Are you wondering what 5000 meters in miles comes out to? If so, welcome to RunDreamAchieve. I hope that you will find this post useful. In addition, I will aim to provide some tips to help you run as fast as possible over 5 kilometers. 5000 meters in miles is 3.1 miles. It is also the equivalent of running around the track 12 and half times.
The 5000m running event is one of the most popular in the world. How fast you cover the distance will come down to how strategic and well-planned your routine is. I have created 5k training plans here that range in duration from 8 to 24 weeks in length. The most optimal time frame to train for a 5km race is a minimum of 8 and preferably 16 weeks in length.
Remember, a longer build up is always best. The longer you can prepare for your races the more efficient you are going to race. A lot of runners try to cram training into a short 4 to 8-week build up. Of course, you can get into descent shape in this amount of time. That being said, you will have your hands full going up against an athlete who has prepared longer than you.
5000 Meters to Miles Olympic Qualifying Time
Remember, 5000 meters in miles is 3.1 miles or 5,000 kilometers. What 5k time do you need to qualify for the Olympics? You will need to run at least a time of 13:13 for 5000m to qualify for the Olympic. You may run this time but remember, you also need to finish in the top 3 of your country's Olympic trials.
My personal best is 14:18 but found the marathon was my best event. The faster you can run in these shorter races the more competitive you will be in the longer races. So, continue to develop your leg speed and do not lose enthusiasm along the way. The body always adapts. We just need to provide it ample time in order to recover from the hard training we are doing.
13:13 comes out to 4:15 per mile for 3.1 miles or 2:38 per kilometer for 5 kilometers. Of course, not all runners will have running an Olympic standard. You may be aiming to break 40 minutes or running under 20 minutes for the distance. My top recommendation is to first focus on building your aerobic foundation. So, run easy and aerobic mileage for at least a month prior to starting your specific training.
You don't want to start doing tempo runs, speed intervals or hill repetition until you have done this.
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The world record for the 5000m for me is 12:35. The time was set by Joseph Chepetegi of Uganda. Cheptegei held 2:31 per kilometer for each of his 5 kilometers. He covered the 5000 meters in miles at 4:03 per mile for 3.1 miles. The world record for 5000 meters for women was set by Ethiopia's Letesenbet Gidey who ran a time of 14:06.
Gidey held 4:32 per mile for the 3.1 miles or 2:49 per kilometer for her 5 consecutive kilometers. Remember, these are the fastest times ever run. I am just sharing with you to show what the human body is capable of with the proper training. One top recommendation is to start doing strides twice per week during your training.
Strides are too short to build up any large amounts of lactic acid. So, you can do these types of short 50 to 100-meter long sprints without taxing the body. Strides are great for working on acceleration and your form. In addition, are perfect for warm-up drills and getting your heart rate elevated prior to the start of your workouts.
How Many Meters Go in a Mile?
There are 1609 meters in one mile. The common race distance for the mile in high school here in the states is 1600 meters. As mentioned above, it is 9 meters shy of the mile. The 3200m run is considered the 2-mile event in the united States for high schoolers. That being said, it is 18 meters short of 2 miles. Close enough, though.
So, 5000 meters in miles comes out to 3.1 miles or 5 kilometers. How far have your tempo runs been in the past training for your 5k races? I ask that because many times runners do not spend sufficient time training at their anaerobic threshold. We run between 85 to 89% of our max heart rate running at this intensity.
The longer you can spend training at this intensity the more efficient you are going to cover the 5000m event. I would recommend working to extend your tempo run out to between 4 to 6 miles in length. You will be nearly doubling the distance of your race. In addition, be building your stamina and strength. Of course, focus first on adapting to a 2 to 3-mile tempo run before moving to longer distances.
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The mile is about 9.3 meters longer than the 1600 meter event. My best 1600m as a high school athlete was 4:25.51. Later, I lowered my mile (1609m) down to 4:22.10. You should always be working to improve your leg speed especially for a 5000 meter race. The 5k is a highly anaerobic event. So, you definitely need speed to run a great 5000m time.
The race is over in a matter of minutes. I would recommend doing at least 1, vo2 max workout per week. We run between 95 to 100% of our maximum heart rate running at this effort. Our vo2 max is our body's maximum oxygen capacity. We are running at such high speeds we cannot clear lactic acid faster than it is building up.
We can run for long periods of time at easy efforts because the lactic acid accumulation is low enough to be cleared. Vo2 max efforts will help to make your goal 5k race pace to feel easier. In addition, you will slow down less than your competition if trained properly.
How Many Miles is a 5000 Meter Run?
As mentioned above, a 5000 meter run comes out to 3.1 miles or a total of 5 kilometers. Speed development is very important in this race distance. The 5k is far more anaerobic in nature versus a highly aerobic event like the 10 mile or marathon distance. I highly recommend investing in a heart rate monitor as you are preparing for your races.
I use the Garmin 245 and it helps me to not over train. More importantly, to know what heart rate zones I need to focus on staying at during my workouts. It also takes the pressure off worrying about what paces I am hitting. So, I focus on the heart rate and let the splits take care of themselves. Your heart won't have to work as hard the fitter you get.
In addition, you will notice that your splits per mile or per kilometers will significantly get faster. So, 5000 meters in miles is 3.1 miles. Our goal is to cover the distance faster than our competition. The only way to do this is higher quality mileage. High mileage, by itself, is not a guarantee you will run a new personal best for 5k. So, quality over quantity is what matters most.
What is a Good 5000 Meter Run Time?
A good time definition will vary from athlete. I think a 5k race time under 25 minutes is a very competitive time. I have helped numerous athletes improve their personal bests from the mile to the marathon here at RunDreamAchieve. You can visit our testimonial page to read what other runners are saying. You can drop significant time off of your current personal best by following the fundamentals taught here.
Remember, focus on quality rather than just volume. The world's top runners are running between 35 to 40% of their mileage at or below their lactate threshold. Of course, these runners make it look easy for a reason. It is not simply just because they are from America, Kenya, Ethiopia or other parts of the world. It is because they are training faster, more often.
In addition, they are jogging on recovery days. I highly recommend giving yourself at least 2 days of easy running between each hard workout that you do. Are you running and slow every single weekend for your long runs? If so, you may want to start doing faster, varied paced long runs.
Faster Long Runs
Varied paced long runs encompass varying degrees of intensity during the long run. Yes, you still need to run long, slow and easy. I would just not do it every weekend. Below is an example of the type of long runs I was doing prior to running 2:19:35 for the marathon.
- 2 mile jog, 4 miles@5:20 mile pace, 3 miles easy, 1 mile in 4:55, 7 miles@6:00 mile pace, 2 miles easy, 1 mile in 5:00, 2 mile jog cool-down (22 miles)
Of course, you do not need to run 22 miles for your long runs for a 5000m race. Your long run may on need to be 8 to 12 miles in length. That being said, always alternate a faster long run with an easy, relaxed long run the following week.
I used this strategy to lower my 5K PR from 15:19 to 14:18. Also, my marathon time down from 2:43:36 to 2:19:35.
Closing Thoughts
Make sure to also spend some time each day devoted to mental training. Remember, we have to train the mind just as we train the body. The best runners focus on both of these areas. The vast majority of runners only focus on physical preparation. The best time to do mental rehearsal is when going to bed at night or when you first wake up in the morning.
It doesn't take more than 10 to 15 minutes daily to do this. Be sure to subscribe to the RunDreamAchieve YouTube channel. My aim is to create at least 2 new training or racing videos there each week to help focused runners such as yourself get to the next level in your fitness. Also, to surpass your racing goals.
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