Forums >Racing>How to race a 10k? and at what pace?!
All this talk about racing 5ks got me thinking about my upcoming 10k next weekend. This is a goal race that I've been training for since the beginning of May. I hate to blow 5-6 months of training by executing a bad race so thought I'd see what you all think. I've raced a few 5ks this fall so just starting to get the feel for that kind of hell and sort of have a basic map in my head of how to approach them. No expert but getting better. PR 22:31 last weekend, maybe could have run it a little better but not much. There aren't a ton of 10k races so I haven't had the opportunity to practice racing that distance other than as a rather unfit person 2 years ago. So, how to approach it? Even splits? Pick it up in the middle? Go for broke? I feel a little clueless and frightened by the pain that I'm in for. And then, what should my goal be? I was thinking sub 49 but various predictors say different things, all the way down to sub 47. I don't know! To be honest I chose sub 49 because that would be one more sign pointing in the direction of a possible BQ at some point (with a half marathon coming up to further solidify whether the endurance is there or not). But I hate to be soft on myself. Be hard on me people, what should I really be aiming for here?!
I don't mean to sound flip but my serious answer is: just aim for the fastest possible pace you think you can sustain for 6 miles. Remind yourself at the start that the race is just over 6 miles. Remind yourself again at the mile mark. After that, you'll be fine and instinct will take over.
The pace should just be a little less intense than the 5k.
Honestly that has always been my approach and I don't think there is anything to be gained by trying to be more analytical than that.
Runners run
Feeling the growl again
The calculators will give you a rough approximation from your 5K. Beyond that there is little option other than to go by feel. Course/weather/phase of the moon differences cause variability off any predictive model.
As for strategy, the best answer is the same for any race over the mile...even to slightly negative splits, assuming the course is consistent.
No need to freak out about it...10K is less painful than 5K and you did make it through a beer mile after all.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
#artbydmcbride
Don't go out too fast! Push in the middle, no slowing! Hammer the Finish!
You should aim to run your age in minutes.....
Don't go out too fast! Push in the middle, no slowing! Hammer the Finish! You should aim to run your age in minutes.....
I tried that when i was 18... I failed. Now, that's a recovery day
Yeah, its one of those goals that gets easier with time.
not bad for mile 25
I don't mean to sound flip but my serious answer is: just aim for the fastest possible pace you think you can sustain for 6 miles. Remind yourself at the start that the race is just over 6 miles. Remind yourself again at the mile mark. After that, you'll be fine and instinct will take over. The pace should just be a little less intense than the 5k. Honestly that has always been my approach and I don't think there is anything to be gained by trying to be more analytical than that.
This has been my "strategy" in all races shorter than the marathon. I don't know if it's the best approach, but it got me a 46-ish 10K, and my PRs are similar to OP's.
Rule of thumb says add about 10 seconds per mile to your 5k race pace. (For me I think it's probably closer to 15 seconds, 'cause my curve on the race predictor/equivalence charts is skewed toward the shorter distances). Anyway, after about 3 miles it starts to hurt almost as much as the last mile of racing a 5k, only you get to experience the hurt much longer, so you got that going for you.
- Joe
We are fragile creatures on collision with our judgment day.
If you ever find out, let me know. (My 10k pr is ~90s slower than what my 5k or half marathon pr's would predict)
Know thyself.
thanks, I appreciate your replies. I think just having this information tucked in the back of the mind on race day will give me the confidence to do what has to be done. no magical formulas. I'm going to give it all I got. and save the beer for after the race this time....I got my eye on a PR there too btw.
No more marathons
As spaniel says - even to slightly negative.
And with a 22:31 5K PR, if you start with a 49 pace you are most likely going to be very negative.
I've found that my 10K pace is usually 15 to 17 seconds slower than 5K, and 15 to 17 faster than 15K.
Sub 47 could be doable - so 7:30 to 7:35 pace.
You can expect miles 3 and 4 to require the most concentration to maintain pace. If you find yourself staying with most runners around you at this point, you'll know you're slowing down - because they are. Be prepared to not fall into that mental lapse.
Boston 2014 - a 33 year journey
Lordy, I hope there are tapes.
He's a leaker!
Proud Calgarian
Personally I like to segment a 10k as follows...
First km - Don't start out too fast. Set a max pace for the first km and don't go faster for any reason.
Km 2-3 - Settle in time. You want to feel loose enough that you can hold it, but not red-lining it. This is the time when I make sure the pace isn't too aggressive and look for the other runners around me and the course to gauge the feel of my pace.
Km 4-8 - Meat-and-potatoes: Every time you feel like losing it, a surge helps keep your legs moving. You're not anywhere close to comfortable at this time, but you're counting down and convincing yourself that it'll all be ok in the end. You do whatever you do to pump yourself up or keep yourself psyched when you're feeling gassed.
Km 9-10 - End of the race: I find the more you get used to doing the 10k and the better you feel, the sooner you can turn it up in those final 2k. If you have anything left in the tank, the last km is where you empty it completely.
Worked for me last race, I negative splitted by 18 seconds and got a PR out of it!
2015 Goals and PRs:
5k - 17:59 (18:05); 10k - 35:59 (36:42); HM - 1:19:19 (1:19:59); FM - 2:49:59 (3:05:46)
I got my eye on a PR there too btw.
That's what I like to hear. If you are as cocky in the 10K as beer mile you'll do a-ok.
Ha! Well I will give it my cocky best.
I ran a 10k today and thought about this thread while running. Mikey's advice is solid, and the tip from hipfan about surging whenever you feel like stopping is excellent. (my race was not excellent but would have been even more mediocre without this tactic...)
Joann Y - good luck!! The last 2k are always life-sucking but that surge-when-tired thing really worked for me...