5 kilometers in 25 minutes: 9 tips

Do you want to run 5 kilometers in 25 minutes, but are you stuck at a level between 25 minutes and half an hour?

Then we list nine tips here to get faster at this beautiful distance.

You know exactly what you are training for: you want to run 5:00 / km, this pace is regularly reflected in your training. It is good to get used to this speed physically and mentally.

Of course you don’t have to pick up all the tips at the same time, choose two or three tips to get started.

1. Intervals

If you don’t do interval training yet, interval training is a golden addition to your workouts. With interval training you can gain a lot of speed in a short time. The art of this training is to run at speeds that you are not (yet) used to. So that your body gets to know the stimulus of this high speed. There are dozens of types of interval training, we give three possible intervals here.

After a warm up you can run 8 x 200 meters in 51 seconds*. You notice that the first 200 meters go well and that it gets tough in the course of the series. After an intensive 200 meters you can dribble very quietly for 200 meters.

Another workout is 400-meter intervals. Run 8 x 400 meters in 1:50 / 1:54. After 400 meters you walk very quietly for 200 meters to recover.

2. Trainer or buddy

An interval training is 1000 x more fun and easier if you have a trainer or a running buddy with the same goal. Don’t have a trainer or buddy yet? Then leave a comment under this blog and say where you live, you may have quickly found an inspiring trainer or an inspiring buddy.

3. Start hard

Five kilometers can be far. But not again. If you are not used to going deep and you are a bit wary of sour legs, it is good to start hard and commit yourself to run the first part faster than the second part. You can often – with a high heart rate and rapid breathing – continue the last 2 kilometers. It sounds a bit strange, but it works well to tell yourself that you will regret your hard start after 3 kilometers, instead of having something left over. Start with swagger and the chances of a PR are high.

4. Strength training

Incorporate squats into your workout or other days. Not just any squat, but squats where you jump. This improves the push-off in your running stride. Lunges are also excellent for a stronger set of legs.

5. Running technique

Have you not done anything specific with your running technique before? Then it is good to get started with your technique. Technique training can be expanded by training on arm swing, knee lift, push-off and much more. Without a trainer you don’t have to pay attention to everything at the same time, then it’s good to train your stride frequency. Experience or one higher cadence good feels and makes you faster. Do you want to hear from a technique trainer which running style suits you best? Then you can do a session with the famous technique trainer Franklin van Doesburg.

6. 1 kilometer in 5:00 /km

In addition to interval training, it is good to choose 1 kilometer during another training to run 5:00 /km. This way you learn to feel what the pace is and your body gets used to your desired speed. It’s fine to choose 1 kilometer (for example, the third or fourth kilometer of your workout) during a quiet workout to run at 5:00/km.

7. Exercise 3 times a week

With one training session per week you maintain your current fitness level, with two training sessions per week you slowly build up. However, do you want to quickly build up fitness and become faster? Then 3 training sessions per week is ideal.

1. Interval
2. 6 kilometers easy walk (5:45 /km) with 1 kilometer 5:00 /km
3. 7 kilometers at a pace of 5:30 /km

8. Lose some pounds

Are you a few kilos heavier than necessary? Then it helps enormously to lose some kilos. Ron van Megen and Hans van Dijk’s calculator is inspiring to lose some weight. You can enter your current weight and your PR in their calculator, then you can see what happens to your times if you lose a few kilos. Example: you are 82 kilos and your PR on the 5 kilometers is 26:00. If you lose 4 kilos, you will not run 26:00 with the same power, but you will already be at 24:44. Are you curious how that works for you? Enter your weight and your PR here.

9. Running on power

Do you already apply many of the above tips and still stay on the same level? Then a Stryd can offer a solution. Stryd is a (quite expensive) power meter with which you can train for power. The big advantage of Stryd is that you have a trainer on your shoe that every analyzes and includes in the analysis. This way you can do your intervals and endurance training based on power and you know for sure that you smartly trains based on your current form.

Did we forget another tip?

Let us know in a comment what made you run faster.

*Times determined using Daniels’ Running Formula from Jack Daniels