5k in 17 Minutes Splits. To run 5k in 17 minutes with even splits, you’ll be aiming for 5:28 at mile 1, hitting 2 miles in 10:56, hitting 3 miles in 16:24, and closing in just under 17 minutes. For kilometers, aim for 3:24 at 1k, 6:48 at 2k, 10:12 at 3k, 13:36 at 4k, and 17:00 at 5k. To run a 5k in 20 minutes, you must run at an average speed of 9.3 miles per hour—15 kilometers per hour. That means you need to be able to run 3.1 miles at a 6:25 min/mile pace. To make it easier to work out, you need to run each kilometer—0.6 miles—of the 5k race in 4 minutes. Picture this: you start by running for two minutes, feeling the wind in your hair and the thrill of movement. Then, you gracefully transition into a two-minute walking break, allowing your body to catch its breath and recharge. Repeat this for a total of 20 minutes, alternating between running and walking like a well-choreographed routine. 20% of your runs should be faster. So lets say you run 5 days a week. 4 should be 8-10km at a slow pace, and once a week run your fast 5k, or perhaps just do one day of sprint or interval work. The idea is you tell your body that this 80% pace is your new baseline. Your current baseline is sitting on your chair. Breaking the 20 minute barrier is a truly impressive milestone, but it may seem insurmountable. Heather's here to tell you how to slash your 5k time below 20 . Most new runners will fall somewhere in the 30-40min range. For budding athletes, breaking 25 mins can be seen as the holy grail. For those at the fitter end of the scale, getting into the low 20s and even breaking 20 minutes are achievable numbers. The current World Records for 5k are 12:35 for men and 14:06 for women. This 5K training plan is designed for runners who are looking to finish at a time under 20 minutes. It's designed for runners who are finishing 5K's under 23-21 minutes already but need a little extra structure and guidance to get to the next level. This is a 12-week training plan that offers interval training days, hill repeats, fartleks 1.Run two-mile tempo. 2. Run 8 x 500m. What: Run the first 3-4 reps at 5K goal pace; the final efforts at 5-10 sec/mile faster. Jog/walk for 1 min between each. 3. Run 3 x 1 mile. What: Run each Since that, not specifically for 5k, but I have been training a lot, and I'm still not in 20 minutes, my best result is 20:04. 15 years ago, when I started running for the first time I ran 3k tests, the first one was 17 minutes, then 3 months later the second one was 12:45, and then I needed more than a year to run a sub 12 minutes 3k. Warm-up: 5-minute easy jog. Run: 30-second speed interval (start with a fast, but not sprinting, pace for the first two or three times, then sprint full-out for the remaining intervals) Recover: 1 minute at easy pace. Repeat: Do run/recover cycle again for total of 20 minutes. Cool down: 5-minute easy jog.

how hard is it to run 5k in 20 minutes