5k Pacing Help?!

Tom Lunt · March 2017

Hi Guys,

So I have ran a full marathon, various halfs and alot of 10k's however next week I am running in my first ever 5k and I was just wondering how best to approach this to get the best time. I feel if i start too slow there wont be enough time left to really recover it over the shorter distance however if i attempt to go all out I could burn out and ruin my time anyway, any advice?

cougie · March 2017

If you've experience of all of those distances then I think you need to go flat out for the 5k.

You could even work back from your 10k time to predict a 5k time and try and pace that if you have the tech ? But it'll still feel flat out.

Magna Carter · March 2017

I personally find that any kind of pacing other than 'target pace' from the start doesn't work for me at 5k.... at this distance, 5 secs makes a difference... i've tried negative and positive splits... but pretty much all my PBs have been set by dividing my goal time by 3.1 and running that pace! (or more accurately, running that pace for 2.8 mile and then dying in the last few hundred metres in most cases!

)

I'm sure the really fast runners do have a strategy to get to their mind bendingly quick times, but i've managed a sub 20 by just running, as Cougie says, flat out.

Tom Lunt · March 2017

Thanks cougie, Im leaning towards flat out. Difficult one to judge, I suppose even if i start to fade there wouldnt be too long left to cover

HA77 · March 2017

I hate running 5k, much too painful and would prefer a half marathon any day. My best times have been when I've gone out hard and held on. Not much fun though. If unsure I'd set a target pace based on 10k time and aim for an even pace as MC suggests.

rodeoflip · March 2017

As above - as an old git I struggle with 5Ks and am much happier plodding along over longer distances. When I do run a 5K, I generally go for it from the outset and feel knackered after about a mile and then there's only another 2 miles to hang on for. My head tells me that it might be a good idea to start out slightly slower and then increase my pace, however I also think once you're in a rhythm and a cadence it's easier to keep that going than to consciously speed up when tired. So not necessarily flat out, but pretty fast (say 90% effort). I like Cougie's idea of working out a target pace based on 10Ks or halfs and then aiming for that. Most people use calculators to predict long race paces based on short race times, but no reason why it wouldn't work in reverse as well?

2wheels-good · March 2017

long warm up then flat out at target pace.
misquoting an olympic 5k runner who's name I forget
1st mile go out hard
2nd mile hold that pace
3rd mile finish fast

it will hurt

Simon Coombes 2 · March 2017

You could always try and pace it by K's.. it's over quickly, whats not to like.

Pacing wise, yes just divide it up and run it evenly as it's your first one. If you do a few more you'll have one of those races where you are going well and before you know it you are heading towards the last kilometre.

You might get hooked and realise how long and painful marathons and halfs are

Tom Lunt · March 2017

haha sounds like this is going to be alot more painfull than I had imagined! il do a post race round up to see how it went

MrTim · March 2017

I always seem to drop a bit of pace near the end now matter what speed I start at. Going steady throughout gets me close to a PB (within 10-20 seconds), but all PB's have been from setting off at lightning pace and virtually crawling over the line!

Pete Holt · April 2017

hard, hard and hard is my strategy; but my 5k time is rubbish. so discard anything I have added.

Chris2304 · April 2017

Agree with the above, but (1) avoid getting carried away in the first 400m - even if you consciously rein your pace in you are still likely to set off too fast (I certainly do!). And (2) getting a place near the front tends to be more important in the 5k too as every second counts!

Lemonade14 · April 2017

I agree with the above, for me the 5k go out hard and hang on as long as you can

I would save trying for negative splits for the longer races.

Halving your 10k time and taking away 90 seconds to 2 minutes would be a good place to start (i.e 42 minute 10K to a 20 minute 5k)

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5k Pacing Help?!

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