A Long Distance Runner’s Guide to Racing the 5K

A Distance Runner's Guide to Racing the 5K

The season of turkey trots and holiday races is approaching quickly. This is the time of year when many devoted marathoners and half marathoners, now done with their fall goal races, dabble in the shorter distances including the 5K.

If you ask a marathoner or half marathoner which race distance scares them the most, many will answer the 5K. Most long distance runners gravitate towards 13.1 and 26.2 races because of a natural physical propensity for endurance over speed.

That said, even as an endurance runner, you don’t have to fear the 5K! These tips will guide you through racing a 5K and enjoying the experience.

A Distance Runner's Guide to Racing the 5K

A Long Distance Runner’s Guide to Racing the 5K

Pre-Race Nutrition

You obviously do not need to take fuel during a 5K race, but this doesn’t mean you should race on an empty stomach. The faster you run, the more carbohydrates your body burns. A bit of food on your stomach before the race assures that your muscles are primed and energized for running hard.

Eat a small snack or pre run meal of 100-300 calories approximately 1-2 hours before the race. This should be something you practiced in training, specifically before fast 5K pace workouts. Something simple like a banana or toast with jam should provide enough energy without weighing down your stomach.

Get Your Caffeine Fix

A 2008 study in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sports concluded that caffeine ingestion before a 5K race produces “small but significant gains” in your finish time. Well-trained runners recorded 5K times 1.1% faster when they ingested 5 mg of caffeine per kg of body weight.

While tea and caffeinated sports nutrition products can provide caffeine, brewed coffee will provide you with the ideal amount of caffeine as based on this study. 8 ounces of brewed coffee contains 95-200 mg of caffeine (depending on the strength), which will be under the amounts used in the study but enough to increase your finish time.

As with everything else, don’t wait until race day to drink coffee before a run. You may experience the jitters or the trots, both of which will set you up for a miserable 3.1 miles.

Pre-Race Warm Up

The thing most endurance runners, myself included, often state regarding the 5K is: “It takes me 3 miles just to feel warmed up!” If that’s the case (which it is for most of us endurance types), then you should include a long warm up before your race.

In addition to warming up your joints and muscles and preparing the body to run fast, a long warm up before a 5K will decrease the risk of injury. Long distance runners’ bodies aren’t acclimated to running hard and fast, so a 5K could place more stress on your weak areas such as hamstrings, calves, or hips. By making sure these muscles are loosened and the joints are mobile, you reduce the risk of pulling something during your finishing sprint.

Your warm up should be similar to what you do before your interval workouts. Begin with dynamic stretches, 1-3 miles of easy running, and then 4-6 strides at goal 5K pace. Complete your warm up 30-45 minutes before the race begins.

Pacing Strategy

You don’t want to start out at a pace too fast to sustain, but unlike the marathon or half marathon, you don’t want to start out much slower than goal pace. Seconds matter in the 5K.

Thanks to your warm up, you should be able to start out at your goal pace during the first mile. The rest of the race should be focused on holding onto your pace as best as possible and then delivering your best finishing sprint for the last 0.1 mile.

If you start out slightly faster than you planned, don’t panic. A 2006 study from the University of New Hampshire concluded that running the first mile of a 5K race 3-6% faster than your goal pace can still lead to a fast finish time. For a 7 minute per mile 5K runner, 3-6% faster translates to 6:36 to 6:48 per mile pace. You don’t want to aim to start that fast, but unlike the marathon or half marathon, a fast start does not guarantee that you will slow down later in the race.

Mental Strategy

Embrace the fact that you will be uncomfortable from the start and focus on one mile at a time. For long distance runners, the searing pace of a 5K race will feel uncomfortable from the start. Remind yourself that the race will likely be over in 20-30 minutes – shorter than your average training run, most likely!

After the Race

It will be normal to probably feel a bit nauseous after running that fast when you are not used to that level of continuous effort. Drink some water and give your stomach time to settle before eating or indulging in a post-race beer.

A slow cool down jog or walk will help return your body to homeostasis, so don’t stop moving the moment you cross the finish line. Even just one mile of easy running will lower your adrenaline levels and thus transition your body from stress to recovery.

A Distance Runner's Guide to Racing the 5K

And then, have your post-race beer. Many long distance runners disparage the 5K, but any race where you push yourself as hard as you can for the distance is worth celebrating!

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Linking up with Coaches’ Corner! 

Are you racing a 5K or other short distance race this fall/winter?
Which race distance is your least favorite?

What tips would you add for racing the 5K?

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35 Responses

  1. Ugh 5ks are so tough! When I havent done one in awhile I really struggle with pacing. Usually I will need to spend a few months racing 5ks every few weeks to get my pacing right and my time down. It’s been 3 years now since I set my PR and I have no idea when i will be abel to break it!

    1. I imagine they take a lot of practice to pace well! I feel like 5K PRs must be so intimidating – seconds really do matter in that race and the tiniest bit of incline or inclement weather can make a difference!

  2. I’m still trying to decided if I want to run a Turkey Trot or if I should wait for the April 5K that’s my target to PR. How much time can I take off after a marathon if my next goal is just to PR my 5K? I don’t have the desire to run long again for a few years.

    1. It honestly varies from person to person and how you feel after the marathon. I always recommend at least one week (if not two) of no running after the marathon and then a couple more weeks of only easy running, but then you can start training hard and racing 5Ks again. But if you need more time off, then you can also take more time off – whatever feels best for your body! 🙂

  3. I like these tips and as somoene who runs a lot of 5K races, I agree with them (although I personally like to do my strides closer to the start time so my legs don’t get stale waiting).

    I haven’t run a 5K since late September so it’s been way too long (I race 2-3 times a month here!). But, I have 2 coming up in November.

    I’m honestly not sure why more long distance runners don’t like them. It bugs me when people say 5Ks are too short (especially if those people are running very low mileage anyway) because I end up running 7-8 miles when I do a 5K with the included warmup and cooldown. The distance is GREAT as a workout and a way to remind marathoner and half marathoner legs of how to work fast. My friend is one of the fastest ladies in the state (very confidently sub-3), but guess what she does many weekends… races a 5K. It’s a great speed workout.

    IMHO, running more miles training for half marathons has made me a better 5Ker. The longer days have mentally calloused me to think that 3.1 miles of a race isn’t too long to be on the pain train, having to slow down to start half marathons has helped me not start 5Ks too fast, and the endurance has helped me maintain speed.

    1. Thank you! I do agree in more miles improving 5K training. I think coming off of a season of marathons and half marathon can set someone up for a fast 5K, even if there’s not a lot of 5K specific workouts.

  4. I kind of fell in love with the 5k a couple of years ago. It was painful but over with quickly. I haven’t raced one in over 2 years and I may be doing one or two in the next couple of months. Truthfully, it scares the pants off me. Maybe I can back out of actually racing it by running it with my kids? 😉

  5. SO FASCINATING!
    Im sending to my marathon’ing sister as well.
    It had never occurred to me the CONTINUOUS EFFORT piece would be so hard for distance people!

  6. I’ve got a turkey trot coming up Thanksgiving weekend, and I think I am going to treat it like a really solid tempo run, or start out like that and then see what I can unleash. I don’t even know how fast my legs will be willing to move anymore!

  7. It’s been a long time since I’ve run a 5k, for the reasons you mentioned! For my last Chicago Marathon, my coach had me do 3 mile repeats, which I turned into 5ks, just to see how I did. That was fun! I do like to run fast. I may need to try one, using some of your advice!

  8. This is SUCH great advice! This past spring I ran my first 5k since I started distance running and basically made every mistake in the book–it was super tough!! I have another one coming up on same course on December 4th and I’m really hoping to break 20 minutes (big A goal) or 21 minutes (B goal). I’ll definitely be keeping all of these tips in mind on race day!!

    Do you have any opinions on run gum as a caffeine source? I’ve been hearing a lot about it recently and it sounds interesting!

  9. AHHHH those shorter races are BRUTAL! Definitely do a warm-up. I can’t even imagine what would happen if I didn’t warm up for shorter races. I’m pretty sure my hamstrings would just tear right off my legs like BOING!

  10. Well this is timely… I was just telling my coach I’m switching gears because I want a huge PR in the 5K. I LOVE a good 5K. It’s by far my favorite race distance. Thanks for posting this!

  11. Haha, that first par described me to a tee. Give me endurance any day, but if you want a fast paced 5k, you’re looking at the wrong person! My 5km PB time is not impressive in the slightest.

    1. That’s me also! I know my 5K time would be far slower than what race calculators say I should be able to do. But’s it’s equally awesome to be a good endurance runner and we can still enjoy the 5K!

  12. I went through a phase of shunning 5K’s because the distance was so “short.” I love my half marathons LOL Like a lot of others, it takes me a good 3-4 miles to warm-up….a friend encouraged me to do an easy 1-2 mile warm-up before a 5K, and it made such a difference. I didn’t win the race (or even place), but it allowed me run the majority of the race at a decent pace because I already had most of the kinks worked out before the start line.

  13. Love your tips! I definitely need a full 2-3 miles before a 5k, and even with the strides that pace is always a shock to my body! I’m hoping to race more 5ks before winter hits to get a little more comfortable being so uncomfortable!

  14. This is such great advice! I am definitely afraid of the 5K…it’s hard to get up to speed! But I have never done a warmup run before a race, I’m always nervous that it’ll slow me down somehow! I also need to keep your fueling tips in mind…I’m not a coffee drinker, but I’m curious of how it could improve my speed!

    1. Thank you! It is hard to get up to that speed – and then hard to maintain it! I would definitely recommend testing coffee before a race (like on a track workout) but it does help! Other studies show that it reduces the level of perceived effort along with giving extra energy. And people who aren’t regular coffee drinkers get the most benefit from it!

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