Join Pacers Running and FITDC for a five-week 5k training plan for runners of all skill levels, including new runners. The training
program will culminate in the free, FITDC Fresh Start 5K!
Elements of the Training Plan:
- 3 planned runs weekly: Monday Social Run at Pacers 14th (Mondays) at 6:30 pm and track on Thursday at Banneker
Community Track at 6:30pm, and Saturdays on your own!
- Monday runs are focused on base mileage: easy to moderate pace runs focused on building an endurance base
- Thursday Track workouts are focused on gaining speed and really challenging ourselves on shorter intervals! (your goal 5K pace and FASTER!)
- Saturday Runs are on your own and will continue to help you build a base to get to your 5K goal, whether that is finishing the 5K or a new PR!
Track Etiquette:
- Share the track: Run on the inside, pass on the outside, ALWAYS LEAVE SPACE FOR OTHERS TO PASS YOU! Walking
and Recoveries should happen in the outside lane or grass. - Move out of the way as soon as you finish; NEVER stop on the track, Never walk on inside lanes.
Track basics:
- 1 lap of a standard track is 400 meters or ¼ of a mile. This makes it easy to gauge pace during speed days!
- Our track workouts will often reference “goal pace” for your 5k. This is the minutes per mile pace that you are shooting for on
race day. We will often alternate between reps at your goal pace and reps FASTER than your goal pace. The purpose of this
is to help you learn to “feel” the pace you hope to race at AND to build speed and endurance.
Week 1:
- Monday Run: See what it feels like to just move for this amount of time/distance! This will be the base you build from!
- Thursday Track Workout: Alternating 800s and 400s; 800s @ 5k goal pace; 400s @ 15 sec or better under 5k goal pace
- Saturday Run: See if you can hold a pace within a minute/mile of your goal 5k pace!
| Beginner | Intermediate | Experienced | Advanced | |
| Monday (14th St.) | 2 mile walk/jog OR 3 mile walk/jog Trying to run for 3 minutes for every one minute of walking | 3 mile run | 3 to 6 mile run | 3 to 7 mile run |
| Track | Repeat 2 times 800 at 5K-10K pace 400 recovery between each rep 2 x 400 at 5K pace 200 recovery between each rep | Repeat 2 times 2 x 800 at 5K-10K pace 400 recovery between each rep 2 x 400 at 5K pace 200 recovery between each rep | Repeat 2 times 2 x 800 at 5K-10K pace 400 recovery between each rep 3 x 400 at 5K pace 200 recovery between each rep | Repeat 2 times 2 x 800 at 5K-10K pace 400 recovery between each rep 4 x 400 at 5K pace 200 recovery between each rep |
| Saturday | 3 mile walk/jog OR run | 3 mile run | 3+ mile run | 3+ mile run |
Week 2:
- Monday Run: Stay consistent! Try to match what last Monday FELT like. We are listening to our bodies with the easy to
- moderate run, not our paces!
- Track Workout: Descending Ladder; first rep at goal 5k pace, each rep should get faster / 400 recovery on longest rep, then
- 200 for the rest
- Saturday: Try to be :05-:10/mile faster than last week!
| Beginner | Intermediate | Experienced | Advanced | |
| Monday (14th St.) | 2 mile walk/jog OR 3 mile walk/jog Trying to run for 3 minutes for every one minute of walking | 3 mile run | 3 to 6 mile run | 3 to 7 mile run |
| Track | 1200 at goal 5k pace 800 400 200 *400 recovery after 1200; 200 after all others | 1 mile at goal 5k pace 800 600 400 200 *400 recovery after mile; 200 after all others | 1 mile at goal 5k pace 1200 800 600 400 *400 recovery after mile; 200 after all others | 1 mile at goal 5k pace 1200 1000 800 600 400 *400 recovery after mile; 200 after all others |
| Saturday | 3 mile walk/jog OR run | 3 mile run | 3+ mile run | 3+ mile run |
Week 3:
- Monday Run: Stay consistent! Try to match what last Monday FELT like. We are listening to our bodies with the easy to moderate
run, not our paces! - Thursday Track Workout: 1000s // 200 recovery between each
| Beginner | Intermediate | Experienced | Advanced | |
| Monday (14th St.) | 2 mile walk/jog OR 3 mile walk/jog Trying to run for 3 minutes for every one minute of walking | 3 mile run | 3 to 6 mile run | 3 to 7 mile run |
| Track | 2 x 1000 at 5K-10K pace 400 recovery between each rep | 3 x 1000 at 5K-10K pace 400 recovery between each rep | 4 x 1000 at 5K-10K pace 400 recovery between each rep | 5 x 1000 at 5K-10K pace 400 recovery between each rep |
| Saturday | 3 mile walk/jog OR run | 3 mile run | 3+ mile run | 3+ mile run |
Week 4:
- Monday Run:Stay consistent! Try to match what last Monday FELT like. We are listening to our bodies with the easy to
moderate run, not our paces! - Track Workout: 800s, 400s, and 2002 // 200 recovery between each
- Saturday Run: Keep the pace easy as we head into the race next next week
| Beginner | Intermediate | Experienced | Advanced | |
| Monday (14th St.) | 2 mile walk/jog OR 3 mile walk/jog Trying to run for 3 minutes for every one minute of walking | 3 mile run | 3 to 6 mile run | 3 to 7 mile run |
| Track | 800 at 5K-10K pace 2 x 400 at 5K pace 2 x 200 at 5K pace 200 recovery between each rep | 2 x 800 at 5K-10K pace 2 x 400 at 5K pace 2 x 200 at 5K pace 200 recovery between each rep | 2 x 800 at 5K-10K pace 3 x 400 at 5K pace 3 x 200 at 5K pace 200 recovery between each rep | 2 x 800 at 5K-10K pace 4 x 400 at 5K pace 4 x 200 at 5K pace 200 recovery between each rep |
| Saturday | 3 mile walk/jog OR run | 3 mile run | 3+ mile run | 3+ mile run |
Week 5
- Monday Run: Stay consistent! Try to match what last Monday FELT like. We are listening to our bodies with the easy to
moderate run, not our paces! - Wednesday: Race Day!! The most important thing is to have fun!
| Beginner | Intermediate | Experienced | Advanced | |
| Monday (14th St.) | 2 mile walk/jog OR 3 mile walk/jog Trying to run for 3 minutes for every one minute of walking | 3 mile run | 3 to 6 mile run | 3 to 7 mile run |
| Wednesday | Race Day! | Race Day! | Race Day! | Race Day! |
Check out the entire program here and save and download to your phone so you can follow each week!
Join the Pacers Social Runs and continue your fitness journey with a supportive community.