247. 5k vs marathon: which one is better?

Run4PRs

A lot of our content is catered around the marathon distance. We know that the marathon is super popular and many people when they first start training for marathons will start to follow more specific training as the distance is super daunting THUS we have a lot of content to reach those people. However, did you know that most elite marathoners actually focused on the 5k distance first? That is right! Focusing on the shorter distance races can actually make you a better marathoner. Today we are going to shift focuses on shorter distance races for a bit because it IS an important topic. Training for shorter distances races might be all the rage this time of year if you are not gearing up for a fall marathon. Many athletes set their sites on local 5k races during the summer months. Is training for a 5k significantly different than training for a marathon? There are a lot more similarities than differences, but today we are going to go over exactly what these differences are and how YOU can capitalize on your potential in the shorter distance races while still having a great base to ramp up for marathon training.

Training Differences

• More speed endurance training/intervals

• More racing in general

If you haven’t reached your potential in the 5k or raced the distance often, one might be in good 5k shape after or during a marathon training cycle. Aerobic development is transferable.

Give up on the old mentality and go into something new

So many fun distances

Stomach felt weird running that fast

I was not used to the pain

“That is it?”

Race Day Approach

• What does the warm up look like?

• Mental readiness

Set Realistic Expectations & Have a Proper Pacing Plan

• 1- Do you think pacing is important?

• 2- Can you race without pacing correctly??

• 3- What happens if you go out too hard?

• 4- How can you ensure the best chance for a negative split and to hit your goal?