Guide to Mental Health pacing Health & Injuries.
Back then, pacing was always about locking into a speed and holding it until the finish, or until I fell off of it. But it wasn’t until a Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 5K three years ago, well after my collegiate career ended, that I finally understood how to adapt my pacing to a race’s specific layout, and to my effort in that race.
As soon as I made that subtle shift to my pacing strategy, I landed a PR in the 5K—and never looked back.
This is just one of the many game-changing pieces of advice you’ll learn from Olympian and run coach Roberto Mandje in Runner’s World’s brand-new How to Master the 5k, a holistic video program that provides all the tools you need to run your first—or fastest—3.1 miles.
“Knowing (the course) ahead of race day is helpful for a smarter approach to your speed,” Mandje says.
During my competitive running days, I had a much different relationship with knew every twist and turn of the course; it looped through the Raleigh, North Carolina neighborhood I grew up in, with steep inclines on roads I’d run countless times before. While those hills would make for a tough race, I was physically prepared for them.
But while knowing the course is a crucial first step, using that knowledge to figure out how to pace yourself and adjust for things like hills is what really makes the difference on race day.
In Whats a Good 5K Time, Mandje guides you through pacing your race based on effort. He recommends starting off relatively conservatively at 60 to 70 percent of your maximum running effort during the first mile, speeding up to 70 to 80 percent in the second mile, and then going 90 to 100 percent in the final mile to the finish line.
You can easily tailor this effort-based pacing approach to the 5K course you’re running, Mandje says, especially if there are major elevation changes along the way. “For example, if you start on a downhill, you’ll obviously run a little faster. If there’s a tough incline in the middle, you’ll slow down a bit,” he says. “That’s OK.”
So that’s exactly what I did during my breakthrough 5K. Since the first mile included two big inclines and a small downhill section, I started the race pretty relaxed. I came through the first mile feeling fresh and prepared for some challenging hills ahead.
The second mile featured rolling roads–four steep hills followed immediately by declines. I increased my effort in the second mile, but kept my pace steady during the uphill sections. Then, I made use of the downhills to recover.
I knew the final mile would be the key to a PR. At that point, all the hills were behind me. I had a nice, gradual decline to the finish line, which I used to my advantage. Going at 90 to 100 percent effort on the third mile felt tough, but controlled, especially since I purposefully didn’t crush the first two miles.
When I saw the clock ticking as I approached the finish line, I couldn’t believe I was running that fast. It felt almost too easy.
My smart pacing strategy helped me cross the line as the first overall female runner with a new, shiny road 5K PR of 18:40—and a delicious blueberry pie as my prize.
No matter where you are in your running journey, your 5K goals are fully in reach—and How to Master the 5k is chock full of simple strategies to help you nail your next race. Mandje and other experts will give you essential tips not only for racing your 5K, but for following your training plan, fueling, and more.
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Ashley is Editor of Content Hype at Hearst’s Enthusiast & Wellness Group. She is a former collegiate runner at UNC Asheville where she studied mass communication. Ashley loves all things running; she has raced two marathons, plus has covered some of the sport’s top events in her career, including the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials and multiple World Marathon Majors.
