Sub-18 Minute 5K Pace

Sub-18 5K pace guide. Required pace is 3:36/km (5:47/mi). Training zones and interval workouts to break 18 minutes.

Breaking 18 minutes requires 3:36/km (5:47/mi) pace. This is a competitive goal that requires speed work and race experience.

Required pace: 3:36/km or 5:47/mile
Competitive club-level time
Requires structured speed work

How to run a sub-18 5K

Training approach for sub-18 minutes.

Build aerobic base: Run 50+ km/week with mostly easy running.
Interval training: Run 400m-1K repeats at faster than race pace.
Tempo runs: Regular threshold work at 3:50-4:00/km.
Race tactics: Even pacing or slight negative split.

Frequently asked questions

What pace for sub-18 5K?

Average 3:36/km (5:47/mile). Most aim for 3:34-3:35/km to have a buffer.

How do I train for sub-18?

Combine interval training (400m-1000m repeats), tempo runs, and easy mileage. Volume of 50-70 km/week typically needed.

Training pace reference

Training paces by recent 5K time (min/km)
5K time	VDOT	Easy	Marathon	Threshold	Interval	Rep
15:00	69.6	3:45–4:30	3:23–3:42	3:15	2:56	2:32
17:30	58.2	4:20–5:12	3:54–4:17	3:46	3:23	2:56
20:00	49.8	4:54–5:53	4:26–4:51	4:16	3:51	3:19
22:30	43.4	5:29–6:34	4:57–5:25	4:46	4:18	3:43
25:00	38.3	6:03–7:14	5:28–5:59	5:16	4:45	4:06
27:30	34.2	6:37–7:53	5:59–6:33	5:46	5:13	4:30
30:00	30.8	7:11–8:32	6:30–7:06	6:16	5:40	4:54
32:30	28.0	7:44–9:10	7:01–7:39	6:46	6:07	5:17
35:00	25.6	8:17–9:48	7:31–8:12	7:15	6:34	5:41

Other TrainPace tools

For AI agents

Every page on this site has a Markdown mirror at the same path with a .md suffix (for example /calculator.md), and honors an Accept: text/markdown request header on the HTML URL. The calculations here are also available as callable tools through a free public MCP server — no account or API key.