🏃‍♀️ Program Overview

This Sub-20-Minute 5K Plan is designed by me, Holly Archer, a 15:50 5K runner and European silver medalist who’s had the privilege of representing England on the international stage. My experience as an elite athlete has helped shape this training plan, which focuses on progressively building your fitness to hit the sub-20-minute mark in the 5K.

🏋️‍♀️ What You’ll Get

This program targets all the key areas needed to run a fast 5K—speed, endurance, strength, and recovery. Every session has a clear purpose, whether it's improving your pacing, building your stamina, or strengthening your body to handle race intensity.

• Speed Work 🚀: High-intensity interval sessions designed to develop your speed, so you can run those faster 400m and 800m reps with confidence.


• Endurance 💪: Longer runs that focus on steady, aerobic fitness, helping you maintain pace over the full 5K distance.


• Strength 💥: Specific drills and strength sessions to build the power, stability, and resilience required to run fast and avoid injury.


• Recovery 🛌: Focus on rest and recovery strategies to allow your body to adapt to the intensity of the sessions and keep you healthy throughout your training.

⏳ Approach

• Patience & Consistency ⏱️: The key to success in this plan is sticking to it and focusing on the quality of each session. While progress can feel slow at times, stay patient and trust the process—you’ll see results with consistent effort.


• Quality over Quantity 📊: Don’t worry about the number of miles you run. Focus on the quality of each workout, whether it’s a speed session, strength drill, or recovery run. Each workout is a step toward your goal.


• Injury Prevention 🚑: As an athlete who’s worked hard to stay injury-free, I’ve included strength exercises and drills to help you avoid setbacks while building the fitness you need to run under 20 minutes.

🎯 Get Started

By committing to the plan and staying dedicated, you’ll steadily improve. Each run, each drill, and each recovery day brings you closer to your sub-20-minute goal.

Let’s get started, stay consistent, and most importantly—trust the process! 💯