Which weekly workout to drop if running a 5K race?

Well lets say you do intervals on Tuesdays and tempos on Fridays and long run on Sundays. I would keep the Tuesday workout, do a medium long run on Wednesday, do 2 easy run days Thursday and Friday, race Saturday and medium long run on Sunday (or regular long run if you feel like a million bucks).

But after the 5k race do a post race workout. The elite runners do post race workouts. Think of it like this: if you weren't racing that 5k would you only 3.1 miles worth of work? heck no! So do a post race workout(after the race walk around and change into training gear then jog 10-20 min and go into workout then 5-10 min cool down jog after). If you usually do 5 miles of work on the threshold/tempo day have a 2 mile workout after so like 3 x 1200 at threshold pace or a fartlek with pick ups of about 1200m if a track isn't within jogging distance of the finish of the race.

Just my opinion.

I'd do both. Threshold workout earlier in the week, the a light repeat workout two days before the race.

You haven't said, but I assume your running club is focused on events of 5k and up, so that your intervals are probably at 5k race pace. If so, drop the intervals the week of the race. Move the long run up to the day of the interval workout, but do not increase the intensity of that run.

With regard to adding work after the race, unless your running club is made up of athletes really focused on setting lifetime PRs and winning races, I would just add mileage after the race. Most recreational runners/racers aren't going to be willing to go to the well twice in one day. Enjoy an extended cool down while sharing stories with friends.

Holder of bets wrote:

There is a debate at our running club concerning which weekly workout to drop if one is running a (non-tapered, non-peaked) 5K race at full race effort.

Some argue to drop the intervals; some the tempo/threshold. A tiny minority say run both those workouts earlier in the week and add the race on Saturday while dropping the long run on Sunday to a recovery run. Tempers have flared and bets made.

This actually came up since one guy's employer is hosting a community 5K in February and rewarding the company department with the fastest finisher and especially if an employee wins the whole thing so he will be going max, despite training hard to peak in April for some important races then.

Naturally I came to the arbiter of all things running (LRC msg board) to impart its wisdom on us sub-sub-sub elites.

If there is to be no taper, then I'd say just stick to the usual schedule (i.e. no taper), but keep the Sunday run to an easy pace.

If intervals are run at 5K pace, just drop those that week and race instead

Drop the tempo/threshold.