To reiterate – to run 5k in 18 minutes your body needs to get comfortable running at a speed of 3.36 minutes/km – or 5 minutes 46 seconds/mile.
Yes, you can improve your 5K-finish time on three runs per week, especially since you are new to the sport. The key is to make every run purposeful. You can easily do this by making a few simple changes to your running schedule over the next six weeks.
Start with a slower pace and exercise for shorter times, such as a few short walks spread throughout the day. Work your way up to moving faster and for longer periods as your body adjusts. Then begin the 5K training schedule once you're able to exercise for 30 minutes at a time.
Particularly because you can always stop and walk if need be, as long as you pace yourself on race day and have a base of fitness with some running under your belt, you should be physically prepared to complete the race.
To achieve a sub-15 minute 5km time then you'll want to get your 5k pace at 4:50 minutes per mile or 3:00 minutes per kilometer to come in at just under your desired time. With the popularity of parkrun and various couch to 5k training plans, it really is a popular, and achievable distance for most runners.
If you want to run a sub-16 minute 5km time then you'll want to get your 5k pace at 5:09 minutes per mile or 3:12 minutes per kilometer to come in at just under your desired time.
Running a sub 20 minute 5k is no mean feat and it's something that many keen runners aspire to do. To break the 20 minute barrier, you need to have a solid base level of fitness, but you also need to ensure you've done sufficient training beforehand.
If you want to run a 5k in 20 minutes your body needs to get comfortable running at a speed of 4 minutes/km – or 6 minutes 26 seconds/ mile. Therefore, to better prepare your body for quicker paces you´ll need to adopt a different training plan by incorporating a few well-established methods.
To run a sub-14 minute 5km time then you'll want to get your 5k pace at 4:30 minutes per mile or 2:48 minutes per kilometer to come in at just under your desired time. With the popularity of parkrun and various couch to 5k training plans, it really is a popular, and achievable distance for most runners.
On average a 5K run will burn between 300 and 400 calories (around 100 calories per mile), but if you are looking to work out the rate that you personally burn calories when running a 5K, you will need to take a few factors into consideration.
Average 5k time for men
The average time for men across all ages is 22:40. If you are a beginner and your age is between 20 and 40 years old, a good average time is 31:59. However, if you are novice or intermediate you are looking for 26:42 and 22:58 respectively.
To practice rhythmic breathing, remember to use belly breathing and a 5-step pattern: 3 steps as you inhale and 2 steps as you exhale (i.e. As you step: inhale left, right, left; exhale right, left, right; inhale left, right, left; exhale right, left, right).