Sub-22 Minute 5K — Training Paces and Fitness Profile
Sub-22 is a meaningful step above the recreational tier. Runners here have built real aerobic fitness and have likely completed at least one structured training season. The training paces show what this fitness level demands consistently.
Quick answer: To break Sub-22:00 in the 5K (RPI 44.6), your training paces are: easy 9:08/mi, threshold 7:17/mi, interval 6:23/mi. Equivalent fitness: Marathon 3:29:49, Half Marathon 1:41:01.
Training paces for Sub-22:00 5K
RPI 44.6 · Goal: 21:59 · All paces in min/mile
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 44.6 — assuming comparable training for each distance.
Marathon
3:29:49
8:00/mi
Half Marathon
1:41:01
7:42/mi
10K
45:34
7:20/mi
Training approach for Sub-22:00 5K
For sub-22 5K, interval training is the highest-leverage quality session. Threshold runs build the stamina to sustain hard effort; intervals raise the ceiling that determines sustainable race pace. Most runners at this level benefit from a structured 8–12 week 5K build with a weekly interval session (800m repeats), one threshold session (20 minutes at threshold pace), and three to four easy runs.
Calculate your current training paces
The table above shows paces for Sub-22:00 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.
Common questions
What training paces does a sub-22 minute 5K require?
For sub-22:00 (21:59): Easy 9:08/mi, Threshold 7:17/mi, Interval 6:23/mi. RPI 44.6. Your interval pace (6:23/mi) is close to but slightly faster than 5K race pace — interval training at this speed directly builds the aerobic capacity that 5K racing requires.
What separates a sub-22 runner from a sub-20 runner?
The primary gap is VO2max and threshold stamina. Sub-20 runners have a higher aerobic ceiling (VO2max) and the specific stamina to operate near that ceiling for 19–20 minutes. Sub-22 runners are typically a few months to a couple of years of structured training away from sub-20, assuming they are already running consistently and doing quality work.
What half marathon does sub-22 5K fitness predict?
Sub-22 5K fitness (RPI 44.6) projects to approximately 1:41:01 half marathon potential. If you are running sub-22 in the 5K and want to target the half marathon, your aerobic base is strong — add half-specific long runs (10–15 miles) and your half marathon should reflect your aerobic capacity.
Other goal pace guides
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).