Hello Marathoners, do you feel like 10k is a short distance ?

Distance, yes

Long Distance, no.

I found it an awkward distance which was a shame because it's the one I'd most like to have done well at. But it seemed too short to run like a long race and too long to run like a short race.

I also find the 10K to be awkward for me. My theoretical pace relative to what I can run for a 5K is hard to lock into and maintain for twice the distance of a 5K. I can run half marathon pace so easily, something about that in between that is hard for me. I probably haven't figured out how to train for it.

(Slow)10ker here, I find it the easiest distance to race.

Not so intense as the 5K, but also not so long as the half/full marathon.

I was primarily an 800/1500 runner. The 500/1000 indoor was my bread and butter running 1:02 and 2:24. However I even thought the 10,000m was not that long running one in 29:05. I think it depends on the runner and how manyiles you hit a week. I trained 100 to 110 a week. The marathon however sucked.

I'm crap at 10k so I like to think I am just a marathon runner at heart and will do well when I concentrate on marathons. I do want to improve my times though. I am useless at warming up and nearly always feel that I could hold my average 10k pace for 10 miles(my 10k and 10 mile pb paces are almost identical).

If any distance is 'easy' you're not running it fast enough.

I've run a whole lot of marathons and I never felt the 10k was 'short distance'. Every race felt like it was much too long. Hell, I remember one time getting ready to run a 400 (marathoner not trained to run one lap) and being really nervous. My wife asked me what was wrong and as I looked around the track I said "It's just so long.". I knew the pain I was about to endure and it was as daunting as a marathon to me.

Banana Bread wrote:

I'm crap at 10k so I like to think I am just a marathon runner at heart and will do well when I concentrate on marathons. I do want to improve my times though. I am useless at warming up and nearly always feel that I could hold my average 10k pace for 10 miles(my 10k and 10 mile pb paces are almost identical).

Then your 10k pace is too slow smh

It sounds like a few people have stumbled upon why the distance is contested.

It does occupy that space between marathon and 5k where it's too short to just sit at a controlled pace and cruise like you can do in a marathon (until the end) but it's not the balls out barn burner like a 1500/5000.

The 10k was the favorite of the road race scene in the early part of the running boom, now it's faded and lost out the half marathon.

Easy then run faster wrote:

If any distance is 'easy' you're not running it fast enough.

If you go out too fast, any distance will not seem like a short race. I was a 14:50 guy in college and once went out in 4:34 in a 10K XC race. The next five miles were miserable and seemed to take forever.

BTW, I couldn't find it online, but there was picture of Thom Hunt in same race going through the 1st mile in 4:20 and looking relaxed.

quickndirty wrote:

It sounds like a few people have stumbled upon why the distance is contested.

It does occupy that space between marathon and 5k where it's too short to just sit at a controlled pace and cruise like you can do in a marathon (until the end) but it's not the balls out barn burner like a 1500/5000.

The 10k was the favorite of the road race scene in the early part of the running boom, now it's faded and lost out the half marathon.

I agree. 10k was my favorite distance. 5k is half over before you even realize it; HM gets tedious after a while.

Bib #1 wrote:

quickndirty wrote:

It sounds like a few people have stumbled upon why the distance is contested.

It does occupy that space between marathon and 5k where it's too short to just sit at a controlled pace and cruise like you can do in a marathon (until the end) but it's not the balls out barn burner like a 1500/5000.

The 10k was the favorite of the road race scene in the early part of the running boom, now it's faded and lost out the half marathon.

I agree. 10k was my favorite distance. 5k is half over before you even realize it; HM gets tedious after a while.

+1

A 10k is hardly worth putting on my running shoes for

Lmfao a marathon is just a warm up run for me and my crew.

not if measured precisely

If the 10k is a race, I run pretty much at red-line from the gun now. Before I started running marathons I would start conservatively to make sure I had enough in the tank at the end, but now I know I'm strong enough to maintain intensity the whole way. (Disclaimer: I am slow.)

Jim Walmsley thinks marathons are a short distance.

When I went into full marathon training many moons ago (1979-1982) 10k was considered a short recovery run, 5k a warm-up run before intervals. But again, that was some 39-40 yrs ago.