Goal time · 5K
A 24:00 5K works out to 7:43 per mile, or 4:48 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 | 7:47 | 7:47 |
| Halfway (1.6) | 7:44 | 12:04 |
| 2 | 7:43 | 15:31 |
| 3 | 7:40 | 23:11 |
| Finish (3.1) | 7:38 | 24:00 |
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 24:00 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.
A 2008 Sports Medicine review by Abbiss and Laursen found that during prolonged events lasting more than two minutes, distributing effort more evenly may improve performance times. The review does not single out negative splits, so the plan targets a slightly faster second half mainly to discourage going out too hard. At the halfway marker, check whether your effort feels controlled, and adjust from there to keep the remainder close to that same rhythm.
Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas treat a 7:05 mile as an equivalent performance to a 24:00 5K, giving you a concrete fitness benchmark to compare against a recent race result rather than a goal.
Amby Burfoot's RRCA pace chart is clear on this: "don't begin with a future goal time." If your current mile time sits noticeably slower than that time, grounding your paces in what you've recently run is the more reliable starting point.
USATF certification measures a course along the Shortest Possible Route, with a one-part-per-thousand Short Course Prevention Factor built in. A runner who drifts from that shortest line covers more than the stated distance, which means a watch can display a faster average pace than the actual course pace warrants.
Daniels and Gilbert's formulas treat a 49:48 10K as equivalent to a 24:00 5K. If you've raced a 10K recently, comparing that result against that time gives you a cross-distance check on whether your current fitness aligns with the 5K goal.
