How to prepare for a 5k race

The average 5k finish time is between 30-40 minutes, but many people will record a shorter time if they are particularly active with training.¹ Your base fitness will determine how long it will take to get ready, but most of us can be race fit in six to nine weeks.

Getting started

The NHS provides a nine-week Couch to 5k programme: an easy-to-follow routine of three runs a week, building up using walking and running to cover the distance. The plan gets you from nothing to running 20 minutes after five weeks, and completing a 5K event in nine weeks.

5k speed sessions for all levels: one to two a week

1. Endurance and race pace: 5 x 1k at goal race pace with one-minute recovery
2. Speed endurance: 8 x 400m with 90-second to two-minute recovery
3. Sprint finisher: 10 to 20 x 200m with 100m walk recovery

Threshold run: once a week

Once a week you can practice running comfortably hard, at 'tempo' or 'threshold' pace, which builds up to race pace. For 5k-specific tempo training, start week one running 3 miles at 45 seconds slower than 5k pace, then try to reduce it down by 10 seconds a week (warm up and cool down either side.)

Long run: once a week

A weekly long run (or for beginners walk/run) of 60 minutes-plus will boost your VO₂ Max, which means you can provide your working muscles with the oxygen it needs to perform well. You will also build a base of aerobic fitness, which will provide a better platform from which you can perform your faster training and racing.

Do I need special training kit?

Normal running kit will do, but don't make the mistake of over-dressing. For really fast runners, a 5k race is a good opportunity to try out racing flat shoes. You won’t get cushioning, but with featherweight shoes, you will run faster.

Fuel for 5k runners

For optimum performance, a general healthy diet with good carbs and lean protein, not too much fibre and plenty of hydration will make a difference on race day.

On the day itself, eat easy-to-digest complex carbs for breakfast. "The go-to pre-race food is porridge, but you can also try something lighter such as oat-based smoothie, or fruit salad," suggests nutritionist Rob Hobson. "Allow time for the food to be digested, ideally around two hours. And don't worry if you can't face eating, you'll still be able to run," he adds.

Hydration

Before doing any exercise, it's important to hydrate. For a 5k run, plenty of water before and after should be enough. Being hydrated will help you perform at your best. A small-scale study on male runners, back in 1985, found that being dehydrated led to them running 80 seconds slower over 5k.²

Nutrition boosters

"Ergogenic [performance-enhancing] aids³ that will help include caffeine," says Hobson. "A shot of caffeine has been shown to enhance performance and endurance," he adds. A 2008 study found that 60 per cent of athletes questioned said that they use caffeine to boost their performance.⁴ A good way to get what you need quickly is Healthspan's Elite Kick-start Gum, which also has added B-vitamins: an important nutrient for athletes as they are used during the production and repair of cells, including red blood cells.

One study found that runners who consumed a beetroot juice shot before racing cut 1.5 percent off their 5k race times.⁵ Beetroot juice is packed with nitrates, and your body converts these nitrates to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide affects blood vessels in a way that increases blood flow capacity, leading to more oxygen being transported to your muscles, and through a complex process works with the muscles to make them more efficient.