This past weekend my work participated in the Stroehmann Walk+Run Against Hunger in Philadelphia. We had 6 people from our department commit to driving to Philly at 6:30am on a Saturday morning! Go team! We all walked and I decided to run as well. The run was at 8:30am and the walk started an hour after that. To be honest, the run wasn’t very big and luckily the walk seemed to attract more people. I finished the run in 23 minutes 40 second and learned a few things about doing a 5K race:
- 5K is a great distance to really try to reach a personal best. It is a short enough distance to really push yourself.
- 5K runs attract all types of runners, beginners to more seasoned runners, especially since it might be some runners’ first race, there might be less pressure on you to finish in a certain time.
- 5K is also a great distance and race to just have fun and enjoy yourself and your surroundings!
- 5K leaves you still feeling alive when you finish the run unlike a half marathon, where you definitely feel like you just ran 13 miles.
Some downsides of 5K races:
- Unless the money is going to a certain cause, running a 5K race can be pricey for a 3.1 mile run.
- Some 5K races, not all, involve a turn around and if you like doing one straight shot that isn’t for you. Sometimes I don’t like running out and turning around because I already experienced the sights on the first half of the run.
- Since 5K races are smaller runs, they aren’t always well-organized. If you are paying to run a race, you expect organization to be involved and that isn’t always true for smaller runs.
Overall, I recommend 5K races to anyone who likes to run! They are a great place to start and even for more seasoned runners a nice way to beat a personal best. Have you done a 5K? Are you planning on doing one this summer? Have you done a run/walk with you work before?
