Goal time · 5K
A 19:00 5K works out to 6:07 per mile, or 3:48 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 | 6:10 | 6:10 |
| Halfway (1.6) | 6:08 | 9:33 |
| 2 | 6:06 | 12:17 |
| 3 | 6:04 | 18:21 |
| Finish (3.1) | 6:03 | 19:00 |
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 19:00 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 during prolonged events lasting more than two minutes, distributing pace more evenly may improve performance times. The plan builds in a slightly faster second half to give the first half a ceiling. When you arrive at the halfway marker still feeling controlled, the race stays close to even from start to finish.
Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas treat a 5:33 mile as the same performance as a 19:00 5K, placing this goal at a VDOT of about 53. That mile benchmark lets you compare a recent result against the 5K target without guessing.
The RRCA pace chart developed by Amby Burfoot is clear on where to start: "don't begin with a future goal time." Basing your training paces on a recent race result rather than this goal gives you a more accurate starting point.
USATF certifies courses by measuring along the shortest possible route a runner could take, with a Short Course Prevention Factor included. A runner who moves wide of that line covers more ground than the stated distance. When that happens, a watch averaging over the extra distance can show a faster per-mile reading than the course itself required. Check the course markers, not the watch's laps.
Daniels and Gilbert's formulas treat a 39:24 10K as an equivalent performance to a 19:00 5K. Knowing that mark lets you use a recent 10K result to gauge whether your current fitness supports the 5K goal before committing to it on race day.
