Want To Do: 5 Miles In 38 Minutes

I am about to turn 51 and I have been running seriously for about a year and a half. Last year at this time I was able to run 2 miles in an 8 min 30 second pace. I now can run 5 miles in the same 8 min 30 second pace. Shortly I will be running in a 5 mile competitive race and would like to finish the 5 miles in 38 minutes. Where should I be focusing my training?

Right now I run 3 times a week and weight train 3 times a week. My three runs: Day 1 speed as fast as I can for as long as I can (usually 3 miles in 24 minutes). Day 2 5 miles at around an 8 minute 45 second pace. Day 3 is longer slower paced run about 7 miles in 60 minutes.
Thanks in advance for your help Don

Answer by Dom:
Hi Don,

Thanks for your running training question. You've built a fantastic routine at 51 — not many of us exercise six times a week. Your progress from 2 miles to 5 miles at the same pace is impressive commitment.

I need to be honest with you about your 38-minute goal. You want to run 7:36 per mile, and your current 3-mile time of 24 minutes tells me you're asking your body to drop 24 seconds per mile over a longer distance. That's a significant jump from where you are right now.

I'll break this down as follows:

1. Reality check — where you stand versus your target time
2. The training mistakes you're making right now
3. How to restructure your weekly training
4. Race-specific workouts for 5-mile preparation
5. Race day pacing to maximise your performance

Reality Check — Where You Stand Versus Your Target Time

I plugged your 3-mile time of 24 minutes into race conversion calculators. You're looking at about 41:14 for 5 miles based on current fitness. That puts you roughly 3+ minutes away from your 38-minute goal.

The maths are stark. You run 3 miles at 8:00/mile when you go "as fast as you can." You need to sustain 7:36/mile for nearly double the distance. That's not just faster — that's significantly faster for longer.

Depending on how close the race is, you may need to settle for a 41 minute race time. If you have a few more months to train, you might be able to nudge your time down to 39:30–41:00 minutes. That's still meaningful improvement and actually achievable. Most of us need 6–12 months of consistent training to drop 3+ minutes from their 5-mile time.

Your current training shows you can hold 8:30/mile for 5 miles comfortably. I'd like you to focus on getting that down to 7:50–8:00/mile for race day. The 7:36 pace? That's your longer-term target.

The Training Mistakes You're Making Right Now

Don, your "easy" runs at 8:45 and 8:35 pace? They're actually threshold effort runs. Based on your 24-minute 3-mile, your easy pace should be around 9:15–9:45/mile. You're running 30–60 seconds per mile too fast on these days.

You're only running three times per week. But with the hard running and the weight lifting sessions you are doing, I doubt you're giving your body the recovery it needs between hard efforts. Your Day 1 speed session becomes compromised because you're still carrying fatigue from the previous "easy" run.

Easy running builds your aerobic base — think of it as the engine that powers everything else you want to do as a runner. When you skip easy running, you're building a sports car with a lawnmower engine. You need that big aerobic base to support faster race paces over longer distances.

How to Restructure Your Weekly Training

Now, I am going to assume we are working within the constraints of three runs per week. Ideally, we'd be pushing your weekly number of runs up to four or five. More days of running = more mileage = faster times. Easy as that. But let's stay with the three days of running for now and focus on changing the intensity distribution.

Run #1: This can be the faster run of the week. Instead of "as fast as you can for as long as you can," try to do some tempo runs. A good structure is to do these as tempo intervals, e.g. 5 x 6 min at tempo pace with 1 minute or 90 seconds recovery.

Run #2: Make this genuinely easy. 5–6 miles at 9:15–9:30/mile. I know this feels slow, but the process works. You're building your aerobic capacity without adding stress. You should be able to hold a conversation throughout this run.

Run #3: Keep your long run but slow it down to 9:00–9:15/mile. Build this up to 8–10 miles over the next month. Add one mile every other week. I'm developing your endurance base and teaching your body to handle longer distances efficiently.

The trick is really easy on easy days, (semi-)hard on hard days. Runners drop minutes off their race times just by fixing this distribution.

Race-Specific Workouts for 5-Mile Preparation

Once you've established this pattern for 4–6 weeks, you can add more specific race preparation. A 5 mile race relies on your endurance. To boost your endurance I would recommend replacing the easy run by a second tempo run. Every second or third week you could replace one of the tempo runs by an interval session.

For interval running, start with something like 12 x 400m with 90 second recovery jogs. Run these at about 5k speed, this will be somewhat faster than your 5 mile pace.

Another effective option you can play with is 3 x 8 minutes at goal race pace with 2-minute recovery walks. These are great for 5-mile preparation because they simulate the sustained effort you'll need. Start at your current realistic race pace and progressively work faster as your fitness improves.

Race Day Pacing to Maximise Your Performance

For your upcoming race, smart pacing is everything. Going out too fast is the easiest way to blow up over 5 miles.

Start conservatively — run at target pace + 3–5 seconds / mile. This will feel relatively easy the first mile and it will feel like you are holding back. You're building a platform for the rest of the race. Mile 2–3 you should settle into your target pace.

Miles 4–5 are where races are won or lost. If you've paced correctly, you should still have something left. Try to speed up a little in mile 4, then empty the tank in the final mile. A strong finish can make up significant time.

Remember, 5 miles is long enough that early mistakes get magnified. Better to reach 4 miles feeling strong than to reach 3 miles already struggling.

All the best with this goal, Don. Your ambition is impressive, but I'd like you to focus on building that aerobic base first, then layer in the speed work. For more comprehensive guidance on this journey, check out the improve running page.

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