The Need for Speed: Why You Should Skip Your Next Marathon and Run a 5k Instead
by GRP runner Rachel Schilkowsky
Since my epic fail of an OTQ attempt at the Hartford Marathon last fall, I have done what I always do this time of year: put away my chunky, marshmallow marathon shoes and break out my sleek, light as feather track spikes. For the last month I have been focused on the mile, an event which I’ve recently dipped my toe back into after a nearly 10 year-hiatus and am still very much a newbie at. I’ve done three races so far this season, running times of 4:46, 4:50, and 4:42, and will be running another one soon where I am hoping to take my first real shot at the 4:40 barrier.
Bouncing back and forth like this between longer and shorter races may seem crazy to some, but I wholeheartedly believe that it has played a pivotal role in my success and longevity as a runner. It keeps me healthy, it keeps me sane, and, above all else, keeps me genuinely excited about training and racing year after year. Therefore, while I won’t go quite so far as to try and convince everyone else to join me in an 8-lap sprint around the indoor track, I am here to advocate for an event with serious benefits that is often overlooked by marathon junkies: the 5k.
It Will Improve Your Overall Fitness
If you look at virtually any marathon training plan, you’ll notice that it incorporates a wide range of paces, some of which are significantly faster than goal marathon pace. Although it may seem counterintuitive to run these faster paces while training for a race that is relatively slow in comparison, doing so is crucial to achieving success on race day. High intensity speedwork provides numerous benefits that will improve not just your marathon time, but your overall fitness. Doing a dedicated 5k training block is a great way to maximize these benefits while also learning how to better handle those types of workouts for your next marathon build.
Benefits of Speedwork:
Improved running economy: Improves biomechanics and neuromuscular coordination, which improves how efficiently your body uses oxygen and energy, allowing you to run faster at the same effort level.
Enhanced aerobic capacity: Challenges your cardiovascular and respiratory systems, making them stronger and more efficient and therefore increasing your body’s capacity to transport and utilize oxygen during sustained activity.
Increased power and strength: Recruits Type II, fast-twitch muscle fibers (instead of the Type I, slow-twitch muscle fibers utilized during long-distance running), which power short, explosive movements like your finishing kick.
Improved mobility: Demands greater hip and ankle extension and flexion, which increases flexibility and range of motion as well as joint stability, leading to better overall athleticism.
Injury prevention: Utilizes a wide array of muscle groups, which can protect against overuse injuries caused by monotonous training. Also strengthens bones, ligaments, and joints (similar to weight training) which can further reduce injury risk.
The Logistics Are Infinitely Easier
Planning to run a marathon is like taking on an unpaid part-time job in logistics management. You need to register for most of them months in advance – sometimes almost a full year – and then meticulously plan all of your training leading up to it, including weekly long runs that take 2-3 hours minimum. If you’re doing a destination race, you have the added task of booking travel and accommodation as well as finding a local restaurant where you can get a pre-race meal that won’t have you in the port-a-potty at mile 4. On that note, you also need to test and refine your fueling strategy during training and then coordinate the precise consumption of everything on race day (which may include relying on a friend or family member to navigate a busy city and hand you something at the exact moment you run by a specific location). Marathoning is a lot, logistically speaking, and depending on where you’re at in life (new job, young kids, aging parents, etc.), it might just be too much.
Planning to run a 5k is infinitely easier in comparison. For starters, you don’t need to commit to one nearly as far in advance. Unless it’s an extremely popular race, you’ll likely be able to register the week of (if not the day of). You’ll also have a plethora of options to choose from. On any given weekend between March and December, there’s probably at least a handful of 5ks taking place within an hour drive of most people. This level of flexibility comes in particularly handy when life starts getting in the way. If you get sick the week of what was meant to be your goal race, you can just bag it and try again in a week or two. Sure, you’ll have to eat the entry fee if you’ve already registered, but losing $25-$35 is a lot easier to stomach than losing the $150-$250 most marathons cost these days. 5k training itself is also much more manageable. Your long runs are nowhere near as long – maybe 10 or 12 miles max – and your workouts are also much shorter and therefore easier to fit in and move around a busy schedule.
It’s Less Pressure and More Fun
Anyone who has ever worked towards a big goal knows how stressful and exhausting it can sometimes be, especially if you’ve been at it for a while. Marathon goals are particularly difficult to chase because you only get a few opportunities each year and there are so many variables that affect the outcome (many of which you can’t control). The harsh reality is that you could do everything right during training and still not reach your goal on race day. This pressure and uncertainty can at times be thrilling but can also sometimes suck the fun out of training and racing entirely. If you find yourself in the latter category, stepping away for a bit to try something totally different may be exactly what you need to regain your love of running.
When you drop down to the 5k after being in the marathon grind, everything feels fresh and fun and exciting. You have nothing to compare to and no real expectations. You aren’t burdened by the weight of knowing exactly where you need to be at a certain point in training. You can keep your schedule loose, jumping into races here and there when the weather is nice and you’re feeling good. You can try and fail and learn and then try again almost immediately. You’ll also probably see improvement quickly, which will do wonders for your confidence. In short: going all-in on an event that is way outside your comfort zone will be challenging, yet exhilarating, and may prove to be the perfect antidote for marathon burnout.