These 5 Fun Interval Workouts Can Help You Run a Faster 5K

No matter what distance you prefer, there’s nothing quite like racing a hard 5K. Not only is it a rewarding distance to race, but you can also run many of them in one season—and with races finally starting to come back, a 5K is a great way to get back in the game.

But in order to race fast, you’ve got to run fast in training. How fast is fast? Well it depends on the runner, which is why these workouts are programmed by effort instead of a specific pace. This allows you to continue to practice these workouts as you get faster by monitoring your effort and adjusting as you get faster.

Here’s how to gauge your exertion:

⭐️ Yellow Zone: This zone is the aerobic (or easiest) effort, and it’s used for easy runs, recovery runs, and long runs. Running at this effort allows you to run for a long time, improves your fat-burning enzymes, and isn’t very stressful on the body. In this zone, you can talk easily without having to pause to catch your breath.

🔶 Orange Zone: This zone is a step up from yellow. The moderately challenging effort hovers around your lactate threshold (redline), the point at which we shift from using more fat for energy to using more glycogen. You’re not running all-out, but you are slightly above your comfort zone. We run in this zone during workouts like tempo runs and long intervals to raise the redline, which helps us run faster at easier efforts. In this zone, you can only say a few words at a time when talking.

🔴 Red Zone: When you cross over the redline, you run in the red zone, a very challenging effort level that is flat-out hard and well outside your comfort zone. This is the effort for intervals, hill repeats, and any high-intensity workout. Training in this zone will improve fitness and speed and boost your metabolism for hours post-workout. In this zone, you shouldn’t be able to hold a conversation.

Now that you know the difference between the zones, put them to the test with these five 5K workouts that will build speed in a fun way. If you’re training for a specific race:

→ Start with the first workout (1-minute intervals) once per week for at three weeks.
→ Progress to the second workout (2-minute intervals) for three weeks.
→ Run the third workout (1-2-3 workout) once per week for the weeks leading up to your 5K race. It’s best to run this on a flat, predictable terrain like a path, road, or track.

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8 x 1-Minute Intervals

Total workout time: 37 minutes

Walk and/or perform dynamic stretches for 3 minutes to warm up
Run 10 minutes at an easy effort
Run 1 minute at a hard but controlled effort in the red zone
Follow with 1 minute of walking to catch your breath and recover
Repeat 1-minute on/1-minute off interval 7 times for 8 total intervals
Run 5 minutes at an easy effort
Walk 3 minutes to cool down completely

6 x 2-Minute Intervals

Total workout time: 45 minutes

Walk and/or perform dynamic stretches for 3 minutes to warm up
Run 10 minutes at an easy effort
Run 2 minutes at a hard but controlled effort in the red zone
Follow with 1 minute walking then 1 minute of easy running easy to catch your breath and recover
Run 5 minutes at an easy effort
Walking 3 minutes.

1-2-3 Intervals

Total workout time: 57 minutes

Walk and/or perform dynamic stretches for 3 minutes to warm up
Run 10 minutes at an easy effort
Run 1 minute at a hard but controlled effort in the red zone, followed by 1 minute easy walking or easy running
Run 2 minutes in the red zone followed by 1 minute of easy walking then 1 minute of easy running
Run 3 minutes in the red zone followed by 1 minute of walking and 2 minutes of running easy
Repeat the 1-2-3 intervals 3 times total
Run 5 minutes at an easy effort
Walk 3 minutes to cool down completely

3 x Tempo Mile Workout

The interval workouts above build speed, but this workout below will improve your stamina to run faster and more efficiently. The key is to run at the right effort (your “red line”) so you can raise your threshold—the point at which your body shifts to using more glycogen for energy.

Run this workout once per week and at least two days away from the interval run. If you are new to running speed workouts, alternate this workout with the interval workout every other week so you are running one hard workout per week. Take note of your pace as you progress, as you will cover the mile more quickly as you improve.

Total workout distance: 4 to 5 miles

Walk and/or perform dynamic stretches for 3 minutes to warm up
Run 10 minutes at an easy effort
Run 1 mile at an effort just outside your comfort zone (at the upper edge of the orange zone, a.k.a your red line)
Walk 2 minutes to recover (take more time if needed)
Repeat the mile effort and recovery 2 times for 3 total
Run 5 minutes at an easy effort
Walk 3 minutes to cool down completely

Progressive Endurance Workout

Another key element of fitness for running fast 5Ks is to build your endurance, or the ability to cover long distances efficiently. For the 5K, that means running 5 to 6 miles once per week at an easy, conversational effort level in the yellow zone.

As a progression (for the seasoned runners who have a base like yourself), you can weave in a Progressive Endurance Workout every two to three weeks to simulate the race course. This combines all three effort zones—yellow, orange, and red—and teaches you how to run in all three zones, which is an effective skill for pacing yourself on race day.

Total workout distance: 5 to 6 miles

Walk and/or perform dynamic stretches for 3 minutes to warm up
Run 2 miles at an easy effort in the yellow zone
Run 1 mile in the orange zone, just outside your comfort zone)
Run 1 mile in the red zone, a hard-but-controlled effort
Run 1 mile at just outside your comfort zone, at the upper edge of the orange zone, your “red line” or an effort during which you can no longer talk in sentences
Walk 2 minutes to recover (take more time if needed)
Run 5 minutes at an easy effort
Walk 3 minutes to cool down completely

Need a 5K training plan? These will help you reach your goals

Beginners 5K (8 weeks, 9–13 miles per week)
Break 30 Minutes 5K (8 weeks, 12–20 miles per week)
Break 20 Minutes 5K (8 weeks, 18–40 miles per week)

And finally, one more tip for your 5K training: Many a race is won and lost in the warmup and pre-race preparation. The shorter the race, the more intricate the warmup should be, as racing for a 5K personal record demands that you start out running hard and then go harder. The more you invest in a proper warmup, the more easily your body will be able to push when the gun goes off. Try this warmup on race day to boost your performance. Aim to finish this warmup 10 minutes before the start of the race.

5K Training and Race-Day Warm Up

Total warmup time: around 15 minutes

Walk briskly for 3 minutes to wake up your muscles; add some dynamic stretches
Run 5 minutes at an easy, conversational effort to warm up
Run 3 minutes at a moderate to hard effort (not all out)
Run six 15-second accelerations (progress the speed of your runs to close to a sprint and then walk it out to recover)
Perform four 15-second skipping drills (focusing on pushing off your toes and reaching your body forward versus up in the air)
Finish with any additional dynamic drills or stretches you see fit

By investing in a thorough warmup, weaving in a variety of speed, tempo, and endurance workouts, you will be well on your way to running faster 5Ks this season and beyond.