbert's formulas treat a 35:16 10K as equivalent to a 17:00 5K. If you've raced a 10K recently, comparing your result to that time gives you a grounded read on whether the 5K goal fits your current fitness.
