Faster 5K.
Six weeks. Paced to you.
Tell us your PB. We'll do the maths.
What's your 5km PB?
Your best recent time, in minutes and seconds.
You've outrun this plan.
This plan takes runners down to a 16:00 5K at the fastest, and you're already there or very close. At your level, a coach who builds sessions around you will help far more than a general plan.
Planning for someone else? Enter their PB above.
down from 25:00
Your paces.
Every run in the plan, worked out from your PB.
Six weeks. Four runs a week.
Build, sharpen, peak, race.
Your plan.
In your calendar.
All 24 sessions, with paces and notes, in one tap.
Runs on Mon, Wed, Fri and Sun. Race day is –.
Add all 24 sessionsOn iPhone, this opens Calendar with every session ready. Tap Add All.
Open in Safari to add to Calendar. Apps like Instagram can't add calendar events. Tap ••• or the share icon, then Open in Safari.
Use Google Calendar? Each session in the plan has its own Add to Google Calendar link.
Built around you.
A realistic target, a simple structure, and room for real life.
A goal you can actually hit.
Newer runners have more room to improve, so six weeks moves them further. Faster runners are closer to their ceiling, so their gains are smaller. Your target scales smoothly between these points.
| Current PB | Improvement | Example |
|---|
Targets assume you already run at least three times a week. The plan covers PBs of 16:25 and slower, and never sets a target faster than 16:00.
Four runs. Two rest days.
Cycling, swimming or rowing are ideal on rest days: aerobic fitness without the impact. Strength work twice a week (squats, lunges, core) helps your running economy and keeps you injury-free.
Move sessions around to fit your week. Consistency matters, but so does enjoying it.
Adjust as you go.
- Need more recovery? Swap a hard run for cross-training rather than skipping rest.
- Sharp or worsening pain means easing off that week. Don't push through it.
- Running fewer than three times a week? Do 1 to 2 weeks of easy running first.
- Smash the week 3 time trial? Enter that as your new PB for the rest of the plan.
What each run is for.
Easy run
Fully conversational, 1 to 1.5 min/km slower than your current 5km pace. Builds your aerobic base without adding fatigue. Everything else is built on this.
Floating intervals
Continuous running where pace surges and eases without stopping. The recovery is a steady jog, which trains you to clear fatigue on the move, just like a race.
Track reps
Short, sharp efforts at or slightly faster than goal pace, with full recovery so each rep is high quality. Builds leg speed and the ability to hold pace.
Tempo run
Comfortably hard: the pace you could hold for about an hour if pushed. Raises your lactate threshold, the biggest single lever for 5km improvement.
Strides
4 to 6 accelerations of 15 to 20 seconds up to near-sprint, with full recovery. Sharpens form without adding fatigue. Run these by feel.
Long run
The week's longest run, at easy pace. Builds durability and teaches your legs to hold form when tired.