5k
Under 22 Minutes
Goal pace: 4:24/km. The step between sub-25 and the 20-minute club — speed with method.
What it takes.
Sub-22 asks for 4:24/km over 5k — VDOT around 45. Equivalences: a 10k near 45:40 and a half around 1:41. If your 5k sits between 22:30 and 23:30 today, you are one short cycle from the mark.
In the 5k, almost the whole race happens near VO2max — which is why intervals play the central role. The trap is neglecting the base: without enough easy running, the hard reps stop being sustainable.
Calculate your sub-22 training paces
Enter a recent result to confirm your VDOT is at 45+ — and which paces to use in every workout.
Training paces for sub-22.
Aerobic base. Most of the week.
20-30 min at threshold.
Reps of 400m to 1000m.
Blocks inside specific workouts.
What the training looks like.
Volume
35-50km per week, across 4-5 runs. Even for a short race, easy volume builds the base that makes hard reps pay off.
2 quality sessions
400-1000m intervals at 4:12-4:22 (e.g. 5x1000m, 2min rec.) + a 20-30 min tempo run per week.
Long run
10-14km easy. Aerobic endurance is what holds km 4, where sub-22 usually slips away.
Specificity
In the final weeks, sets like 3x1600m at 4:24 with short recovery reproduce the race's exact demand.
5k plans.
What sub-22 means.
Under 22 minutes you are racing at the front of 5k fields — and entering the anteroom of the distance's most talked-about club, sub-20. The difference between the two is method, not talent.
Sub-22's VDOT 45 also unlocks the other distances: a sub-46 10k and a sub-1:42 half sit at the same physiological level. Few goals return as much per training cycle.
Race strategy.
The 5k does not forgive fast openings: a 4:10 first km charges interest by km 3. Open at 4:26-4:28, settle at 4:24 and leave the decision for the last 1500m.
Kilometers 3 and 4 are the heart of the race — discomfort is maximal and constant, and that is where the mark is won or lost. Train that feeling in long intervals; on race day it will be familiar.
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