Why the Dearth of 10K Races? (Read 163 times)

I did an introductory thread where I outlined my initial foray into running in my late teens.  I did my one and only race at that time and it was a 10K located very nearby in just the town over from where I lived.  One of my current running goals is to beat my time of 41:15 that I ran in that race.  I’m shooting for sometime next year to do this.

In anticipation, I’ve been looking at what races are run around my area.  I see 5K races everywhere.  Some also feature a half marathon option.  What I haven’t found is 10K race distances.  What has changed from 1990 when it seemed that there were plenty of 10K options to now when it’s hard to locate them?  I live in Massachusetts and have yet to find one that would be easily accessible.  I’m not all that interested in the 5K distance.

Does anyone know why this has happened to 10K races?  I seem to remember the 5 mile distance being somewhat popular too but I can’t find that either.

As shown in Running USA's Annual Report of the State of the Sport, the number of road race finishers more than doubled in 20 years from 3,770,000 in 1987 to 8,875,000 in 2007....and of the 5.1 million increase, 70% were women.

 

Prior to the dramatic growth in the number of road racers, known as the Second Running Boom, the 10k was the most popular and available race distance. That began to change in the late 1980s with a shift from 10k to 8k in popularity. The transition continued from 8k to 5k during the 1990s. Today, the 5k dominates the road racing scene....Running USA's report shows 7900 5k races with 3,423,000 finishers in 2007 compared to 1,130,000 finishers in 1930 10k races.

 

IMHO, the transition from 10k to 5k was simply a result of "supply and demand". Much of the growth in the number of road racers has been in a category that I call "recreational racers" as opposed to "serious racers". Racing (or at least finishing) the 5k distance requires less preparation (read "time and effort") than longer distances, which makes it easier for the recreational racer to participate. And those who sponsor and conduct the races were more than willing to accomodate the trend since the shorter distances require fewer resources, cost less to produce, and impose less disruption on non-running communities.

 ...

BTW, a similar trend has been on-going for the last few years at the other end of the spectrum....marathon vs. half marathon. The number of half marathon finishers increased by 75% from 1998 to 2007 while the number of marathon finishers increased by less than half that amount. And the trend seems to be increasing....the number of HM finishers increased by 10% from 2006 to 2007 while the number of marathon finishers remained the same. The growth in popularity of the HM is comparable to that of the 5k; it just started about 10 years later.

 

I think it speaks to precicely the reason why 5k's are so popular and I don't see why all the debate.  The 5k is popular because anyone can run one.  It's an event where serious runners and twice-a-month joggers and the nearly totally sedentary and 10-year-old girls and new moms and dads pushing jogging strollers and...just about anyone else can all participate.

 

And from an RD's perpective if you want cheap, simple logistics and the ability to attract numbers, it's tough to beat a 5k.

 

Serious runners like them because "it's only 5k" and so the recovery is minimal and you can race them often.  Non-runners like them because "it's only 5k" and just about anyone can finish that.  And lots of people in betwen like them because "it's only 5k."

Interesting.  That logic definitely makes sense.  I guess I’m in the minority in not being as interested in that distance.  The 10K distance fits my aptitudes better plus I just like an event where I’m involved in it for a longer time.

What part of Massachusetts are you in? One of my favorite races is the Lone Gull 10k in Gloucester in September. It's a beautiful, fast course mostly along the ocean and since it's the New England Grand Prix 10k, it features an incredibly competitive field.

Perfect timing to make it your goal race after the Summer of JasonB176.

 

People realized its all the pain of a 5k, twice the distance?

I've never agreed with you more.

It's at Good Harbor Beach so there's plenty of parking. And if you decide to stay for a beach day you get free parking.

The course changed last year and I haven't run the new course but it looks to be mostly the same and my friends who ran it reported that the new course may be slightly faster.

There is a nice 10km in Maine. The Beach to Beacon is in August. That could be a goal race for next year.

Doesn't is sell out in like 5 minutes and involve difficult logistics though? And the weather tends to be swampy most years it seems. I haven't run it but I always put it in the category of the Falmouth Road Race i.e. fun to run it for experience and the party but not for a fast time.

MA is one place where it's pretty easy to find a lot of 10Ks nearly every weekend! Lone Gull is a great race, and the James Joyce Ramble held in Dedham in late April is another good one - a little hilly but plenty of faster folks to chase.