What is the difference between 5k and half marathon

A training program for a 5k is in the neighborhood of weeks and is a great race for a beginner. Similar to the 5k to run a 10k you need to find a race and pay the entry fee. A training program for a 10k race is approximately weeks. Half Marathon: A half marathon is a Prices are typically cheaper the earlier you sign up and rise as the race nears. Above all, listen to your body and give it the time it needs to recover.

Plan to have an intake of — calories each hour of your run to give your muscles and the rest of your system what it needs to keep going. You can get these much-needed calories and hydration through gels, bars, sports drinks, and water. A lot of this is about trial and error, but once you find what works during training, stay with it for the race. The half-marathon is considered to be a yellow-zone race and is at about a 7 on that 1—10 scale. You will run approximately 15—30 seconds slower per mile than you did during your 10k.

Take your average mile-per-minute goal pace but this time, begin the race running at about 10—15 seconds slower than that number for the first 1—3 miles. Slowly and carefully—but always with determination, of course—increase your speed from mile ten through the last mile so you can safely crush your goals. Remember that the adrenaline and excitement of race day will likely push you to run faster than you have throughout your training, so learn how to channel that energy and properly pace yourself throughout the course!

Runners, on your mark. Each of these events is an impressive achievement. So bask in your feel-good vibes and your pride and stop here if this is where you choose to stop. Or, by all means, keep going. You have a passion for running better than you ever have. This is it—the bucket list race of long-distance running! The good news is that finishing a marathon is absolutely possible! For a beginner marathon runner, we recommend you start an week training plan after significantly building up your aerobic base and getting quite a few long runs under your belt.

At this distance, many runners find it beneficial to work with a running coach or group to get support throughout their training. If this is your first marathon, your main goal needs to be completing the marathon without any injury. You should be proud of yourself for sticking to your training plan and crossing the finish line.

Another critical component of your strategy will be hydration and calorie intake, similarly to the half-marathon. Keep the same numbers in mind that you used for the other long races when it comes to a range that fits your individual needs, based on factors like weight and sweat. Drink a bit each mile, or determine a more specific amount by doing a quick calculation based on your findings before and after a run. You can check your sweat rate based on your weight and doing some simple math.

Weigh yourself beforehand and then again afterward and when you see what the difference is, that is how much water you lost—and about how many ounces you want to replace. This one is seen as being in the green zone and raced in a 5—6 range on the scale, as you should plan to run a whopping 30—60 seconds slower than the half marathon. Be sure to begin your race at up to 20 seconds slower per mile than your goal pace because even though you want to be conservative in the early miles, if you go too slow you will have to make it up later.

Just hang in there and try to make up the time and distance left by as evenly as possible spacing out the remainder. Once again, this is not a sprint—going from 5k to marathon is a well-planned and prepared masterpiece.

The sections contained earlier in this guide should help get you where you want to go during your 5k to marathon adventure, but there are a few more things to note. Things like professional equipment, proper nutrition, and the rest you give yourself in between training sessions leading up to the various races will also help determine how well you do.

Marathon training should take place over the course of 16—20 weeks. Note that most training plans are created with the assumption that you, as a beginner marathoner, have already built a steady base and trained for races of shorter distances. Look into which races you want to do, as each location may offer a slightly different terrain and may or may not have the home field advantage of having loved ones able to cheer you on for moral support.

Regardless of the place, each long-distance race is a commitment, so schedule it way ahead of time so you give yourself plenty of advance notice. You have to build yourself up over time to get where you want to be.

Try not to have too many sessions in a row. Rest in between workouts is important to give your body recovery time. Training is necessary not just for your leg muscles to get used to things but for the rest of your system—and your mind—to get used to it, too. This goes more for marathons but, in this way, you will be teaching your body how to utilize what is has during a race.

You need nutrition that is high-quality though, not just the first sugary morsels you can get your hands on, as you want to avoid feeling bloated or fatigued. When FiveThirtyEight contributor Dan Engber recently wrote at Slate that the marathon is a dangerous, expensive and meaningless pursuit , my initial reaction was annoyance — why do people get such smug enjoyment out of disparaging our sport? Yet I concede that he has a point about the glorification of the marathon. Ethiopian runner Muktar Edris just ran a 5K in Typical 5K training plans call for something on the order of 10 to 30 miles of running per week or the equivalent in timed runs — in the optimal range for health benefits.

Keeping mileage on the lower end comes with another bonus — a reduced risk of getting hurt. Training seriously for the 5K will get you close to your biological potential for aerobic fitness, Joyner said. The secret is high-intensity interval training, or HIIT — short periods of very hard efforts interspersed with easier recovery bouts.

Studies show that these high intensity workouts produce greater improvements in VO 2 max than the kind of long, slow workouts emphasized in many marathon training plans. The international parkrun program holds timed 5Ks at local parks for free.