Goal time · 5K
A 27:00 5K works out to 8:41 per mile, or 5:24 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 | 8:46 | 8:46 |
| Halfway (1.6) | 8:43 | 13:35 |
| 2 | 8:41 | 17:27 |
| 3 | 8:38 | 26:05 |
| Finish (3.1) | 8:35 | 27:00 |
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 27:00 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 pacing more evenly across events lasting more than 2 minutes may improve performance times. The plan calls for a slightly faster second half because that structure puts a natural brake on the first half, keeping the overall effort close to even. At the halfway marker, check whether you still feel controlled before you let the pace lift.
Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas treat an 8:01 mile as the same performance as a 27:00 5K. That cross-distance figure gives you a concrete fitness benchmark to compare against a recent result.
The RRCA pace chart developed by Amby Burfoot is worth heeding here: "don't begin with a future goal time." If your recent 5K times sit closer to 30:00, the next slower goal page, 3 minutes back, may fit better.
USATF certifies 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, which means a GPS watch can read a faster average than the actual course pace. Check the course markers, not the watch's laps.
Daniels and Gilbert's formulas treat a 56:05 10K as equivalent to a 27:00 5K. If your 10K fitness is close to that mark, you have a cross-distance signal on whether your aerobic base currently aligns with the 5K goal.
