One of the best things about the 5K distance (equivalent to 3.1 miles) is that it’s an accessible and approachable distance for most runners. You can train to run your first 5K in a couple of months, and most people can fit in 5K training even with a full-time job or busy schedule.
However, once you’ve run your first 5K, if you don’t feel like stepping up the distance to the 10K or half marathon, you might want to set your sights on running a 5K PR.
Many advanced runners are interested in how to run a sub-19-minute 5K. It is an impressive accomplishment, yet completely possible with dedicated training and hard work.
According to Run Repeat, males who have a sub-19-minute 5K personal best are faster than 98.90% of other male runners at this distance, while females who can run 5K in 19 minutes are faster than 99.70% of female runners. In other words, running 5K in 19 minutes places you in the uppermost echelon of runners these days.1Compare Running Finish Times [Calculator] – 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon. (n.d.). Athletic Shoe Reviews. https://runrepeat.com/how-do-you-masure-up-the-runners-percentile-calculator
How To Pace A 19-Minute 5K
To run 5K in 19 minutes, you will need to run 6:07 per mile or 3:48 per kilometer. This means a 19-minute 5K pace is 6:07 per mile (6 minutes and 7 seconds) or 3:48 per kilometer (3 minutes and 48 seconds).
However, since most people looking to run 5K in 19 minutes want to break 19 minutes as a barrier (running 18:59 or faster), you’ll want to shave a second or two over the course of the race.
If you are running on a track, 5K in 19 minutes equates to just over 91 seconds (1:31) per 400 meters and 3:03 for 800 meters.
19 Minute 5K: Running Speed
If you are training to complete a sub-19-minute 5K run on the treadmill, your race pace workouts will be run at a treadmill speed of 9.8 mph (roughly 6:07 pace) or 15.8 km/hr.
19 Minute 5K: Splits
To run 5k in 19 minutes with even splits, you’ll be aiming for 6:07 at mile 1, hitting 2 miles in 12:14, hitting 3 miles in 18:21, and closing in just under 19 minutes.
For kilometers, aim for 3:48 at 1km, 7:36 at 2km, 11:24 at 3km, 15:12 at 4km, and 19:00 at 5km.
How to Run 5 Km In 19 Minutes
Running a 5K in 19 minutes is an impressive goal for advanced long-distance runners. A 5K in 19 minutes is an appropriate goal if you’ve already run a sub-20-minute 5K. You should also be able to run one mile in 6:07 or faster, or at least 2 km at 3:48 pace (7:36 for 2 km), as this will be your race pace for running 5 km in 19 minutes.
Remember, your success as a distance runner doesn’t just come down to what you do in training, but in all aspects of your life.
While your running workouts, strength training, and cross-training certainly play a significant role in your ability to reach your running goals, when you start getting down to faster running goals like running a sub-19-minute 5K, the other elements of your lifestyle also work to help you or harm you in reaching your goals.
To smash your training goals, make sure you’re getting at least 7-9 hours of sleep per night on a consistent basis, eating a nutritious and adequate diet to support your workouts and recovery, drinking plenty of water, and minimizing unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, excessive drinking, allowing stress to become all-consuming, and eating a poor quality diet.
Our 19 Minute 5K Training Plan Explained
Our 19-minute 5K training plan involves running 4-5 days per week, and resting at least one. You should be able to run 5 miles comfortably without stopping and have about 6-12 hours per week to train.
To run a 5K in 19 minutes, you need to follow a well-rounded training program with long runs, interval workouts, hills, base-building runs, threshold workouts, cross-training, and strength training.
Easy Runs
Easy runs help develop your aerobic base without taxing your body in the way that speed workouts do. Pace isn’t important here. You should run your easy runs at a comfortable, conversational pace, at an effort of 5-6 on a RPE scale of 1-10, where 10 is max effort.
Long Runs
Long runs build up physical and mental endurance. They strengthen your musculoskeletal system and cardiovascular system, upping your heart rate and helping increase the ability of your Type I muscle fibers to oxidize fat and produce energy through aerobic respiration.
Most 5K training plans include a long run once a week. Your long run typically gets progressively longer over your training program until the taper period before your race.
Speed Workouts
Speed workouts on the track involve running specific distances at race pace (91-92 seconds/400 meters for the goal of 5K in 19 minutes) or faster.
Speed workouts improve your fitness, allowing you to run faster and longer. They also train your body to be more metabolically flexible, so that you can use fuel more efficiently and burn fat at higher effort levels.
Good speed workouts for the 5K include hill sprints, fartlek runs, and intervals like 10-12 x 400 meters, 6 x 800 meters, 5-6 x 1000 meters, mile repeats, and various other ladders and pyramids run at race pace or faster.
Threshold Workouts
Threshold workouts are designed to improve your lactate threshold – the point at which your body is no longer able to clear lactate from the muscles as quickly as it is being produced. Hence, these workouts train your body to handle running faster before hitting anaerobic efforts.
For most runners, the threshold run pace is about 25-30 seconds per mile slower than 5K race pace. Therefore, if you are training to run 5K in 19 minutes, your threshold workouts should be run around 6:32-6:37 per mile pace (3:58-4:03 per km). This pace should be equivalent to an effort that’s about 83-88% of your VO2 max effort.2Cerezuela-Espejo, V., Courel-Ibáñez, J., Morán-Navarro, R., Martínez-Cava, A., & Pallarés, J. G. (2018). The Relationship Between Lactate and Ventilatory Thresholds in Runners: Validity and Reliability of Exercise Test Performance Parameters. Frontiers in Physiology, 9(1320). https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.01320
Hill Repeats
Hill sprints build strength, power, and speed. These training sessions are also a good opportunity to work on your running form, and prepare you for tackling hills during your 5K race. They can also help increase your cadence or turnover.
Strides
Strides are typically anywhere from 50-200 meters or so, and should be run at near-maximal speeds.
Running strides condition your neuromuscular system to handle faster paces in a controlled and coordinated manner, increases your turnover, and is a great way to add little pockets of speed work to an easy run day without really taxing the body like a full interval session.
Cross-Training Workouts
Cross-training is a great way to get an aerobic workout while using different muscles and reducing the impact of your activity. Low-impact exercises like cycling, pool running, swimming, elliptical, and rowing can supplement your running and help prevent overuse injuries.
Rest Days
Rest days give your legs and feet time off to recover and rebound from training.
Strength Training
Make sure you are fitting in core work, mobility exercises, and strength training workouts 2-3 times per week.
Total-body strength training workouts help prevent injuries by correcting strength imbalances and building functional stability so that your body can handle the miles of running.
19-Minute 5K Training Plan
This 6-week 5k training plan will help you break 19 minutes in the 5k. Plan to do 2-3 days of strength training per week on top of this program.
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
Rest or 30-45 minutes cross-training | Warm up 1 mile or 2 km 10 x 400 meters in 1:30-1:32 with 200 meter jog in between Cool down 1 mile or 2 km | 3 miles easy run (5 km) | Rest day | Warm up 2 miles or 3 km 10-12 x 100 meter or 30-45 second hill sprints Cool down 2 miles or 3 km | 30 minutes easy run or 3-4 miles (5-7 km) | Long run 5 miles (8 km) |
Rest or 30-45 minutes cross-training | Warm up 1 mile or 2 km 5 x 1,000 meters in 3:44-3:48 with 200 meter jog in between Cool down 1 mile or 2 km | 3-4 miles easy run (5-6 km) | Rest day | Warm up 1 mile or 2 km 2 x 8 minutes at 6:32-6:37 per mile pace (3:58-4:03 per km) with 90 seconds in between 4 x 30 seconds at sprint/mile pace with 30 seconds rest Cool down 1 mile or 2 km | 30 minutes easy run or 3-4 miles (5-7 km) 4 x 50 m strides | Long run 6 miles (9-10 klm) |
Rest or 30-45 minutes cross-training | Warm up 1 mile or 2 km 3 x 1600 meters in 6:02-6:07 with 200 meter jog in between Cool down 1 mile or 2 km | 3-5 miles easy run (5-8 km) | Rest day | Warm up 1 mile or 2 km 3 x 8 minutes at 6:31-6:36 per mile pace (3:57-4:01 per km) with 90 seconds in between 4 x 30 seconds at sprint/mile pace with 30 seconds rest Cool down 1 mile or 2 km | 4-5 mile easy run (6-8 km) 4 x 50-75m strides | Long run 7 miles (11 km) |
Rest or 30-45 minutes cross-training | Warm up 1 mile or 2 km 1 x 2 miles or 3200 meters in 12:09-12:14 200 meter jog 4 x 400 meters in 1:28-1:31 with 90 seconds recovery Cool down 1 mile or 2 km | 4-6 miles easy run (7-10 km) | Rest day | Warm up 2 miles or 3 km 12-15 x 100 meter or 30-45 second hill sprints Cool down 2 miles or 3 km | 5 mile easy run (8 km) 4 x 50-75m strides | Long run 8 miles (12-13 km) |
Rest or 30-45 minutes cross-training | Warm up 1 mile or 2 km 1 x 1600 meters in 6:02-6:07 200 meter jog 4 x 1,000 meters in 3:43-3:48 with 60 seconds recovery Cool down 1 mile or 2 km | 4-6 miles easy run (7-10 km) | Rest day | Warm up 1 mile or 2 km 25 minutes at threshold pace (5:50-5:55 min/mile) Cool down 1 mile or 2 km | 4-5 miles easy run (7-8 km) 4 x 50-75m strides | Long run 6 miles (10 km) |
Rest or 30-45 minutes cross-training | Warm up 1 mile or 2 km 6 x 800 meters in 3:11-3:14 with 200 meter jog in between Cool down 1 mile or 2 km | 4 mile (7 km) easy run | Rest day | 20 minute easy jog + 4 strides | 5K Race | Shake out or active recovery walk |
Let us know how your race goes, and feel free to share any of your own training tip. Once you break 19 minutes, set your sights on breaking 18 minutes in the 5K. Chip away at your goals!