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Fast 5K: 25 Crucial Keys and 4 Training Plans
Spend two hours with Pete Magill’s Fast 5K and you’ll know how to run your fastest 5K.
In his fast-paced, ultimate guide to 5K running races, celebrated running coach Pete Magill reveals the 25 crucial keys to setting your next 5K PR. Magill shares hard-earned lessons he gained while leading 19 teams to USA national championships and setting multiple American and world age-group and masters records.
Fast 5K shares Magill’s essential keys to finding your fastest running fitness and race readiness. The 25 keys include optimal training mileage, effective tempo runs, VO2 max workouts, hill repeats, plyometrics that work, ways to prevent injuries, recovery tips, guides to diet and racing weight, choosing racing flats, and much more. Offering three 12-week and one 16-week 5K training plans, Fast 5K is the key to your best 5K running times.
Pete Magill is a world-class 5K runner, personally holds multiple American and world age-group records in track & field and road racing and is a 5-time USA Masters Cross Country Runner of the Year. Now in this distilled guide, you can get world-class advice on how to run your fastest 5K ever.
- GenresNonfictionFitnessSports
200 pages, Paperback
Published February 1, 2024
141 people are currently reading
154 people want to read
About the author
Pete Magill
10 books8 followersPete Magill has coached his running clubs to 19 masters national championships. He's a five-time USA Masters Cross Country Runner of the Year and the fastest-ever American distance runner over age 50 in the 5K and 10K. He is also the lead author of Build Your Running Body. He lives in South Pasadena, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
September 20, 2019
"Golden Keys of Wisdom set in Readable, Bite-Size Chapters."
The first thing I noticed about FAST 5K was the concise, easy-to-read format. Each chapter is actually a "Key," and focuses on a single point--e.g, "Slow Down Your Distance Runs," or, "Eat a Runner's Diet." This is really a smart way to write a non-fiction book. With this format, the reader can concentrate on just one important aspect of running, and not get overwhelmed with "fast-twitch," "slow-twitch," etc.
Do NOT just scan through this book quickly. Instead, take time to mull over these important keys. I am reading through them slowly, and pondering over them a little.
As most readers will already know, the author is not just an armchair theoretician--he is an accomplished, award-winning runner and coach. This experience shines through loud and clear. For example, Pete spends a fair amount of time discussing avoiding injuries. For example, he provides a plan for post-run stretches and other exercises that focus on the most injury-prone body parts.
Here is an example of a golden gem of advice: Use the "3-Week" improvement method, not the "10%" method. That is, give your body 3 weeks to adjust to a harder pace. Otherwise, you risk injury. Throughout the book, Pete emphasizes realistic training and goals. One sober chart illustrates the huge number of injuries to runners, and how they occur.
Here's another key that hits pretty close to home: "Key 20: Review non-Running Activities & Hobbies." Pete suggests looking at your non-running activity to see how it affects your running performance. That is, your other sports could be hurting your running. (I can confirm from personal experience that mountain biking can be dangerous to your running health.)
Pete Magill is a running genius. I found "FAST 5K" to be a superb, practical book. I am using it now--or I will be when I recover from my mountain-biking accident. (I forgot about Key #20.)
The first thing I noticed about FAST 5K was the concise, easy-to-read format. Each chapter is actually a "Key," and focuses on a single point--e.g, "Slow Down Your Distance Runs," or, "Eat a Runner's Diet." This is really a smart way to write a non-fiction book. With this format, the reader can concentrate on just one important aspect of running, and not get overwhelmed with "fast-twitch," "slow-twitch," etc.
Do NOT just scan through this book quickly. Instead, take time to mull over these important keys. I am reading through them slowly, and pondering over them a little.
As most readers will already know, the author is not just an armchair theoretician--he is an accomplished, award-winning runner and coach. This experience shines through loud and clear. For example, Pete spends a fair amount of time discussing avoiding injuries. For example, he provides a plan for post-run stretches and other exercises that focus on the most injury-prone body parts.
Here is an example of a golden gem of advice: Use the "3-Week" improvement method, not the "10%" method. That is, give your body 3 weeks to adjust to a harder pace. Otherwise, you risk injury. Throughout the book, Pete emphasizes realistic training and goals. One sober chart illustrates the huge number of injuries to runners, and how they occur.
Here's another key that hits pretty close to home: "Key 20: Review non-Running Activities & Hobbies." Pete suggests looking at your non-running activity to see how it affects your running performance. That is, your other sports could be hurting your running. (I can confirm from personal experience that mountain biking can be dangerous to your running health.)
Pete Magill is a running genius. I found "FAST 5K" to be a superb, practical book. I am using it now--or I will be when I recover from my mountain-biking accident. (I forgot about Key #20.)
December 10, 2019
Very clear and to-the-point, though I expected something a bit more formal. Compared to Jack Daniels' Running Formula and Pete Pfitzinger's Faster Road Racing, this book reads a bit like... an informal running discussion board. Still very informative and enjoyable to read though! I really like the thorough breakdown of how to do/the purpose of each workout type, as well as the routines from (pre-race) warm-up to cool-down/stretching and supplementary exercises.
March 16, 2022
Peter Magill has experience and is a coach who provides advice on Youtube (not his own channel, but as guests on others). My running partner specializes in 5K and 10K distances, and as I'm new to the sport, I am pretty open to all distances. However, as the months rolled on in my progression as a runner, I am finding that I am similar to her in that, while mandatory to have a long run each week, I more enjoy shorter runs of varying intensities, hills, intervals, and strides over the endless slogging miles of many runners on Strava; fast is fun! Thus, I've discovered that I'm a middle-distance runner, and this is my first book on 5K racing. While not a long book, I like the fact that it's packed with information and "pearls" of wisdom to make me a better short- and middle-distance runner. Many running books that I have read have too much "padding" by detailing runners' profiles and races and other useless "page fillers" (Shane Benzie's book comes to mind). Fast 5K is not like that...it is pure information. It provides workout plans in the final 20% of the book (which were slightly hard to read in chart form in the Kindle version that I purchased, but manageable), its the first 80% that is wisdom-packed. It describes the types of runs (tempo, threshold, etc) that we all know, but it is quite specific in applying these to the 5K athlete, such as where it belongs in the weekly routine, why it belongs in that spot, etc. I was able, even though I've only been running for less than a year, to make my own 5K training plan (mine is a 10-day plan) that involves long run, tempo alternating with VO2Max runs, hills and intervals, strength training, technique runs (a new idea for me that is well presented in this book) and the proper amount of rest. Despite watching many hours of online videos, reading several running books, and experimenting with what works for me in practice, I wouldn't have been able to write such a solid plan without this book. This is a book for a runner with a few months of running under their belts; it's probably not the ideal book for the "couch to 5K" beginner crowd as the plans and concepts are geared at speed rather than just finishing. The book was so enjoyable to me that I plan to reread the entire book in the middle of this summer to further refine my plan, and will share it with my running partner by loaning her one of my Kindles. Other than a small degree of eye-strain for the charts (even with long press to enlarge on Kindle, the charts were legible but small), there were no issues with the Kindle edition of the book. I recommend Fast 5K by Coach Magill if you wish to plan for and run a fast 3.1 mile race! Note: the principles here apply to 10K distance also, so I feel no need to buy a dedicated 10K racing book after reading this book.
June 28, 2022
Very good entry level advice on how to approach training to race for time rather than completing a distance. Each section makes sense and is valuable.
My one star subtraction is that I still have questions after having read the book. No gait, stride, or footfall analysis or advice was given. No mention of how running cadence affects endurance, speed, or injury potential. No advice on forefoot versus heel strike style running. No mention of what to look for in a shoe, other than that it should be lightweight.
A more nuanced critique is that the author claims scientific justification for many of his recommendations, but does not actually cite sources.
Many of the charts or graphs are actually fabricated numbers to show his point, not real data presentations.
To give him credit, the fabricated charts do communicate the concepts well and the author has set numerous racing records and coached multiple championship runners, so I’m fine with him citing his own advice as factual expertise.
My one star subtraction is that I still have questions after having read the book. No gait, stride, or footfall analysis or advice was given. No mention of how running cadence affects endurance, speed, or injury potential. No advice on forefoot versus heel strike style running. No mention of what to look for in a shoe, other than that it should be lightweight.
A more nuanced critique is that the author claims scientific justification for many of his recommendations, but does not actually cite sources.
Many of the charts or graphs are actually fabricated numbers to show his point, not real data presentations.
To give him credit, the fabricated charts do communicate the concepts well and the author has set numerous racing records and coached multiple championship runners, so I’m fine with him citing his own advice as factual expertise.
May 29, 2020
Great running book, but Kindle version not ideal for seeing the detail
This is entertainingly written and the ideas are well presented. However, the book contains quite a lot of the most useful details, such as training programs and pace guides in tables, these were practically unreadable on my Kindle Paperwhite. Some charts present information in colour, which also don't work on an e-reader. I had to open the book on my android phone to see these. Maybe e-readers are not an ideal medium, but other publications manage tables better
This is entertainingly written and the ideas are well presented. However, the book contains quite a lot of the most useful details, such as training programs and pace guides in tables, these were practically unreadable on my Kindle Paperwhite. Some charts present information in colour, which also don't work on an e-reader. I had to open the book on my android phone to see these. Maybe e-readers are not an ideal medium, but other publications manage tables better
March 9, 2021
Concise and comprehensive. I've been stuck without an opportunity to run a marathon for almost 2 years now. I have progressed over other distances and I have had the goal of breaking 15 for the 5k in mind for almost an year now. The workouts mentioned in the book along with the drills, the strength workouts and some race day tips I am bound to practise, let's see if I can convert this goal into a reality.
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February 7, 2022Lots of specific useful tips and training plans:
- McGill hates barefoot running lol
- running downhill is really good
- stretching: towel toe curl, leg lifts, rope hamstring stretch, rope calf stretch
- a few injury prevention exercises: squats, air squats, step downs, step ups, single leg deadlifts, Nordic curls, heel dips, planks
- drills: skipping (normal, height, distance), flat footed marching, high knees, bounding, quick feet, quick hops, butt kicks
- McGill hates barefoot running lol
- running downhill is really good
- stretching: towel toe curl, leg lifts, rope hamstring stretch, rope calf stretch
- a few injury prevention exercises: squats, air squats, step downs, step ups, single leg deadlifts, Nordic curls, heel dips, planks
- drills: skipping (normal, height, distance), flat footed marching, high knees, bounding, quick feet, quick hops, butt kicks
November 12, 2022
Letto nella versione italiana per kindle, un bel manuale anche se a mio avviso un po' troppo costoso per solo un paio d'ore di lettura. Certo, è un manuale di cui seguire i piani di allenamento proposti e quindi è da rileggere alla bisogna. Buono anche per costruire il proprio programma personalizzato seguendo le indicazioni fornite. Il mio voto: 3,5 stelle (penalizzato dal costo eccessivo).
July 22, 2023
Just finished the 12 week training plan for intermediate runners. Averaged 3-4 running days a week with anywhere from 13-20 miles. Ran faster than my 5k goal at the end of the 12 week program. I think I chronically overtrained in the past and never performed to the best of my ability. Felt so nice to run easy days easy and hard days hard! Would definitely recommend.
October 31, 2023
Super useful and down to earth. Great for beginners through elites and for any age group.
I really appreciated how he gave so much structure for people. He included training plans, which are common, but also time tables showing people how to use their 5K race time to find workout paces for tempo, threshold, etc. That table has made run planning clear to me.
I really appreciated how he gave so much structure for people. He included training plans, which are common, but also time tables showing people how to use their 5K race time to find workout paces for tempo, threshold, etc. That table has made run planning clear to me.
November 23, 2021
A clear and concise list of tips on how to improve your training to get the best result for your 5km run. This book is geared more towards the serious runner than the casual weekend runner, but a good tip is a good tip.
December 16, 2021
Good for start or a refresher
Great Outlook and discussion on running and 5ks from start to finish. Any runner could use this book as a refresher regardless of their running experience.
Great Outlook and discussion on running and 5ks from start to finish. Any runner could use this book as a refresher regardless of their running experience.
December 27, 2021
Very sound advice and a great book, easy to understand and written for recreational runners. The science of running is explained in a very easy manner and you can apply it to your current fitness level.
I will be implementing the 12-week plan myself next Spring.
I will be implementing the 12-week plan myself next Spring.
January 11, 2023
Excellent, clear, useful immediately. I’ve been running for over 5o years, and this is 100 percent in line with what has worked for me, other parts explained which I didn’t know are immediately helping me improve and advance. A great book.
March 28, 2025
Tempo runs, V02 runs, intervals, pacing, strides, long runs vs distance runs- it’s can all get overwhelming but Magill streamlines the information making it accessible for someone trying to figure it all out.
May 4, 2025
A practical guide for runners aiming to improve their 5K time. Magill offers 25 key tips and a variety of training plans for all levels. Clear, motivating, and full of expert advice to improve running times.
August 10, 2021
Cookie cutter snippets with some useful insights. Recommended for a beginner or as a quick refresher for an advanced runner.
September 16, 2021
This was a very good book if you are interested in a faster 5 K. Lots of good advice and very easy to read.
September 21, 2023
A quick read with lots of practical advice for an amateur runner like me, in a clear conversational tone.
October 27, 2021
Covers All Of The Essential And More!
This is a fabulous read for any 5k runner no matter what your level may be. The author does an excellent job explaining specifics. Highly recommended!
This is a fabulous read for any 5k runner no matter what your level may be. The author does an excellent job explaining specifics. Highly recommended!
April 15, 2020
You know what to expect from SoCal Pete, whether in book form, or BITD on the younger legs blog, or in the Q & A's on podium runner, or anywhere else -- great [non-sugar-coated] advice about training, clear explanations of why his recommendations make sense, humorous takedowns of our shared foibles, and infectious joy at having the opportunity to compete.
In this case, he turns his laser focus to the 5k, proclaiming it his favorite distance, which means a lot when you consider Pete's record of success in cross-country etc. I am so pumped after reading this that I think I'll follow one of the training plans pretty much exactly for my next cycle, just as soon as i recover from pretend quarantine marathon this weekend. A lot of it is stuff I've seen or to one extent or another done before, as would I'm sure be true for anyone else who's been racing for 44 years, but great reminders and some stuff I just have never been sufficiently thorough about (looking at you, form drills -- no more truncated version to check the box for me).
Love the spirit of this bit from the acknowledgements -- "one of my archrivals....asked me why I kept writing articles that gave away my training secrets. I told him 'if you train incorrectly and slow down, you'll quit. If I help you to train better and race faster, you won't. I love this sport, and there's no sport without you. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you coming back.' So thank you, fellow 5kers, for our sport. I'll see you at the start line"
That's the only place I'd ever see Pete, since he's [at least] a minute/mile faster than me, but the gift of his writing and insight is for all of us. Doesn't get any better than getting to pick the brain of the American record holder in my age group!
In this case, he turns his laser focus to the 5k, proclaiming it his favorite distance, which means a lot when you consider Pete's record of success in cross-country etc. I am so pumped after reading this that I think I'll follow one of the training plans pretty much exactly for my next cycle, just as soon as i recover from pretend quarantine marathon this weekend. A lot of it is stuff I've seen or to one extent or another done before, as would I'm sure be true for anyone else who's been racing for 44 years, but great reminders and some stuff I just have never been sufficiently thorough about (looking at you, form drills -- no more truncated version to check the box for me).
Love the spirit of this bit from the acknowledgements -- "one of my archrivals....asked me why I kept writing articles that gave away my training secrets. I told him 'if you train incorrectly and slow down, you'll quit. If I help you to train better and race faster, you won't. I love this sport, and there's no sport without you. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you coming back.' So thank you, fellow 5kers, for our sport. I'll see you at the start line"
That's the only place I'd ever see Pete, since he's [at least] a minute/mile faster than me, but the gift of his writing and insight is for all of us. Doesn't get any better than getting to pick the brain of the American record holder in my age group!
September 17, 2023
Short, but excellent book
I loved the concise but comprehensive nature of this book. From hill repetitions, to appropriate goal-setting,to shoe weight, to race tapering, to long run intensity, and mind-set this book gives an impressive overview of the essential things required for you to go faster in a 5K.
No magic just insightful, intelligent advice to do what it says on the cover.
Recommend it to new and old runners, but if you are new to the sport perhaps 80/20 Running by Matt Fitzgerald would be a better start as the running programs are better set-out (at least on the Kindle editions). Once you have started to train and are starting to peak over the horizon your next goal, Fast 5K is an excellent next step to keep you improving and training smart.
Only limitation was the layout of the training plans in the Kindle edition, other than that excellent book.
I loved the concise but comprehensive nature of this book. From hill repetitions, to appropriate goal-setting,to shoe weight, to race tapering, to long run intensity, and mind-set this book gives an impressive overview of the essential things required for you to go faster in a 5K.
No magic just insightful, intelligent advice to do what it says on the cover.
Recommend it to new and old runners, but if you are new to the sport perhaps 80/20 Running by Matt Fitzgerald would be a better start as the running programs are better set-out (at least on the Kindle editions). Once you have started to train and are starting to peak over the horizon your next goal, Fast 5K is an excellent next step to keep you improving and training smart.
Only limitation was the layout of the training plans in the Kindle edition, other than that excellent book.
December 19, 2019
More or less finished it. But every day I come back to it. I love Pete Magill. He has a wonderful way of conveying his knowledge.
Easy to follow and read the "Keys".
Only thing I did not like so much was that the book seems geered towards American runners. I would have liked paces for "km per minutes" and distances in km.
Also, why did they not include pictures for the stretching and strengthing exercises? It is kind of hard to follow without some visual guide...
Easy to follow and read the "Keys".
Only thing I did not like so much was that the book seems geered towards American runners. I would have liked paces for "km per minutes" and distances in km.
Also, why did they not include pictures for the stretching and strengthing exercises? It is kind of hard to follow without some visual guide...
January 18, 2020
Ok book but would like more references, diet science and metric conversions please!!!
I’m looking forward to implementing the advice in this book to run a faster 5km. I’m a little disappointed about the lack of metric conversions in the pace tables.
Also I think the dietary advice is a little light on. A brief glossing over of micro nutrients and too much emphasis on macros in my opinion.
Would love to see advice referenced back to studies also.
I’m looking forward to implementing the advice in this book to run a faster 5km. I’m a little disappointed about the lack of metric conversions in the pace tables.
Also I think the dietary advice is a little light on. A brief glossing over of micro nutrients and too much emphasis on macros in my opinion.
Would love to see advice referenced back to studies also.
March 28, 2020
Formatted well and made easy to read. Definitely written for those who have both mauled over running a 5k extensively or those who have ran a 5k at least once. Wish-list-item: If Pete had gone deeper into "taper" it'd make this book a solid read through and through - some things he covered in extensive details and some things, which seems necessary of more elaboration, he gives it a line of texts and moved on.
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May 14, 2020If you are looking for key habits to latch on to for running a faster 5k or any race then this is a really good read. While Magill does do a good job of beating around the bush now and then, there is still a wealth of information that can be effectively applied to a weekly routine. I have managed to structure my running around the rest of my schedule and still effectively follow these tips with noticable improvements in perfromance.
February 10, 2024
Very good - if you’re interested in this type of thing. Magill has some plans at the end of his book, but the more interesting section is the tips - a series of short, simply explained and very readable areas to focus in on. Something to dip in and out of but this is definitely useful.
November 8, 2019
This is a must read for anyone who wants to excel at 5k!
February 14, 2020
This the real book
March 29, 2020
Gave a deep analysis on how to train to improve your timing and recovery trip. great book with tips and tricks
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews