Would you run a charity "5K" that's actually 3.2 miles?

Charity blues wrote:Umm, how about moving the start line? How hard can that be?

Perhaps it is a charity event for amputees?

Just run baby

Sure I'd run it. Wouldn't expect to beat my 5k PR, but I can race 3.2M just as well as 3.1M (and have, at least once). Might even have a better shot at some hardware because all the OCD runners would skip the event, leaving me to compete with only my fellow ADD runners.

new PR.

It doesn't really seem like the end of the world to me.

Definitely OCD here. And cheap. Think I'd rather run a 5000 or 3000 on the track for free than spend $20 for t-shirt that looks like a billboard and maybe a lousy age group ribbon (actually don't even think that they provide that).

I would, unless the charity was Lance's foundation (for obvious reasons), or Avon (because the amount of money Avon makes selling products with chemicals that cause cancer is greater than what they contribute to research to prevent cancer).

just run it faster to make up the difference. Last one I ran was advertised as 3.2 was actual 3.12 and I won anyway.

This depends on several variables, listed in order of importance:

Is there prize money?

Do other fast guys run the race?

Is the race somewhat close to home (no hotel necessary)?

Also, does this race fit into my racing season. However, this is redundant with and/or determined by #1 and #2 above.

Sorry I forgot one more:

Does someone that matters to me ask me to do it?

(this could rank tied for #1)

I've never understood the obsession with exact distances in road races and XC races. Everyone in the race is running the same distance. Are you afraid that people will beat you at 3.2 miles who would not be able to beat you at 3.1?

People will argue that the course isn't valid for PR purposes, however you can't really compare times on different courses anyway, so keeping a road 5K PR doesn't make sense to begin with.

Just go out and compete with the other runners and it won't matter that the course is .08 miles long.

Run it.

The only reason not to would be if you wanted to run a PR, which obviously won't be possible.

If you're running for competition or to gauge your fitness, why not? With a calculator and some common sense, you can certainly extrapolate your time (and probably more importantly, how you feel in the race!) from a 5150m to a 5000m.

If it's that important to you, go measure 150 meters back from the finish line and take your time there.

The funny thing about this is that this is OBVIOUSLY not going to be an exact "3.2 miles" anyway, right? Any RD who cared enough for it to be properly measured would just adjust the start line as you suggest.

satureaedted wrote:

This depends on several variables, listed in order of importance:

Is there prize money?

Do other fast guys run the race?

Is the race somewhat close to home (no hotel necessary)?

Also, does this race fit into my racing season. However, this is redundant with and/or determined by #1 and #2 above.

Some good points here (this post and others).

No prize money--I think there is a big drawing for anywhere in the US air fare--let alone pickings are pretty sketchy on the age group awards.

This is the draw, usually a fairly fast and competitive race by local standards. Only one or two more chances all season for a local 5K that fit the same criteria.

The big race is actually the following weekend, and this is more of a tune up; so maybe a mid-week track race this week would fit better.

I don't care about accuracy/certification for XC and some road races.

I might offer to measure the damn course for them if they can't figure it out.

Charity blues: Think I'd rather run a 5000 or 3000 on the track for free than spend $20 for t-shirt that looks like a billboard

But running alone on a track is a completely different experience from racing - far more different than 3.1 miles vs. 3.2 miles, no? That's like saying "I'd rather sit at home and masturbate for free than shell out $20 for dinner" - apples and, uh, sausages.

However I am completely with you on the tee. I almost never take mine, and mildly resent paying for it. Sure wish the standard practice were to charge five bucks less for the race and make the stoopid shirt optional.

Fortunately there's a summer biweekly 5k series in my local park, five bucks to race, no shirts, no nonsense. As a bonus, the distance is accurate and marked every quarter mile.

Run the race 5000, 5300, 4866.54198 whatever, unless your name is Kenenisa,Eliud,Imane or Micah you are the only one who cares about the course being WR certified or not.

geeze louise

I agree witht the person who said to measure and mark the 5k. That way you can push to 5k and see where your limits are on that last 100-200m.

You should probably measure from the start, though, since 3.2 is not exact.