Seth O’Donnell: One to Watch? 5000m World Championships Countdown

Seth’s latest training video gives a behind-the-scenes look at the work being done on the track — with plenty of banter between athlete and coach mixed in.

The session focused on race-pace conditioning, clearing lactates under pressure, and sharpening pace judgment. Recent workouts have built progressively: 2400m reps starting at race pace, lifting to faster than race pace, then returning to race pace with elevated lactates. The goal is simple — teaching the body to cope with the demands of championship racing.

There’s also a candid discussion about the importance of preparation. From shoe laces that wouldn’t undo before a European race, to the athlete’s own tongue-in-cheek “three rules of racing” (including triple-knotting spikes and being just disorganised enough), the video captures the realities of competing at a high level.

Videographer Sammy highlighted his own racing experience in Sweden as a season highlight, while the training itself closed with sharp 300m efforts that hit 30 km/h after nearly 9km of work — a sign of strong conditioning. Coach feedback pointed to improved efficiency, noting that lactates remained lower than expected, showing how far the athlete’s system has developed in just a few weeks.

The session wrapped inside heat-chamber conditions of 32°C and 70% humidity, simulating racing pressure. As the video shows, the balance between hard science and athlete feel — plus a dash of humour — remains central to the journey.


The session ends with short, powerful hill and sprint efforts under heat and humidity, showing just how far fitness and efficiency have progressed in the last two months.

🎥 Watch the full video above for the session, the banter, and the insights.

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