Since I been sitting around sick a lot of the past week, I had a chance to catch up on other’s blog posts. Denny over at DizRuns.com put into words what has become my view of 5k races the last few years. I do not like 5k races any longer, but I could never voice why, well he has nailed it with his post on The Top 7 Reasons I Hate Running 5k Races.
If you are just starting to run, the 5k is the best place to start. You can learn to better your skills, socialize, and be done pretty quickly. I did many 5k races when I start out running in 2010. However, these days, when my shortest training run is 4 miles, it is hard to get excited about a 5k race.
Beyond Denny’s list, I would add that the 5k does not offer in the way of scenery. You do not cover a great distance, so there typically is not much to see during the race. On half marathons (and marathons) you are typically navigating an entire town or city, so you get a new perspective on the location, that you would miss in just driving through the town.
Sorry to my fellow running friends that love 5ks. I will listen to your 5k stories and praise you for your PRs, but they are not for me.
Be sure to go over to DizRuns.com and read the other great posts by Denny.
If you run a 5K in oh, Bishopville, you can navigate the whole town :).
Honestly, I love the 5K because it draws runners of all abilities. It’s the obvious starting place for beginners, yes, but there are also 15 minute 5Kers out there sharing that race. It’s a good distance for a charity race, people who don’t run but they walk can complete it, etc.
My 5Ks end up being about 7 miles. It takes me 2 miles to warm up, so I run that, race (or just do a faster-than-average tempo), then 2 mile cooldown.
Bishopville…. rofl…. I knew you would come with a good one! 🙂
Thanks for the shout out and for sharing my post! I really appreciate it!
Great blog Diz, keep up the good work!