How do you approach pacing a 5k?

Just think about this thread and run on pure hate

my pacing strategy sucks really but here goes:

as a training block/season approaches an end, and a 5k race nears I rely on recent workouts to dictate my pace

eg if a recent 3x1 mile repeat workout on 90s rest suggests my proposed race pace is in the cards, I try to go out on 5k 'B' pace for mile 1 [adjusted for weather or if this is a road course, a couple seconds for crowding], eg normally target pace +10s for the first mile

say 20:00 5k is 6:26 pace right? So target 6:35 for mile 1

Mile 2 try to come in at/about goal pace [~6:25 -- 6:30]

right around mile 2.0 //2.1 have a gut check, yes based on the above you're about 15s off pace but hey, this is where you can go goal-pace or under if you're in to it.

Mile 3 sucks no matter what, in it to win it. Go for goal pace or goal-pace -10s/mile here

with the remaining ~400-500m of the race, hit your ~mile RP [normally this is say 5k goal pace -~25 or 30s], so this allows you to go for race pace by picking up the remaining 5-7s in the final 400m by 'running the last lap' at your ~mile capability

*note, I'm a late 40-something hobby jogger who can barely break 20 on a good day, but this is what I do. I blow most of my sub 20 attempts by taking mile 1 out at/about goal pace or -5s, I need a 5 second cushion there [neg. split] or I'm screwed. I'm not that tough

the above allows you to do all the hard "mental work" in the final mile. You should be comfortably hard through mile 2.1 if this is a goal-pace/PR level effort. Whatever works for you I know this isnt the best strategy for best results but it does minimize the mental pain if you are a bit anaerobic capable

Negative splits is the way to go! Not to brag but I recently PRed on my road 5k, my goal was to run 15:30 I ended up running 15:25. My mile splits were:

1. 5:03

2. 4:58

3. 4:55

0.1 4:50s

I had a friend pace me through 2miles during that race.

Hope this helps.

If training went better than last time, my first kilometer is last 5K average and use the extra fitness to negative split and get a PR.

Well your plan do not suck :-) I will try this plan next time I race !

Close to even paced splits is best, presuming your competitors are doing the same. If you're aiming for 14:59, then a first k in 3:00. If the runner ahead of you goes 2:55, then go 2:56 rather then allowing a gap to open.

OK, I don't run any more but:

AS EVEN AS POSSIBLE.

This yielded the best results.

The issue is when you have to decide whether to go with the pace or to try to stick to your own plan.

Sometimes you may get a better result by just throwing the plan in the bin and going with the race.

Also, if you can, find a bit of pavement in a park, measure 1K and do your goal pace. It does NOT translate if you try this workout on the track, it's different. Do it not in laps, not on mondo, do it on pavement in a 1K stretch.

I really only pace out the first mile. From there you just run the race to win/beat the group around you. My best race in XC (from high school) I got out fast but holding out a bit.

Even

I like to chip away at my PRs. I'd handle it differently if I wanted a big breakthrough, but I usually go out about 5 or 10 seconds/mile slower than PR pace for the first mile, right around PR pace for the second, and then crank up to 10 or 20 seconds faster for the last mile+.

If you're in PR shape, it feels great start to finish.

Sub20 5k every day. wrote:

Negative split? Go out faster than goal pace and try to hang on? 3 miles even pacing and kick? Find the person who's face you just can't stand and run to beat them?

If you are not racing a race there is something wrong with you. Hard from the start and then the final xxxm even harder.

None of this hobbyjogger jogging with a few surges for 4600m and the sprint 400m as it was a 400m race. Though that tactic might help those slower runners where the 5k is not their event place or win.

I remember reading somewhere that for most people, going out hard, hanging on in KM 4, and then kicking in KM 5 was the way to go.

I've ran all strategies and PR'd so I don't know which is best. What I do know is that every PR I've lost, I've done so in the 4th KM

I’ve only run the event a few times but my PRs have all come with miles 1 and 3 being roughly equal and 2 a few seconds slower with a fast last 200. Last time I ran it was 5:02/5:06/5:02/33.6. Time before that was 5:07/5:11/5:04/33.3. These were both on the track. Running a TT on the roads and was going to experiment going out in 5:10 and then see if I can close the last 2 in the 4:5x range.

its only 5k wrote:

If you are not racing a race there is something wrong with you. Hard from the start and then the final xxxm even harder.

None of this hobbyjogger jogging with a few surges for 4600m and the sprint 400m as it was a 400m race. Though that tactic might help those slower runners where the 5k is not their event place or win.

1) I've only ever ran 5k's in xc, never on a track or road. I've always raced the race without giving much thought to pace, shoot, I've never raced a 5k with a watch on.

2) I'm not good at 5k's. PR is 18.22 and I'm historically inconsistent. Unless I enter a local parkrun, I'm not going to be running to win the field regardless.

3) I'm doing a mini training block and time trialing 5k's on roads a few times over the next 6-8 weeks because I need to keep things interesting for myself after a few seasons of marathon builds. Did a baseline TT and looking at the splits, I know I can be more strategic about it. So I posed an open question to people who have given this more thought and experimentation than I have.

4) If you're going to be a judgmental phallus, go do it on any number of other threads. You're seriously going to come here, to the running forum, and criticize someone actually talking about running? Calling them a hobbyjogger? Are you getting paid to run? Or are you putting your own money into the sport keeping it alive like the rest of us who do this because we want/need to?

4.1) Those are rhetorical questions. That means don't reply.

You have taken my post completely the wrong way, calling out people how jog round and sprint the finish as not the way to run a race gives you offensive?!

The point of running races is to race regardless what time we run, I’m only a little faster than you on my local Parkrun, otherwise if you are not it’s just a training session.

Run longer races with negative splits, unless you are in school or run only track, 5k is going to your shorter races hence pretty much even as you are not going to make much time up. You should know your pace from training and your weekly Parkrun effort when it restarts.

If you are not racing and asking for advice on racing a 5k without information you are going to get a multitude of responses.

Besides, avg 5k time for men and women is 25-29mins across most countries so you are above average.

The temptation in a 5K is to start fast as I think of it as a short race. To counteract that I force myself to start slower than I think I need to, and the first mile feels deceptively easy but it's never as slow as it feels. My splits are very even under this approach.

Negative split is the way to go, but with it only being 5k that isn't going to be a huge number of clicks slower over that first half.

This is going to be highly personal. How much faster do you think you can run over the last 1M>1.25M?

Obviously you can't just jog through the first half and make that up, you are going to have to get through the first half feeling comfortable, but no so comfortable that you leave yourself a huge hole to dig out of over the last mile or so.