As with anything else in life, running can be improved by strategies. For a 5K race there are numerous amounts of strategies that you could use. Some of these are reasonably good, some of these will negatively affect you rather than help you.
Basics
The most basic strategy is to run the entire 5K at a solid pace, only changing speed in the last 400 meters to allow a strong finish. This goal would be very hard to accomplish unless you slow your pace down to a comfortable rate.
Rabbit
The worst strategy would be to run really fast in the beginning and then just hope to finish the race by the time you get to the last mile. This strategy could be useful to you if you see someone else using it. If there is a “rabbit”, or someone using this strategy in a race, it would be best to work up to speed and then pace behind them from a distance, using them as a pace tracker to help you know when your increasing speed. It is also useful for when a tough competitor gets sucked into winning the first K, which will allow you to have an advantage through the rest of the race.
One of the best strategies is to run the first mile faster than your goal mile pace, then allow yourself to slow down on the second mile to around 15 seconds slower than your mile pace, which will allow you to increase speed greatly on the third mile. If you have a core that could handle the changes in speed then this strategy should work wonders for you. If not, but you would like to try this strategy, read my article on strengthening your legs and core, which is linked at the bottom of this article.
Another great strategy would be to run slightly faster than your first mile goal pace and then drift off of the closest person for the rest of the race. Drifting allows you to save around 8% of your energy, which proves to be a lot in the last mile when everyone else is running on an empty tank.
If your newly found drifting buddy begins to slow down, then advance to the next person. Once you feel like you can move on to the next person, only because you can speed up and not because they are slowing down, then wait for about 10 seconds to advance. This principle works much like it does with lifting weights. While lifting weights, you may feel like you are ready to start your next set within 30 seconds of resting, but it is better to rest for the full minute to make sure your body isn’t just running off of a surge of adrenaline. So make sure that you are ready to move on, don’t just move on as soon as you feel able to.
Win in the End
The last strategy that I find useful is to start out at an easy pace, about the same pace that your practice mile pace is, and then speed up at every mile, or K mark. This strategy helps you beat a tough PR by letting you think through your strategy, without wasting all of your energy, during the race. The last mile will probably be really close to your first mile time, but you’re aiming for about 30 seconds to a full minute.
These strategies can be used no matter how you trained. In order to see their full potential, you would have to practice according to the strategy; such as speed up at the turn around point, and do core workouts a few times a week. These links will help you figure out how to design your own program.
