Session of the Month: 7 x 5 minutes - 7-minute cycle

This session is simple, honest, and demanding. Seven reps of five minutes, starting every seven minutes, is a session built around rhythm and restraint. It’s long enough to settle into effort, short enough to repeat with quality - a workout that rewards patience and composure.

Why We Love It

Because it teaches control.
With two minutes of recovery, you never fully reset - just enough to gather yourself before stepping back into work. It’s ideal for learning how to hold pace when the legs are heavy and the mind starts negotiating.

It’s also endlessly adaptable, making it a staple for runners targeting anything from 5km through to the marathon.

How to Run It

Warm-up: 4-5km easy + drills and strides

Main set:
Run hard for 5 minutes
Recover easy for 2 minutes
Repeat 7 times
Start each set on the 7:00 mark, regardless of how the previous one felt

Cool down: 3-4km easy

The first rep should feel controlled. If you’re counting down seconds halfway through rep two, you’ve gone out too fast.

Training Zones & Focus

Effort should sit around threshold, edging toward 10K pace in the final reps for stronger runners. The focus is sustained aerobic pressure - smooth breathing, relaxed shoulders, and even pacing from start to finish.

The real work happens in reps five through seven: staying composed when fatigue arrives.

Key Benefits

• Builds strong aerobic endurance and fatigue resistance

• Improves ability to hold pace under sustained pressure

• Develops mental toughness through repeatable discomfort

• Highly race-specific for 10km, half marathon, and marathon preparation

• Simple structure that delivers reliable training returns