Sample plan

5K training plan for sub-20

Adrià wants to see a nineteen.

Adrià is 34 and has run for ten years: five days a week, around 50 km, and a 20:40 5K last month. Nine weeks to find the forty-five seconds that make it a nineteen.

Built by Tuin on 9 September 2026
Shown from this week, so it reads like a plan starting today — every weekday, distance and session is exactly as it was written.

The runner is made up. The plan is not: it is exactly what Tuin built from these numbers, through the same door every athlete's first plan goes through. It was written in Catalan — the other two languages are translated word for word, never renumbered, and strength exercises are named from a standard glossary so they read the same everywhere.

Why this plan looks like this

Forty-five seconds over five kilometres is nine seconds a kilometre, and at Adrià's level there is nowhere obvious left to find them: ten years of running, fifty kilometres a week, nothing missing. So the plan does the only thing left — it raises how fast he can run while still clearing lactate, which is slow, unglamorous work and the reason the block is built around threshold rather than around the short, fast reps most runners reach for at this distance.

What the coach was told

Goal
Autumn 5K
Race day
13 December 2026
Distance
5 km
Target
19:45
Runs per week
5
Weekly volume
~50 km
Longest run
20 km
Recent effort
5 km · 20:40
Threshold pace
4:13/km

The eight weeks before

Weekly kilometres the coach read before writing a single session — the runs it built on.

49
49
53
54
37
54
55
55

What the coach said, handing it over

Great, here's your first plan — 9 weeks until the autumn 5K on December 13th.

I've based this on your 20:40 at 5K (September 20th) as your real fitness baseline, and I've assumed that 19:45 is a realistic goal TODAY (not a "someday" target): if it's more of a distant milestone, let me know and I'll ease the pace of the intervals. I've also assumed you want to keep your usual easy pace around 5:00-5:20/km and that Monday is your strength day (once per week, as you have it set up).

Since you've chosen Cruise mode, I won't ramp up the volume: I'm keeping the long run between 12 and 16 km (you don't need the 20 km you're already doing to run a fast 5K — that energy is better invested in speed), I'm putting a down week at week 5 so fatigue doesn't accumulate, and I'm sharpening the quality work toward 5K/threshold paces as we get closer to the race. Race week includes a short sharpener on Tuesday and strides on Saturday, not just easy runs — so you arrive fresh and sharp, not flat.

Weeks 7 and 8 are in summary mode for you (same sessions and distances, without the step-by-step detail); I'll develop them fully when we get there. If you tell me your specific threshold pace or how the intervals are going, I'll fine-tune even more.

The plan, week by week

Sixteen weeks is a lot to scroll. Every week is folded — open the ones you want, and week one is open already.

9 weeks · Peak week 3 · 43 km planned

Week 1from 12 Oct3 sessions29 km planned

Recover from the long run and resume easy

  • Thu 15
    Easy · 8 km @ 5:00-5:20/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run to recover from last Sunday's 20 km long run
  • Sat 17
    On/offs · 8 × (1 min / 1 min) · 30–40 min
    First short and very easy session: the body is still feeling the long run
  • Sun 18
    Long · 14 km @ 5:00-5:15/km · 65–80 min
    Easy long run, no pace pressure
Week 2from 19 Oct6 sessions40 km planned

Build up the easy running and add the first threshold session

  • Mon 19
    Strength
    Front or back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 per side · moderate-heavy · Calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 8 · single leg · Calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 8 · single leg · Single-leg glute bridge 3 × 8 · bodyweight+
  • Tue 20
    Cruise intervals · 4 × 1 km · 40–50 min
    4x1000 m at threshold pace
  • Wed 21
    Easy · 8 km @ 5:00-5:20/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run
  • Thu 22
    Easy · 6 × (20s / 90s) · 10–15 min
    Easy run with short strides at the end
  • Sat 24
    Long · 15 km @ 5:00-5:15/km · 70–85 min
    Easy long run
  • Sun 25
    Easy · 9 km @ 5:10-5:25/km · 40–55 min
    Easy recovery run
Week 3from 26 Oct6 sessions43 km planned

Descending ladder: first touch of 5K pace

  • Mon 26
    Strength
    Front or back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 per side · moderate-heavy · Calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 8 · single leg · Calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 8 · single leg · Single-leg glute bridge 3 × 8 · bodyweight+
  • Tue 27
    Tempo ladder · 9.5 km · 40–50 min
    Descending ladder 3-2-1 km, building pace
  • Wed 28
    Easy · 8 km @ 5:00-5:20/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run
  • Thu 29
    Easy · 6 × (20s / 90s) · 10–15 min
    Easy run with short strides at the end
  • Sat 31
    Long · 16 km @ 5:00-5:15/km · 75–90 min
    Easy long run, peak volume before the recovery week
  • Sun 1
    Easy · 9 km @ 5:10-5:25/km · 40–55 min
    Easy run
Week 4from 2 Nov6 sessions41 km planned

Final effort before recovery week: continuous paces

  • Mon 2
    Strength
    Front or back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 per side · moderate-heavy · Calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 8 · single leg · Calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 8 · single leg · Single-leg glute bridge 3 × 8 · bodyweight+
  • Tue 3
    Progressive run · 7 km · 30–40 min
    Progressive run: easy, threshold and 5K pace linked together
  • Wed 4
    Easy · 8 km @ 5:00-5:20/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run
  • Thu 5
    Easy · 6 × (20s / 90s) · 10–15 min
    Easy run with short strides at the end
  • Sat 7
    Long · 16 km @ 5:00-5:15/km · 75–90 min
    Easy long run
  • Sun 8
    Easy · 9 km @ 5:10-5:25/km · 40–55 min
    Easy run
Week 5from 9 Nov6 sessions38 km planned

Recovery week: lower volume and intensity to consolidate fitness

  • Mon 9
    Strength
    Front or back squat 3 × 5 · moderate · Bulgarian split squat 2 × 6 per side · moderate · Calf raise (straight knee) 2 × 8 · single leg · Calf raise (bent knee) 2 × 8 · single leg · Single-leg glute bridge 2 × 8 · bodyweight
  • Tue 10
    Cruise intervals · 3 × 800 m · 25–35 min
    3x800 m at threshold pace, light week
  • Wed 11
    Easy · 7 km @ 5:10-5:25/km · 30–45 min
    Short easy run
  • Thu 12
    Easy · 7 km @ 5:10-5:25/km · 30–45 min
    Short easy run
  • Sat 14
    Long · 12 km @ 5:05-5:20/km · 55–70 min
    Reduced long run to ease into recovery
  • Sun 15
    Easy · 7 km @ 5:10-5:25/km · 30–45 min
    Short easy run
Week 6from 16 Nov6 sessions39 km planned

Resume with intensity focused on 5K pace

  • Mon 16
    Strength
    Front or back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 per side · moderate-heavy · Calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 8 · single leg · Calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 8 · single leg · Single-leg glute bridge 3 × 8 · bodyweight+
  • Tue 17
    On/offs · 10 × (1 min / 1 min) · 30–45 min
    Hard on/off at 5K pace, key session of this block
  • Wed 18
    Easy · 8 km @ 5:00-5:20/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run
  • Thu 19
    Easy · 6 × (20s / 90s) · 10–15 min
    Easy run with short pickups at the end
  • Sat 21
    Long · 14 km @ 5:00-5:15/km · 65–80 min
    Long easy run
  • Sun 22
    Easy · 8 km @ 5:10-5:25/km · 35–50 min
    Easy run
Week 7from 23 Nov6 sessions43 km planned

Last long run before starting taper

  • Mon 23
    Strength
  • Tue 24
    Tempo ladder · 8 km · 40–55 min
    2-1.5-1 km ladder, building paces
  • Wed 25
    Easy · 7 km @ 5:00-5:20/km · 30–40 min
    Easy run
  • Thu 26
    Easy · 7 km @ 5:00-5:20/km · 30–40 min
    Easy run with pickups
  • Sat 28
    Long · 12 km @ 5:00-5:15/km · 55–70 min
    Long run, starting to think about taper
  • Sun 29
    Easy · 7 km @ 5:10-5:25/km · 30–45 min
    Easy run
Week 8from 30 Nov6 sessions38 km planned

Taper begins: reduce volume, maintain some speed

  • Mon 30
    Strength
  • Tue 1
    Cruise intervals · 4 × 1.6 km · 45–60 min
    3x600 m short intervals at threshold pace
  • Wed 2
    Easy · 6 km @ 5:10-5:25/km · 25–35 min
    Easy short run
  • Thu 3
    Easy · 6 km @ 5:10-5:25/km · 25–35 min
    Easy short run
  • Sat 5
    Long · 10 km @ 5:05-5:20/km · 45–60 min
    Short easy run, already in taper phase
  • Sun 6
    Easy · 6 km @ 5:10-5:25/km · 25–35 min
    Easy short run
Week 9from 7 Dec6 sessions23 km planned

Race week: short sharpener and strides, arrive fresh and sharp

  • Tue 8
    Cruise intervals · 3 × 600 m · 20–30 min
    Short sharpener at 5K pace: low volume, exact pace — you should finish feeling like you could repeat it
  • Wed 9
    Easy · 5 km @ 5:10-5:25/km · 20–30 min
    Easy short run
  • Thu 10
    Rest
    Complete rest before the race
  • Fri 11
    Easy · 5 km @ 5:15-5:30/km · 20–30 min
    Very easy run, light legs
  • Sat 12
    Easy · 5 × (25s / 2 min) · 25–35 min
    Strides: easy with short accelerations at race pace
  • Sun 13
    Race day · 5 km @ 3:57/km · 15–25 min
    5K fall race — target 19:45, pace 3:57/km
Other plans
5K in 22:00 →5K under 25:00 →5K in 30:00 →10K under 40:00 →10K under 42:00 →10K in 45:00 →10K in 50:00 →10K in 55:00 →Half under 1:30 →Half in 1:45 →Half in 2:00 →Half in 2:10 →Half in 2:15 →First half, 2:30 →Marathon under 3:00 →Marathon in 3:30 →Marathon in 3:45 →Marathon in 4:00 →First marathon, 4:30 →First trail, 25K →Trail marathon, 42K →50K trail →

Yours would look different

Tuin writes every plan from the runs it can actually see and the goal you set — then keeps rewriting it as your weeks happen. The whole of it is free for 7 days.

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5K training plan for sub-20 · Tuin