Beginner Preparations Ahead of a 5K Run

A former solar program salesman at Momentum Solar, Erik Helverson is based in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. He is an intern at Kommune Digital while working on his master’s thesis. Erik Helverson’s hobbies include playing tennis, the piano, and guitar, and doing 5K runs.

A 5K run is a five-kilometer (3.107 miles) road-running competition known as the most common and shortest of road running races. To prepare for a 5K race, you should run three to four days a week in the five weeks coming up to your first 5K. During one of your weekly runs, work on increasing how much you can run at once until you reach the race distance.

A good tactic for beginners is to concentrate on minutes rather than miles because this allows you to think more gradually and gives you room to improve at your own pace. Training for the equivalent of a 5K distance provides you with the strength and confidence you need to finish the race. You will run with more power or speed if you extend your long run to six miles instead of three since you’re preparing for double the distance of the race.