How many weeks is a 5K training plan?+
All three of our 5K plans run 9 weeks at every level. From Level 1 up, our race season guide puts a tune-up 5K in week 6, so you rehearse your pacing before the race that counts. If your race is closer than 9 weeks, email a coach before you start and we will tell you where to begin.
How many hours a week do I need to train for a 5K?+
On the 80/20 5K plan your weekly running averages 2.8 hours at Level 0 and 7.3 hours at Level 3, with peak weeks of 3.5 to 9 hours. Matt's rule is to train at the highest volume at which you consistently feel good, so pick the level whose average you can hold most weeks.
Which 5K plan suits beginner, intermediate and advanced runners?+
Level 0 suits beginners, with five runs in a typical week and two days off. Level 1 is for runners on moderate mileage, Level 2 for experienced runners with seven runs a week, and Level 3 for high-volume competitive runners with nine. Pick the level you can sustain today, and if it turns out wrong we switch you at no cost.
Should I train by heart rate, pace or power for a 5K?+
Any of them works, and the 80/20 and Masters plans also come in an RPE version for running by feel. Pace is the most race-relevant measure and the easiest way to rehearse your goal pace, but it stops being reliable on hills. Heart rate is a useful check on easy days, though it lags behind changes in effort and drifts with heat and fatigue.
What if I miss a week of 5K training?+
Pick up the schedule where you are rather than trying to make the runs up. That holds for a missed run or two when you are healthy. After a longer gap, especially for illness or injury, ease back in over a few days first. If the plan no longer fits, email a coach and we can move you to another level.
Does it include strength training?+
Not in the plan itself. Strength comes as a separate 5K Strength Training Plug-in, matched to your level and to the plan's 9 weeks so the sessions fit around your key runs. For a fuller gym program there is 5K Premium Strength. Team 80/20 includes both, along with every other 80/20 plan.
