5K in 25 min: how many weeks of preparation?

For an athlete at beginner level, Endu builds a 9-week preparation. If your race is closer, the plan compresses phases while keeping the taper; if it's further away, it lengthens the preparation, and when the gap is large the preparation starts right away, gently and at your current volume, before building up.

How many sessions per week?

This example has 4 sessions per week. You choose 3 to 7 training days and the exact days (e.g. Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun): the plan sticks to them.

Can I follow sessions on my watch?

Yes, on Garmin and COROS. On Garmin, the Endu app (Connect IQ Store) shows today’s session and starts it as a guided workout. On COROS, link your account from your profile: your running, trail and cycling sessions land in the watch calendar. Other brands are not supported yet.

How much does it cost?

14-day free trial, then €7.99/month with no commitment or €59.88/year (€4.99/month). Unlimited objectives and sports.

5K plan in 25 min: 5:00/km pace

5 km

Goal: 5K in 25 min, i.e. 5:00/km. 9 weeks, 4 sessions a week, up to 25 km and a 1h03 long run at the peak. Here is the structure Endu generates for an athlete at beginner level — goal-pace sessions and race-pace blocks appear from the build phase. Your plan will be calibrated on your MAS and availability.

Create my plan for 5K

weeks: 9
sessions: 32
sessions / week: 4
peak week: 3 h

Plan structure

Periodised in phases: build the base, move to race-specific work, then taper before the race.

Base
Weeks 1–3 · 3 wk
Build
Weeks 4–5 · 2 wk
Specific
Weeks 6–7 · 2 wk
Taper
Weeks 8–8 · 1 wk
Race week
Weeks 9–9 · 1 wk

Volume progression

Week by week: lighter recovery weeks are built in to absorb the load.

Wk	Phase	Hours	km
1	Base	1.9 h	16
2	Base	2.1 h	18
3	Base	2.3 h	19
4	Buildrecovery	1.8 h	15
5	Build	2.5 h	21
6	Specific	2.7 h	23
7	Specific	3 h	25
8	Taper	1.8 h	15
9	Race week	1.9 h	16

Sample week — week 5 (Build)

Real sessions from the plan with their targets. Each session is detailed step by step, and can be sent to a Garmin or COROS watch.

MondayEasy
27 min easy
27 min · 3.7 km
TuesdayVery hard
2 sets of 6 × 30 s at MAS
30 s jog recovery, 3 min between sets
40 min · 5.8 km
WednesdayEasy
27 min easy
27 min · 3.7 km
SundayEasy
Long run 55 min
55 min · 7.5 km

Example generated for a beginner-level profile (MAS 12.6 km/h, 4 days available per week). Your plan will depend on your level, availability and feedback.

This plan’s check-up

Pass

A 9-week build (recommended minimum: 6); a longest run never more than 9% above the previous month’s; 92% of the time at easy effort; a taper cutting volume by 37% in race week.

1 worth knowing · 17 checks passed

Remarks

Strength training — No strength session.

The 17 checks passed, in detail

Length of the build — 9 weeks: enough for this race (recommended minimum: 6).
Sessions per week — 4 sessions a week: the minimum for this race is met.
Volume progression — Running volume rises smoothly from week to week.
Long run increase — Each week, the longest run is at most 9% longer than the longest of the previous month (benchmark: 10%).
Lighter weeks — A lighter week comes back regularly (weeks 4).
Weight of the long run — The long run keeps a reasonable share of the week.
Intensity distribution — About 92% of the time at easy effort: the most common distribution among trained endurance athletes.
Demanding sessions — No more than 1 demanding session(s) a week: suited to the level.
Hard days back to back — Demanding sessions are separated by easy days.
Rest days — At least one rest day a week.
Goal pace — Race-pace sessions are at 5:00/km, the goal pace.
Easy run pace — Easy runs are truly easy (slower than 6:48/km).
Race-specific work — 4 race-specific sessions in the last block.
Taper — Volume drops 37% in race week.
Intensity during the taper — Short race-pace efforts remain in the last two weeks.
Frequency during the taper — The number of sessions stays close to usual (80%).
A beginner’s first month — No very intense session in the first four weeks.

Endu runs its own plans through the plan check open to everyone: same public rules, same thresholds, same sources. The rules and their sources, and a check of your own plan.

Your plan, not a template athlete's

This plan is generated for an athlete at beginner level with 4 days available per week. Yours will be calibrated on your MAS, your available days and your feedback after every session. 3 minutes. 14-day trial, cancel anytime.

Create my plan for 5K

Frequently asked questions

5K in 25 min: how many weeks of preparation?: For an athlete at beginner level, Endu builds a 9-week preparation. If your race is closer, the plan compresses phases while keeping the taper; if it's further away, it lengthens the preparation, and when the gap is large the preparation starts right away, gently and at your current volume, before building up.
Is this plan well built?: Pass at Endu’s plan check, the same as for any plan: 17 of 17 checks passed. A 9-week build (recommended minimum: 6); a longest run never more than 9% above the previous month’s; 92% of the time at easy effort; a taper cutting volume by 37% in race week. The rules and their sources are public on endu.fr/en/controle-technique.
How many sessions per week?: This example has 4 sessions per week. You choose 3 to 7 training days and the exact days (e.g. Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun): the plan sticks to them.
Can I follow sessions on my watch?: Yes, on Garmin and COROS. On Garmin, the Endu app (Connect IQ Store) shows today’s session and starts it as a guided workout. On COROS, link your account from your profile: your running, trail and cycling sessions land in the watch calendar. Other brands are not supported yet.
How much does it cost?: 14-day free trial, then €7.99/month with no commitment or €59.88/year (€4.99/month). Unlimited objectives and sports.

Useful calculators

MAS calculator Training pace calculator Race time predictor Race fuelling calculator

Variations of this plan