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Why are 5K so popular and prevalent ? (Read 1186 times)

    "what's behind the falling number of 10K and growing 5K".

     

    maximizing profit for the charity. 

     

     

     

     

       

      In regards to racing a 5k......I like to find the point were I feel like I'm going to puke and ride that razors edge.

       

      The 5K distance is 'freaking hard' if you are running it to the best of your ability.    I know that i personally alway go out too fast in a 5K and my lungs and legs are usually screaming at me in the last mile....     I've never puked (yet) but I have been on right up on the edge a few times (threw out some dry heaves once)...I guess a good puking at the very end of a 5K is something for me to strive for.........I'm obviously not pushing quite hard enough.....

      Champions are made when no one is watching

      Slo


         

        The 5K distance is 'freaking hard' if you are running it to the best of your ability.    I know that i personally alway go out too fast in a 5K and my lungs and legs are usually screaming at me in the last mile....     I've never puked (yet) but I have been on right up on the edge a few times (threw out some dry heaves once)...I guess a good puking at the very end of a 5K is something for me to strive for....

         I can honestly say I have never run a 5k...or any race for that matter to the best of my ability.

         

        After every race I always ask myself if I ran that as hard or as well as I could have and sadly enough the answer has always been no.

         

        5k's are and should be painful......if they ain't, you ain't racing.


        she runs like a girl

          It's kinda like why everyone signed up for the 100m in elementary and junior high when it was time to pick your events for track and field - they figured it would be over the fastest

          It's like the sprint of long distance races.

          It's for those of us who have a need for speed

           

          2010 goals: PR at distances from 3k-HM 3k: 02/02/10 - 12:00 - road 5k :03/13/10 - 20:32 - road 10mile: 04/02/10 - 1:15:49 "The only thing I hate more than running is not running"
          danazc


            For me like many others I am very limited on time.  So with that said I dont have the time to do a good solid training program for a 10k run.  I know I could go run a 10k today if I wanted, but if I wanted to push myself and do well then I need to find a lot more time to train.  For me the 5k is great because it is far enough where I have the time to train for it, it also keeps me in great physical shape, and it is fun and friends and family can do them also.  It is harder to find friends that are willing to join you in a 10k than a 5k.  To be honest with you, my big reason for doing any type of race is purely for motivation.  Yes I know my other motives should be to stay healthy, stay fit, have fun, etc... but for me the 5k's are what motivates me the most to keep improving on my PR.
            Slo


              For me like many others I am very limited on time.  So with that said I dont have the time to do a good solid training program for a 10k run.  I know I could go run a 10k today if I wanted, but if I wanted to push myself and do well then I need to find a lot more time to train.  For me the 5k is great because it is far enough where I have the time to train for it, it also keeps me in great physical shape, and it is fun and friends and family can do them also.  It is harder to find friends that are willing to join you in a 10k than a 5k.  To be honest with you, my big reason for doing any type of race is purely for motivation.  Yes I know my other motives should be to stay healthy, stay fit, have fun, etc... but for me the 5k's are what motivates me the most to keep improving on my PR.

               I can't think of anything differently you would find in a customized training program to get you to your best 5k vs that of a 10k program.  It's going to be pretty subtle. If you want to keep knocking off those 5k pr's then race longer distances.

              danazc


                 I can't think of anything differently you would find in a customized training program to get you to your best 5k vs that of a 10k program.  It's going to be pretty subtle. If you want to keep knocking off those 5k pr's then race longer distances.

                 Yes but I dont have time to run 10 miles to improve my 10k runs, I barely have time to run 4.5-5 miles to improve my 5k times.  Like I said I can run a 10k now if I wanted, I just dont have the time to push myself and train enough to get decent times like under 40 min.  When I have more time I will do some 10k's but for me personally I dont see how me running 4.5-5 miles each day is going to get me into 10k shape as you are suggesting.

                Teresadfp


                One day at a time

                  One thing that motivates me to keep going on a run when it's hard is the thought of the pretty HS girls I see puking at the end of XC 5K races!  There's usually at least one at every race.  If they can run that hard, I can certainly keep trucking.

                  xor


                    Here' my thought on the whole 10k vs 5k thing.  I haven't run a 10k in years.  I do some 5ks each year.

                     

                    I puke at the end of some 5ks and some 10ks.  They both can hurt.  A lot.  But a 10k is going to hurt for twice as long.  And so I run 5ks Smile.  And when I get the joneseses for something long, I head for a half or a full or a 50k or a 50 miler.


                     

                    Slo


                       Yes but I dont have time to run 10 miles to improve my 10k runs, I barely have time to run 4.5-5 miles to improve my 5k times.  Like I said I can run a 10k now if I wanted, I just dont have the time to push myself and train enough to get decent times like under 40 min.  When I have more time I will do some 10k's but for me personally I dont see how me running 4.5-5 miles each day is going to get me into 10k shape as you are suggesting.

                       I didn't mean you personally, Just saying there is little if any difference between a program to get you to a peak performance for a 5k or a program for the same in a 10k. From Individual to individual yes, there are differences but from distance to distance for that same individual none really.

                       

                      And I'm certainly not suggesting that running 4.5 to 5 miles per day is going to get you into 10k shape. At least the 10k shape you'd want. Personally, I wouldn't say those distances would get a person to thier 5k fitness level. (I'm implying potential here)

                       

                      Which brings up another point......for all practical purposes, "Fitness" is a relative term. What I might call my 5k fitness level certainly would'nt even come close to that of the Jeff's or Mikey's of the world.

                      danazc


                         I didn't mean you personally, Just saying there is little if any difference between a program to get you to a peak performance for a 5k or a program for the same in a 10k. From Individual to individual yes, there are differences but from distance to distance for that same individual none really.

                         

                        And I'm certainly not suggesting that running 4.5 to 5 miles per day is going to get you into 10k shape. At least the 10k shape you'd want. Personally, I wouldn't say those distances would get a person to thier 5k fitness level. (I'm implying potential here)

                         

                        Which brings up another point......for all practical purposes, "Fitness" is a relative term. What I might call my 5k fitness level certainly would'nt even come close to that of the Jeff's or Mikey's of the world.

                         I totally agree with you.  For me the 4.5 - 5 miles a day is "good enough" for me to get into 5k shape.  I dont expect myself to run a 5k in under 18 minutes anytime ever.  My goal is under 20 minutes and I am at about 21:20 in a daily run.  I rarely go over 5 miles but for me doing a 5k under 20 minutes is great.  If I can go faster that is even better, but to be honest with you, my build wont allow me to do so.  I have a larger build and will never be super skinny since I do carry a significant amount of muscle on my upper body.  Typically the faster 5k and 10k runners have longer legs and are pretty skinny, I have short legs and a big upper body, so for me under 20 minutes is great.  I agree my 5k fitness level is probably no where near as good as many peoples on here as a 20 minute 5k isnt that fast compared to most on here, but for me I am very happy with that.  i do agree with a lot of what you said.

                          I think the 10K kind of lost it's cool factor.  We don't have many around me either. 

                           

                          Because 5K's are so popular (e.g. high school, local runs), most people have a sense for how far it is (or just think "something around 5 miles").  Anything above that and Americans' metric conversion capabilities are pushed too far.

                           

                          In my experience, the response from others when you say "I ran a 10K" is bewilderment, "uh, ok", or "how far is that?"  No other common race gets such a response ...  for example:


                           

                          Runner:  I ran a 5K

                          Friend:  Wow, how fast?

                           

                          Runner:  I ran a 5 miler

                          Friend:  I can't even walk that far!

                           

                          Runner:  I ran a 10 miler

                          Friend:  That's further than my commute!

                           

                          Runner:  I ran a half marathon

                          Friend:  That's incredible, you planning on running a full one?

                           

                          Runner:  I ran a marathon

                          Friend:  You're crazy!  I don't think i ran that far in my life!

                           

                           

                          A 10K gets no such respect, at least around here in the sticks.


                            During the 1980's more runners completed a 10k race then any other road race distance.

                             

                             

                             

                             

                            Teresadfp


                            One day at a time

                              During the 1980's more runners completed a 10k race then any other road race distance.

                               

                              What was the total number of racers like back then, compared to the last few years?

                                I think entries started to lag for 10K's...and also partly because for bigger 10K's they have to block twice as many streets and pay OT to twice as many cops to do so.  5K became cheaper to organize, and true you can have more beginners out for a good time, more little kids can finish a 5K and get hooked, etc.

                                 

                                I read somewhere 97% of the population can't run a 5K without stopping at ANY pace.  I heard that years ago so with so many more fat people we're probably talking 98% now.  So at 10K you're over 99%.  Kinda shrinks the field.

                                 

                                Doug B is Clydesdale  190+?  I should get in there, I seem to be bottoming at 190-192.

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