8-Week Advanced 5K Training Schedule

This easy-to-follow 8 week advanced 5K training schedule (below) is for experienced 5K runners. It’s particularly useful for runners who are hoping to run a personal best in the 5K.

If you don’t have 8 weeks before your race, check out this 4-week advanced 5K training schedule.

If this schedule seems too challenging for you, try this 8-week intermediate 5K training schedule.

Types of Workouts

Cross-training (CT)

Cross-training activities allow you to give your joints and running muscles a break, while still working on your cardio. When the schedule calls for CT, do a cardio activity other than running (e.g., biking, swimming, elliptical trainer) at moderate effort for 45 to 60 minutes. You’ll also benefit from doing some basic strengthening exercises for 15 to 20 minutes.

Interval workouts (IW)

After a warm-up, run 400 meters (one lap around most tracks) hard, and then recover by jogging or walking 400 meters. So 3 x 400 would be three hard 400s, with a 400 m recovery in between.

If you’re doing this workout on a treadmill or outside (but not on a track), use 1/4 mile for your hard intervals.

To make it even more of a strengthening workout, you can also do the intervals on a hill with a moderate incline. Run uphill hard for 90 seconds, then recover downhill at an easy jog.

Be sure to end all interval workouts with a 5 to 10-minute cooldown at an easy pace.

Easy Pace Runs (EP)

After you warm up, run at a comfortable pace for the designated mileage or time. You should be able speak comfortably at easy pace, and not be breathing heavy. Make sure you cool down and stretch after your run. Your long runs (LR) should also be done at your easy pace.

Tempo Run (TR)

Tempo runs help you develop your anaerobic threshold, which is critical for fast 5K racing. Start your run with 5 to 10 minutes easy running, then continue with 15 to 20 minutes running near your 10K pace, and finish with 5 to 10 minutes cooling down. If you’re not sure what your 10K pace is, run at a pace that feels “comfortably hard.”

Rest

Rest is critical to your recovery and injury prevention efforts, so don’t ignore rest days. Your muscles actually build and repair themselves during your rest days. So if you run every day without taking days off, you won’t see much improvement. Some runners like to take a complete rest day sandwiched in between a speed workout and a long run.

8 Week Advanced 5K Training Schedule

Week 1

Day 1: CT or Rest
Day 2: 4 x 400 IW
Day 3: 4 mile EP run
Day 4: 30 min TR (15 minutes @ tempo pace)
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: 5 mile LR
Day 7: 35 min EP

Week 2

Day 1: CT or Rest
Day 2: 4 x 400 IW
Day 3: 4 mile EP run
Day 4: 30 min TR (15 minutes @ tempo pace)
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: 5 mile LR
Day 7: 35 min EP

Week 3

Day 1: CT or Rest
Day 2: 5 x 400 IW
Day 3: 5 mile EP run
Day 4: 35 min TR (20 minutes @ tempo pace)
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: 6 mile LR
Day 7: 40 min EP

Week 4

Day 1: CT or Rest
Day 2: 6 x 400 IW
Day 3: 5 mile EP run
Day 4: 35 min TR (20 minutes @ tempo pace)
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: 6 mile LR
Day 7: 45 min EP

Week 5

Day 1: CT or Rest
Day 2: 6 x 400 IW
Day 3: 5 mile EP run
Day 4: 40 min TR (20 minutes @ tempo pace)
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: 7 mile LR
Day 7: 40 min EP

Week 6

Day 1: CT or Rest
Day 2: 6 x 400 IW
Day 3: 5 mile EP run
Day 4: 40 min TR (20 minutes @ tempo pace)
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: 6 mile LR
Day 7: 40 min EP

Week 7

Day 1: CT or Rest
Day 2: 5 x 400 IW
Day 3: 4 mile EP run
Day 4: 35 min tempo (15 minutes @ tempo pace)
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: 7 mile LR
Day 7: 45 min EP

Week 8

Day 1: CT or Rest
Day 2: 3 mile EP run
Day 3: 20 min tempo run
Day 4: 2 mile EP run
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: 5K Race!