Run less miles to get a 5K PB with this training method – Runner’s World (UK)

Looking to bag a parkrun PB this winter? Following the new 10-20-30 training method can boost 5K running performance and overall health – with less training.

That’s the conclusion of a study from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Over seven weeks, runners who followed the training method improved their 1500m time by 21 seconds and their 5K time by 48 seconds – despite a 50 per cent reduction in training mileage. The runners also lowered their blood pressure and cholesterol.

‘We were very surprised to see such an improvement in the health profile, considering that the participants have been running for several years,’ says Professor Jens Bagsbo, who led the project.

‘The results show that intense training has a great potential for improving the health status of already trained individuals.’ It’s worth noting, though, that this high-intensity schedule may be less suitable for beginners.

The graph below outlines the 10-20-30 workout. Aim to do this circuit three times, book ended by a 1km warm-up and warm-down – both at low intensity. The beauty of the workout is that it takes approximately 30 minutes. So if you’re short on time, but don’t want to be short on fitness, the 10-20-30 session could be the one for you.

This is a 5-min circuit (with each min consisting of 30 secs easy, 20 secs moderate and 10 secs maximal intensity), followed by a 2-min break. Repeat this 3 times.

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