Atlanta Runner Credits Weekly 10x400s for Sub-21 5K
Jonathan Basalyga, 53, improved his 5K by more than four minutes after adding regular interval training.
Jonathan Basalyga of Atlanta has made speed training a regular part of his running after years focused mostly on distance. The 53-year-old now runs 5 kilometers in less than 21 minutes, a mark he has maintained. His breakthrough followed a weekly session of ten 400-meter repeats, a workout he first encountered while reading about Sir Roger Bannister’s training.
Basalyga began running as a child, stepped away during his 20s while building a career and family, then returned to racing after a colleague invited him to prepare for a marathon. He completed the 2005 Baltimore Marathon in 4:52 and later ran seven more marathons over the next decade. A 5K in which his teenage son finished ahead of him pushed him to pursue more speed. Adding intervals helped him run the 2015 Quebec City Marathon in 3:54, his first marathon under four hours, before he turned his attention to shorter races.
His current weekly routine includes one long run, two shorter outings, one speed or hill session, and strength training twice. He hopes to run under 20:30 next year and break 20 minutes by age 55.
- He completed the 2005 Baltimore Marathon in 4:52.
- His 2015 Quebec City Marathon time was 3:54.
- His routine includes strength training twice weekly.
- He aims for sub-20:30 next year and sub-20 by 55.
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