Sub-17 Minute 5K — Training Paces and Fitness Profile

Sub-17 is elite-tier 5K running. At this level, you are competing with serious open-class and sub-elite runners. The fitness required — a high VO2max, refined threshold stamina, and dialed training discipline — is the product of years of structured training, not a single training cycle.

Quick answer: To break Sub-17:00 in the 5K (RPI 60.3), your training paces are: easy 7:25/mi, threshold 6:03/mi, interval 5:20/mi. Equivalent fitness: Marathon 2:42:41, Half Marathon 1:17:48.

Training paces for Sub-17:00 5K

RPI 60.3 · Goal: 16:59 · All paces in min/mile

Easy (80%+ of weekly running)
7:25/mi4:37/km
Marathon Pace
6:24/mi3:59/km
Threshold (comfortably hard)
6:03/mi3:46/km
Interval (VO2max sessions)
5:20/mi3:19/km
Repetition (short fast reps)
4:58/mi3:05/km

Calculated from Daniels/Gilbert oxygen cost equations. Easy pace means "this pace or slower."

Equivalent race fitness

These are the predicted equivalent times at other distances for a runner with RPI 60.3 — assuming comparable training for each distance.

Marathon

2:42:41

6:12/mi

Half Marathon

1:17:48

5:56/mi

10K

35:13

5:40/mi

Training approach for Sub-17:00 5K

Sub-17 5K demands very high VO2max and the threshold stamina to sustain near-maximum aerobic output for 16–17 minutes. Interval work (1000m–1200m repeats at interval pace) raises the aerobic ceiling. Threshold runs (20–40 minutes at threshold pace) build the ability to hold hard pace without slipping into anaerobic debt. Weekly volume at 60–80+ miles is typical for runners at this level. Easy runs must be genuinely easy — the accumulated stress of this training load demands real recovery.

Calculate your current training paces

The table above shows paces for Sub-17:00 5K fitness. Enter your current race time to see where you are now and how far from the goal you sit.

Training Pace Calculator

These paces are based on your race time — not your body

The Daniels/Gilbert formula predicts training zones from a single race result. StrideIQ goes further: it tracks how your body specifically responds to threshold and interval work — which sessions produce your biggest gains, how quickly you recover, and when your fitness is peaking. Population formulas start the conversation. Your individual response data finishes it.

Training pace tables →Start free trial

Common questions

What training paces are needed to break 17 minutes in the 5K?

To target sub-17:00 (16:59), your zones are: Easy 7:25/mi, Marathon 6:24/mi, Threshold 6:03/mi, Interval 5:20/mi, Repetition 4:58/mi. RPI 60.3. Your interval pace (5:20/mi) is close to 5K race pace — interval training is the central quality session for sub-17 preparation.

What marathon equivalent does sub-17 5K fitness predict?

Sub-17:00 5K fitness (RPI 60.3) projects to approximately 2:42:41 marathon potential — assuming full marathon-specific training. Most sub-17 5K runners are specifically trained for short distances; converting that aerobic capacity to a marathon requires sustained volume and long-run preparation that takes 12–18 months to build.

How much weekly mileage does sub-17 5K require?

Sub-17 5K fitness typically correlates with 60–85+ miles per week of consistent training over several months or years. The volume builds the aerobic base that supports the quality sessions. Many runners at this level run doubles (two runs per day) to accumulate volume without excessive per-run stress. Individual variation is significant — some runners achieve this standard on less volume, but the physiological demands are consistent.

Other goal pace guides

Sub-20 Minute 5K →Sub-25 Minute 5K →Sub-40 Minute 10K →Sub-50 Minute 10K →Sub-2 Hour Half Marathon →Sub-4 Hour Marathon →Sub-18 Minute 5K →Sub-19 Minute 5K →Sub-21 Minute 5K →Sub-22 Minute 5K →Sub-23 Minute 5K →Sub-24 Minute 5K →Sub-27 Minute 5K →Sub-30 Minute 5K →Sub-35 Minute 10K →Sub-36 Minute 10K →Sub-37 Minute 10K →Sub-38 Minute 10K →Sub-39 Minute 10K →Sub-42 Minute 10K →Sub-45 Minute 10K →Sub-48 Minute 10K →Sub-55 Minute 10K →Sub-60 Minute 10K →Sub-1:15 Half Marathon →Sub-1:20 Half Marathon →Sub-1:25 Half Marathon →Sub-1:30 Half Marathon →Sub-1:35 Half Marathon →Sub-1:40 Half Marathon →Sub-1:45 Half Marathon →Sub-1:50 Half Marathon →Sub-2:30 Marathon →Sub-2:45 Marathon →Sub-3 Hour Marathon →Sub-3:05 Marathon →Sub-3:10 Marathon →Sub-3:15 Marathon →Sub-3:20 Marathon →Sub-3:30 Marathon →Sub-3:45 Marathon →Sub-4:30 Marathon →Sub-5 Hour Marathon →Training Pace Calculator →

Paces calculated using the Daniels/Gilbert oxygen cost equations (1979). All values derived from the same formula used by the StrideIQ training pace calculator. Goal times use the target-minus-one-second convention (e.g., sub-20 = 19:59 input).