Barefoot 5K Training Plan for Recreational Runners

By Rick Morris

Barefoot running is fun, functional and efficient. Running in your barefoot not only encourages an efficient running stride but also strengthens your lower leg muscles which will improve your running performance and increase your injury resistance. You can train to race barefoot with this barefoot recreational 5K plan. We also have a more advanced barefoot 5K plan for competitive runners.

Where do you start with barefoot running? If you are completely new to running barefoot I would suggest starting with our bare basics barefoot running program. Once you’ve finished the bare basics program or if you have some experience with barefoot running you may want to consider running a barefoot 5K. Here is a barefoot 5K training program for recreational runners with some barefoot running experience.

Barefoot 5K Training Plan

This is a 6 week barefoot 5K training program for experienced recreational runners that can run at least two miles with shoes and have already conditioned their feet to the point that they can run at least 1/2 mile in their bare feet. If you are a new runner with no running experience I would suggest starting with our beginning runners program. If you can’t run 1/2 mile in your bare feet you should also complete the bare basics barefoot training program.

The Workouts

This 5K training program contains easy runs, tempo training runs, some beginning speed workouts, barefoot running workouts and rest days.

Easy Runs

Easy runs should be run at a pace that feels fairly comfortable. You should be breathing hard, but should be able to carry on a conversation. If you are breathing so hard that you cannot talk, you are running too hard. If you can sing, you are running too easily.

Tempo Training

Tempo runs are steady state runs that are performed at a pace that feels moderately hard. If you have completed a 5K or 10K race your tempo pace should be about 30 seconds per mile slower than your 10K race pace or about 45 seconds per mile slower than your 5K race pace. You should feel like you are working hard but you should never be struggling to maintain your tempo pace. Talking should be possible but a bit difficult.

Speed Workouts

The speed workouts in this program consist of short intervals that are performed at faster than your normal training speed. These are introductory level speed workouts and are designed to moderately improve your speed and performance in the 5K race. These workouts are based on your current 5K race time. If you have not completed a race or do not know your current 5K race time you have a couple of options. You can simply make your best guess on how fast you can run a 5K or you can perform a time trial. To do the time trial, go to a 400 meter track (most high school tracks are 400 meters) and run three 1600 meter repeats with one minute of rest between the three repeats. Run the repeats at a pace that you can maintain for the entire workout. You should run hard, but not so hard that you cannot complete the three workouts. Calculate your average pace per mile for the three repeats. Multiply this pace by 3.125. That will give you a fairly accurate estimate of your 5K race finishing time.

Week 1

  • Monday – Rest
  • Tuesday – Run 1.5 miles at an easy pace with shoes
  • Wednesday – Run 2 miles at an easy pace with shoes
  • Thursday – Rest
  • Friday – Run 2 miles easy with shoes and then run 1/2 mile or 800 meters in your bare feet.
  • Saturday – Run 2 miles easy with shoes
  • Sunday – Run 2.5 miles at an easy pace with shoes

Week 2

  • Monday – Rest
  • Tuesday – Run 2 miles at tempo pace with shoes
  • Wednesday – Run 2 miles at an easy pace with shoes and then run 1/2 mile at an easy pace in your bare feet.
  • Thursday – Rest
  • Friday – Run 2.5 miles easy with shoes and then run 1/2 mile or 800 meters in your bare feet.
  • Saturday – Run 2 miles easy with shoes
  • Sunday – Run 3 miles easy with shoes

Week 3

  • Monday – Rest
  • Tuesday – Warm up with 10 to 15 minutes of easy jogging. Run 4 x 800 meter repeats at around your goal 5K pace with shoes. Rest for 2 minutes between each repeat. Cool down with 800 meters at an easy pace in your bare feet.
  • Wednesday – Run 2.25 miles at an easy pace with shoes and then run 3/4 mile at an easy pace in your bare feet.
  • Thursday – Rest
  • Friday – Run 2 miles at an easy pace with shoes and then run 1 mile at an easy pace in your bare feet.
  • Saturday – Run 3 miles easy in shoes
  • Sunday – Run 3 miles at an easy pace in shoes and then run 1/2 mile or 800 meters at an easy pace in your bare feet.

Week 4

  • Monday – Rest
  • Tuesday – Run 2 miles at tempo pace with shoes and then run 1/2 mile or 800 meters at tempo pace in your bare feet.
  • Wednesday – Run 2 miles at an easy pace in shoes and then run 1 mile at an easy pace in your bare feet.
  • Thursday – Rest
  • Friday – Run 1.5 miles at an easy pace in shoes and then 1.5 miles at an easy pace in your bare feet.
  • Saturday – Run 2 miles easy in your shoes
  • Sunday – Run 2 miles easy at an easy pace in shoes and then run 2 miles at an easy pace in your bare feet

Week 5

  • Monday – Rest
  • Tuesday – Warm up with 10 to 15 minutes of easy jogging. Run 2 x 1600 meter repeats at around your goal 5K pace with shoes. Rest for 2 minutes between each repeat. Cool down with 1600 meters at an easy pace in your bare feet.
  • Wednesday – Run 1 mile at an easy pace in your shoes and then run 2 miles at an easy pace in your bare feet.
  • Thursday – Rest
  • Friday – Run 1 mile at an easy pace in your shoes and then run 2 miles at an easy pace in your bare feet.
  • Saturday – Run 3 miles at an easy pace in your shoes.
  • Sunday – Run 3 miles easy at an easy pace in shoes and then run 2 miles at an easy pace in your bare feet

Week 6

  • Monday – Rest
  • Tuesday – Run 1 mile at tempo pace with shoes and then run 2 miles at tempo pace in your bare feet.
  • Wednesday – Run 1/2 mile at an easy pace in your shoes and then run 2.5 miles at an easy pace in your bare feet.
  • Thursday – Rest
  • Friday – Run 3 miles at an easy pace in your bare feet.
  • Saturday – Run 3 miles at an easy pace in your shoes.
  • Sunday – Race Day. Run 3.1 miles at race pace in your bare feet.

Congratulations on finishing your barefoot recreational 5K plan.