1500m – 5 Race Indication Workouts
Training for the 1500m and want to know what your race pace should be? Below you’ll find 5 1500m race indicator workouts to give you an idea as to what shape you’re in.
Keep in mind that these workouts are just an estimate as to what shape you’re in. Don’t take them too seriously and remember that a real 1500m race is the true indication of your 1500m shape! These are just challenges you can complete in training.
1000m, 600m, 400m with 5 minutes and 3 minutes recovery (ie 1000m, 5mins rest, 600m, 3min rest, 400m). Your average pace for this workout is right around your 1500m race pace.
Let’s say you can run the 1000m in 2:30, the 600m in 1:30 and the 400m in 60. This is 3:45 1500m pace and that’s right around the time you’re ready to run in a good 1500m race. Let’s say you can run the 1000m in 2:40, the 600m in 1:36 and the 400m in 64, this is 4:00 1500m pace and that’s right around your 1500m pace.
Seb Coe completed this workout a couple of times. According to Peter Coe, Seb once ran this workout in 2:20, 1:25 and 53 which is 3:28.5 pace. In the same season Coe ran 3:29.7.
10 x 400m with 2 minutes recovery. Your average pace for the 400m’s is right around your 1500m race pace.
If you can average 60.0 for the 10 x 400m intervals, you should be able to run at that pace for the 1500m, which is 3:45. If you can average 64.0 for the 10 x 400m intervals, you should be able to run at that pace for the 1500m, which is 4:00.
3:28.75 1500m runner Taoufik Makhloufi once completed 10 x 400m with 2 minutes rest in an average of 55.8 seconds which is just a tick under 3:30 pace.
5 x 600m with 5 minutes recovery. Average pace for the 600m’s is right around your 1500m race pace.
If you can average 1:30.0 for the 5 x 600m intervals, you should be able to run at that pace for the 1500m, which is 3:45. If you can average 1:36.0 for the 5 x 600m intervals, you should be able to run at that pace for the 1500m, which is 4:00.
Steve Ovett once did this workout in an average of 1:24 which is 3:30 pace. Not long after this workout, he ran 3:30.77 for 1500m.
1200m solo time trial
The 1500m is a tough event to run fast on your own. Most distance events are, but the 1500m is in particular. If you manage to run 1200m solo time trial in 3:00, you should be able to continue that pace through in a good 1500m race with a strong field around you… meaning 3:45. If you can run 3:12 for the 1200m time trial, you should be able to run around 4:00 for the 1500m. Again, like all of these indication workouts, it’s a rough rule of thumb.
3 x 800m with 5 minutes recovery. Average pace for the 3 x 800m intervals is around your 1500m race pace.
This is a tough one. We dare you to try it. If you can average 2:00 for the 3 x 800m’s, you should be able to run 3:45 for 1500m. If you can average 2:08 for the 3 x 800m intervals, you should have a 4:00 1500m in you.
Enjoy trying these out!
