Goal time · 5K
A 25:00 5K works out to 8:03 per mile, or 5:00 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 | 8:07 | 8:07 |
| Halfway (1.6) | 8:04 | 12:35 |
| 2 | 8:02 | 16:10 |
| 3 | 7:59 | 24:09 |
| Finish (3.1) | 7:57 | 25:00 |
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 25:00 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 Sports Medicine review found that during events lasting more than two minutes, pacing more evenly may improve performance times. The slightly faster second half in this plan exists mainly to restrain the first half, keeping the overall effort close to even throughout. At the halfway marker, check that you haven't gone out too hard and have enough left to hold your pace through the finish.
Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas treat a 7:24 mile as the same performance as a 25:00 5K.
The RRCA pace chart developed by Amby Burfoot is direct: "don't begin with a future goal time." Basing your paces on a recent result rather than a target keeps the effort calibrated to your current fitness.
USATF measures certified courses along the Shortest Possible Route, with a one-part-per-thousand Short Course Prevention Factor. A runner who strays from that shortest line covers more distance than the course requires, so a GPS watch can show a faster average than the pace the course itself demanded. Check the course markers, not the watch's laps.
Daniels and Gilbert's formulas treat a 51:53 10K as equivalent to a 25:00 5K. If a recent 10K result sits close to that mark, you have a cross-distance signal that your aerobic fitness currently supports the 5K goal.
