These could all be considered good 5K times. However, finish times are relative to a variety of factors, including fitness level, experience, current training, age, and more.

For example, “someone’s age can influence someone’s finishing time because as we age, physical capabilities tend to decline, which can lead to slower running speeds and longer finish times,” says Melissa Kendter, an ACE-certified functional strength trainer and running coach.

Finish times can also vary depending on gender. For example, the average finish time for men, according to Running USA based on race data collected from 2013 to 2023, is 32 minutes and for women, it’s 39 minutes.

Simply put: Someone else’s fast may be considered someone else’s slow, and vice versa. This is why you should set your own goals that are personal to you, and also look beyond finish time and focus on giving your best effort.

How can I set a good goal time for my first 5K?

When it comes to goal setting for a 5K, remember that you don’t always have to set a goal to finish in a certain time—especially if this is your first go at the distance.

“Your goal could just be to complete a 5K. It could be focusing on finishing the race regardless of the time. Just an accomplishment of doing it, I mean that in itself is huge. Not everybody’s going out every day running 3.1 miles,” says Kendter.

You can also focus your training and racing on improving your mental health or overall fitness, she adds.

If you do want to hit a specific time goal, you can predict your 5K finish time with a time trial before you start training and then set your goal time based on how you did.

To estimate your 5K pace with a one-mile time trial, Kendter recommends starting with a 10 minute jog to warm up then running one mile at your best effort.

After you finish, plug your total time into a race pace calculator, like ours, to estimate 5K finish time. You can also use our training pace calculator, using that mile time, to figure out your paces for workouts like long runs, tempos, and intervals leading up to race day. This can especially come in handy if you don’t have access to a coach, says Kendter.

What can you do to make sure you run your best?

Build Your Aerobic System

To complete the 5K comfortably, you have to consider it as both an endurance and a speed event, says Kendter. “You have to train your aerobic system to carry you through the 20 to 30 minutes, or however long it takes you. But you also have to train for speed appropriately, so that your aerobic system can then support the speed that you want,” she explains.

To do that, you want to include different types of runs throughout the week.

What types of runs should you do? Kendter recommends following a training plan that has a mixture of speed, long, and easy runs on the schedule each week, and lasts about four to eight weeks. This will not only help you build the endurance and speed you need, but it will also keep you consistent, which is important too.

“Just like anything else in life, it’s deliberate practice,” says Benson Lang’at, RRCA coaching certification instructor and level 2 certified coach, who stresses the importance of nutrition, stretching, and strength training in addition to running. “Really to get faster, you’ve got to do the things that help you meet the demands of what you’re trying to accomplish,” he adds.

This means running longer to build a solid base before implementing speed workouts like interval and tempo runs to get faster, and even developing and executing a good racing strategy to help you reach the finish line.

Add Speed Workouts to Your Calendar

As we mentioned, speed workouts play a critical role in training for a 5K because they will help get fitter and faster.

“You only want to do one to two speed workouts a week, and you want to pace them appropriately throughout the week, so that your body can recover in between and then gain the adaptations from the hard work,” says Kendter. This is why your speed workouts should be completed before a rest day, easy run, or active recovery day.

To help you get faster, Kendter recommends completing 10 rounds of one minute hard, one minute easy intervals to start. Then each week you can progress your workouts by increasing the intervals by one minute. This workout will help to train your VO2 max system, she says.

You can also add distance-specific speed work like 400-meter repeats to your calendar. Kendter recommends completing six rounds of 400 meters with a recovery jog of 400 meters in between each round. This workout should equal out to about four to five miles.

Monitor Your Progress

As you gear up for your first or next 5K, you can check your splits during or after your workout to make sure you’re hitting your goal paces. If you have a running watch like a Garmin or Coros, you can easily monitor your split times on your wrist, or you can record them and predict your finish time with a pace chart or calculator postrun.

If you notice you’re consistently hitting your target paces for each interval after adequate recovery, then this can be a strong indication you’re on track to hit your goal time for a 5K, says Lang’at. For example, if your goal is to break 20 minutes, then you’d want to complete 400-meter repeats at approximately a 5:39 min/mi pace, he explains.

Check the Elevation Map

Geography is another factor that can influence your race day performance, especially if you can expect to run hills on race day.

Even the slightest elevation change can slow you down, says Lang’at. This is why he recommends running hills when your training if you can expect to run them on race day.

It’s also why many runners opt for a flat or downhill course if the goal is to run a personal best.

Train for the Elements You Can Expect on Race Day

When it comes to running your best it’s important to understand how your body will respond to the weather, especially if you’re aiming for a personal best. For example, in colder conditions you want to make sure you’re dressed properly, particularly not wearing too many extra layers, and in hotter conditions you want to make sure you’re well hydrated (you always do, but especially when you’re overheated and sweating more).

Luckily, setting yourself up for success doesn’t have to be overly complicated. For starters, you can acclimate yourself to the certain weather conditions by training in them, says Lang’at. Also, check for season-specific gear guides to make sure you’re dressed appropriately (and can test our your outfit before race day).

Work With a Coach

If you really have your eyes set on running your best, working with a coach is a good approach to take.

If you want to hit a certain goal time, then working with someone who can guide you, will help you better manage your expectations, says Lang’at. For example, if you want to break 25 minutes, a coach can assess your fitness levels and adjust your training so you can reach this goal. Also, throughout your training a coach can monitor your progress and adjust your training accordingly, and also keep you motivated.

How Can I Get Back Into Working Out?

Obviously, the first step to getting back into working out is by actually going. Make a commitment to get back in the gym by setting an achievable goal, like hitting three workouts per week. Make sure that you don’t push too hard, too soon though. A key mistake many make when getting back into fitness for the first time in a while is doing more then they’re capable of before building back up. That can be a tough pill to swallow – but, the truth is, if you haven’t trained in a long time, you likely won’t lift as much as you did before.

‘Don’t bite off more then you can chew,’ says Forzaglia. ‘[For] load, don’t even look at anything above 70 to 75 percent of your max effort.’

The last thing you want to do is finally get into the gym for the first time in a while, go too hard, get injured, and not be allowed to go back. Take your time getting into the swing of things. You will be able to get back to that one rep max number you hit three years ago – but you have to put your ego aside for now, and build your way back up to it.

If you struggle to figure out what those effort percentages mean for you in real life, think instead about finding a weight that you can comfortably control for 10 to 12 reps, Forzaglia says. This range will provide you a solid foundation of strength.

Pick four to five exercises to which you can apply this formula, selecting one from each of the main movement patterns: squat (goblet squat), press (pushup), hinge (deadlift), and pull (cable row). Do about three sets of those 10 to 12 reps, and do that workout about three times per week. That will set a solid foundation for you to then build off of once you feel like you’re ready.

Take a similar tactic as you ease back into cardio exercise, too. Hopping straight into a HIIT workout won’t be great for your body, so consider less-intense options for interval training. Even if you used to run for multiple miles in one go several times a week, Forzaglia advises starting with shorter distances (one to three miles max) and build up once you feel capable.

The amount of time it will take you to get back to where you were before will vary. If you’ve only been out of the gym for a month or so, you might bounce back faster than someone who’s been out of it for several years. The key is to stay consistent.

6 Exercises to Ease Back Into Working Out

Now that you know the tactics, all you need is the tools. These six exercises are Forzaglia’s go-to moves for priming your muscles after taking some time off from the gym. You’ll squat, lunge, push, pull, and hinge – all essential components of a solid training plan. Add them to your sessions and keep the load at a manageable level until you feel comfortable progressing.

Goblet Squat

How to Do It:

• Stand with your feet just wider than shoulder-width apart. Turn your toes out slightly to start; as you progress, find the most comfortable stance for your own mobility.
• Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell with both at chest-height, elbows high. Crate mid-back tension to pull your shoulders back. Brace your core to keep your balance; you’ll need to maintain this tension throughout the movement.
• Push your butt back, then bend your knees to descend down into the squat. Lower down to a depth just below parallel (i.e., your thighs are parallel to the floor) or to the most comfortable position given your personal mobility.
• Press your knees apart to prevent them from caving in. Maintain tension in your core and shoulders; don’t rest your elbows on your knees.
• Squeeze your glutes to stand back up.

Sets and Reps: Aim for 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps

Lateral Lunge

How to Do It:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squeeze your glutes, and, and shoulder blades, keeping your gaze neutral at a point straight ahead of you.
• You can perform lunges with only your bodyweight, or use a wide range of implements like dumbbells, kettlebells, or barbells held in a number of positions. For simplicity’s sake, start by holding a pair of dumbbells, one in each hand at hip-level.
• Step forward and slightly out with one leg, landing with your heel first. Work to avoid slamming your knee into the ground. Keep your chest in an upright position, bending your knees to form right angles with both of your legs. Turn on your forward glute muscle to help protect your knees.
• Drive off the ground with your front heel to step back into the starting position. Keep your torso in a solid upright position by squeezing your core to stay balanced.

Sets and Reps: Aim for 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps

Step Up

How to Do It:

• Hold the kettlebells or dumbbells by your sides, suitcase style. Place your foot up onto the box.
• Shift onto your toes on the back leg, this will help you not use the push off of the back leg and focus the effort in your front foot.
• Squeeze your glute and of your front leg. Drive through the foot, and fully extend your hip and knee. Pause for a second at the top.
• Take your time to slowly lower back down.

Sets and Reps: Aim for 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps

Inverted Row

How to Do It:

• Start with a bar placed in a rack or Smith machine, lying on your back underneath. Adjust the bar to a height just above your reach with your arms extended.
• Reach up and grab the bar with an overhand grip, with your hands just wider than shoulder-width apart. Put your feet together, forming a straight line from your feet to your shoulders. Pull yourself up off the floor, squeezing your shoulder blades, abs, and glutes to create full body tension.
• Pull yourself up, imagining that you’re pulling the bar down to your chest. Pause for a count at the top of the movement.
• Lower yourself back down under control.

Sets and Reps: Aim for 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps

Push-Up

How to Do It:

• Start in a high plank position, with your palms flat on the floor, stacked directly below your shoulders.
• Squeeze your shoulders, glutes, and core to create full-body tension. Your spine should form a straight line, with a neutral spine.
• Bend your elbows to descend to the floor, stopping with your chest just above the ground. Your elbows should be at a 45 degree angle relative to the torso.
• Press back up off the floor, raising up to the top position with your elbows fully extended.

Sets and Reps: Aim for 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

How to Do It:

• Standing with you feet about shoulder-width apart, grab a pair of dumbbells from a bench or box.
• Keep the dumbbells close to your sides, with your shoulders back, your core tight, and glutes squeezed.
• Begin “pushing” your butt back as far as possible as you begin lowering your torso – as if you’re trying to close a car door. Think about taking two seconds with the lowering phase. The goal is to get to about a 45-degree angle, depending on your personal mobility limits. Don’t forget to keep the dumbbells close to your shins – don’t let them hang too far forward.
• Pause at the bottom, then stand back up, slightly quicker than the lowering phase.

Sets and Reps: Aim for 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps

Cori Ritchey, C.S.C.S., is an Associate Health & Fitness Editor at Men’s Health, a certified strength and condition coach, and group fitness instructor. She reports on topics regarding health, nutrition, mental health, fitness, sex, and relationships. You can find more of her work in HealthCentral, Livestrong, Self, and others.