The Running Thread (formerly How fast can you run a 5k?)

[David Guiza II]

Ran my second quickest ever 5k on Saturday at parkrun in 18:09, with a previous best of 17:45. 

 

That time only got me 10th, however, largely thanks to 3 guys going sub-16! 

 

The more you run the more you realise how relative everything is - which is the best and worst thing about running. You're always only chasing yourself and therefore every race/run has the potential to be a win, but you're also chasing the other hundreds and or thousands you're running alongside.

 

Non-runners don't appreciate how much work is required to be an average runner.  

[LCFCCHRIS]

2 weeks of barely running post marathon and the first few runs back properly I feel my fitness fell off a cliff. Or could just be the warmer weather of late...

Edited 18 May by LCFCCHRIS

[VLC86]

Did weights in the gym yesterday for the first time in 3 weeks due to the taper and then recovery. 2 sets of squats in I’m flying, 3rd set it feels like my hamstring is going to explode and I have to stop. No injury but I can barely walk today.

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

4 hours ago, David Guiza II said:

Ran my second quickest ever 5k on Saturday at parkrun in 18:09, with a previous best of 17:45. 

 

 

****ing hell man  

[David Guiza II]

23 minutes ago, Miquel The Work Geordie said:

 

****ing hell man  

 FWIW it took me ages to get from 24 to 20 minutes and then it's all been incremental since then. 

 

Joining a club has been really beneficial in that respect, but you soon also realise the sheer number of quick runners all over the place. I look like Steve Howard joining a Lloyd Dyer led counter attack compared to some of them. 

 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

Saw a debate on whether you'd rather be able to run a sub 20 5K or a sub 4 hr marathon. I went back and forth but I think the sub 20 is a more exclusive achievement. I think if someone told me they ran a 3.59 marathon I'd be impressed but a 19.59 5k would really make me sit up and pay attention. I'm sure people will disagree  

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

17 hours ago, David Guiza II said:

 FWIW it took me ages to get from 24 to 20 minutes and then it's all been incremental since then. 

 

Joining a club has been really beneficial in that respect, but you soon also realise the sheer number of quick runners all over the place. I look like Steve Howard joining a Lloyd Dyer led counter attack compared to some of them. 

 

 

I can do sub 20 mate but those numbers you're on are absurd aha. Not been out for just a 5K for ages mind, maybe I'll give it a crack and see what she's saying

[James_lcfc]

1 hour ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Saw a debate on whether you'd rather be able to run a sub 20 5K or a sub 4 hr marathon. I went back and forth but I think the sub 20 is a more exclusive achievement. I think if someone told me they ran a 3.59 marathon I'd be impressed but a 19.59 5k would really make me sit up and pay attention. I'm sure people will disagree  

3.59 marathon is brutal due to the sheer time on feet. I love running but can barely comprehend running for that length of time...horrible.

 

The sub 20 would be more impressive in your example though, as I guess people with that 5k time would be ~3:15 in the marathon.

[JonnyBoy]

IF you can tolerate Spencer Matthews for half an hour, he has some good running guests on his untapped podcast. Some interesting conversations around running/elite running. 

[VLC86]

4 hours ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Saw a debate on whether you'd rather be able to run a sub 20 5K or a sub 4 hr marathon. I went back and forth but I think the sub 20 is a more exclusive achievement. I think if someone told me they ran a 3.59 marathon I'd be impressed but a 19.59 5k would really make me sit up and pay attention. I'm sure people will disagree  

It’s a tough one, because it’s a completely different experience.

 

I’ve done the 5k on a treadmill, and **** me from about the 2nd minute it was a case of hanging on for dear life and trying to ignore how slowly the time was going. Ended up with a banging head ache a few times.

 

Marathon wise, you are basically wrestling with yourself mentally to keep going with everything starting to hurt and I would say this is harder however I think for most it’s probably the most realistic achievement. Purely based on the amount of effort you have to put in as well, I’d say marathon.

 

That said, if you asked me to do one of them now I’d probably do the marathon as I’d enjoy it more. This all might be a huge contradiction btw and I’m not bragging by saying I’ve done both 😂.

 

 

[VLC86]

3 hours ago, James_lcfc said:

3.59 marathon is brutal due to the sheer time on feet. I love running but can barely comprehend running for that length of time...horrible.

 

The sub 20 would be more impressive in your example though, as I guess people with that 5k time would be ~3:15 in the marathon.

You can train your body to be fine with being on your feet for that amount of time, I would never in a million years have thought I’d have been capable of it.
 

When you are training them sort of distances as well, it’s weird how quickly time can go. Listen to a 2/3 long podcasts and it’s done. In a race situation, you’ll be counting down the markers, thinking out time to fueling, split times, seeing family and friends at certain points etc so it all gets a bit distracting… until your body starts to fall apart and every minute feels like an hour 😂

[Les-TA-Jon]

Just discovered this thread. Probably not a good thing. But I'm here so...

 

I was totally inactive and slightly overweight - started C25K back in March 2025 and have since lost 8KG and now run 10-20K / 2-3 times per week. As others have said - life changing stuff really. 

[CosbehFox]

Did Lovstein Bergen Parkrun on Saturday - you would do very well to find a more picturesque view and equally do very well to find such a tough course. 'Monster' Hill must have only been ran up by 10% of those running. Cracking group of volunteers though. Managed to squeeze under 30 minutes, so very chuffed. 

[JonnyBoy]

1 hour ago, VLC86 said:

It’s a tough one, because it’s a completely different experience.

 

I’ve done the 5k on a treadmill, and **** me from about the 2nd minute it was a case of hanging on for dear life and trying to ignore how slowly the time was going. Ended up with a banging head ache a few times.

 

Marathon wise, you are basically wrestling with yourself mentally to keep going with everything starting to hurt and I would say this is harder however I think for most it’s probably the most realistic achievement. Purely based on the amount of effort you have to put in as well, I’d say marathon.

 

That said, if you asked me to do one of them now I’d probably do the marathon as I’d enjoy it more. This all might be a huge contradiction btw and I’m not bragging by saying I’ve done both 😂.

 

 

 

I might be wrong here, but if you if you can run a sub 20 5km, surely your marathon time would likely be a significant chunk under 4 hours? probably nearer 3:15-3:45?

 

Surely that makes the sub 20 harder and more Impressive than sub 4hr marathon? 

Edited 19 May by JonnyBoy

[Stadt]

Not a running injury as such but maybe you guys can help.

 

Whenever I play football now my hip is sore afterwards, I've had a persistent popping when extending my left leg for years but it's metastasised into pain now. From research online I need to strengthen my hamstrings and improve hip mobility generally.

 

Anybody had anything similar and overcome it?

[David Guiza II]

5 hours ago, Miquel The Work Geordie said:

 

I can do sub 20 mate but those numbers you're on are absurd aha. Not been out for just a 5K for ages mind, maybe I'll give it a crack and see what she's saying

It's definitely worth a go, but best to only do an all out 5k every so often. I went through stages of trying to beat 20 and then 19 minutes once a week and it was horrid and made me hate running 

 

I haven't been that way for ages, but Watermead is a really good parkrun course for a decent time. I think they have pacers for 18 minutes upwards once a month (or at least they used to). 

 

5 hours ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Saw a debate on whether you'd rather be able to run a sub 20 5K or a sub 4 hr marathon. I went back and forth but I think the sub 20 is a more exclusive achievement. I think if someone told me they ran a 3.59 marathon I'd be impressed but a 19.59 5k would really make me sit up and pay attention. I'm sure people will disagree  

As others have said - they're so different as to what each takes but I'd probably agree that the 5k effort is more difficult.

 

Any kind of flat out 5k effort, regardless of your ability, is just awful. You're struggling from moment one until you finish with a super high heart rate all the way through. Whereas a sub 4 marathon, or even anything quicker,  you have moments where you just settle in to the rhythm - you can make up time at various points if you have a tough mile or two. 

 

So long as you put the 12/16 week block in for the marathon, and fuel properly on the day, then more often than not you'd get a half decent time. Not that it's remotely easy, I guess it comes down to whether you prefer to struggle to breathe or struggle to walk towards the end of a race 

 

I'd hasten to guess that I know more people who have done sub-4 marathon than a sub-20 5k (of those who have done both). Particularly the women, for whatever reason. 

[SecretPro]

30 minutes ago, JonnyBoy said:

 

I might be wrong here, but if you if you can run a sub 20 5km, surely your marathon time would likely be a significant chunk under 4 hours? probably nearer 3:15-3:45?

 

Surely that makes the sub 20 harder and more Impressive than sub 4hr marathon? 

Hmm. Trouble is, to run a Sub 20 5k your are probably going full whack, hanging on for dear life and dying over the finish line. No way does it mean you can maintain anything close to that pace over a marathon. I run 21 minute 5Ks, will be looking to go Sub 20 in August, September between half marathons, I think I can do it, but I doubt I can run a 3:15 marathon.

 

Ps. Im 39 and type 1 diabetic. Im comfortable with half marathons but the full is a different kettle of fish for a diabetic anyway.

Edited 19 May by SecretPro

[CosbehFox]

33 minutes ago, Stadt said:

Not a running injury as such but maybe you guys can help.

 

Whenever I play football now my hip is sore afterwards, I've had a persistent popping when extending my left leg for years but it's metastasised into pain now. From research online I need to strengthen my hamstrings and improve hip mobility generally.

 

Anybody had anything similar and overcome it?

Yeah similar to you. Even though I was running regularly, every time I played footy my back was sore. The key was to get my hamstrings and quads stronger. Upping core exercises so many times a week and now it’s pretty much under control 

[VLC86]

46 minutes ago, JonnyBoy said:

 

I might be wrong here, but if you if you can run a sub 20 5km, surely your marathon time would likely be a significant chunk under 4 hours? probably nearer 3:15-3:45?

 

Surely that makes the sub 20 harder and more Impressive than sub 4hr marathon? 

You are right on the timings, but if you are running that pace for 5k and are flat out there is literally no chance you manage it for the entire marathon.

 

Part of the skill/strategy of a marathon is pushing as much as you can while knowing you’ve got enough left in the tank to get to the end.

 

Specifically for me, the 5k I ran at that pace has been on a treadmill every time. The 3 times I’ve run a marathon have been on literally no training past 7k, or mentally hilly routes where you are boarding on being an elite athlete running a marathon at that pace.

[Ric Flair]

On 16/05/2026 at 16:22, VLC86 said:

Chanced Amazon for a pair of Super Blast 2s as they were a fair bit cheaper than anywhere else. They’ve turned up, every part of them compares almost exactly to the pair I bought before other than they are made in a different country, which the internet tells me means they are fake. Crazy how good the fakes are.

I've got what I hope is the real deal unless a very reputable outlet are selling schneids 😂

 

How fcukin good are they!!! I'm in bits post London and at risk of unravelling but got to keep it pinned for this memorial run i'm not not doing. But these are a joy to run in. They give me more of a buzz than a brand spanking Ben Sherman back in the day, waltzing about like the guv'nor.

 

 

[Ric Flair]

25 minutes ago, VLC86 said:

You are right on the timings, but if you are running that pace for 5k and are flat out there is literally no chance you manage it for the entire marathon.

 

Part of the skill/strategy of a marathon is pushing as much as you can while knowing you’ve got enough left in the tank to get to the end.

 

Specifically for me, the 5k I ran at that pace has been on a treadmill every time. The 3 times I’ve run a marathon have been on literally no training past 7k, or mentally hilly routes where you are boarding on being an elite athlete running a marathon at that pace.

It's a fascinating topic. I always had targets of middle distance accolades over the longer distances as where does it bloody end but they are completely different challenges that require different discipline and application. I don't miss the short term grabbed by the jeffries pain of a 5k full send or intervals to bring that time down and i've seemingly enjoy far more the graft of a 16 week block that's measured and consistent.

 

There probably comes a point where they cross over, that's where Halfs come in which are my favourite distance but sending them can be an excruciating experience as much as the latter part of a marathon (I presume as admittedly only done one and got away with it so far).

 

 

[VLC86]

11 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I've got what I hope is the real deal unless a very reputable outlet are selling schneids 😂

 

How fcukin good are they!!! I'm in bits post London and at risk of unravelling but got to keep it pinned for this memorial run i'm not not doing. But these are a joy to run in. They give me more of a buzz than a brand spanking Ben Sherman back in the day, waltzing about like the guv'nor.

 

 

Wait till you’ve softened them up in about 100 miles, you feel like you are wearing trampolines when you start to up the pace.

[James_lcfc]

20 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

It's a fascinating topic. I always had targets of middle distance accolades over the longer distances as where does it bloody end but they are completely different challenges that require different discipline and application. I don't miss the short term grabbed by the jeffries pain of a 5k full send or intervals to bring that time down and i've seemingly enjoy far more the graft of a 16 week block that's measured and consistent.

 

There probably comes a point where they cross over, that's where Halfs come in which are my favourite distance but sending them can be an excruciating experience as much as the latter part of a marathon (I presume as admittedly only done one and got away with it so far).

 

 

The 'grabbed by the jeffries sessions' are the ones that really move the needle fitness-wise for me - Intervals of a km and below.

 

Massive benefits to running form, economy and VO2max. Traditional 5km training would benefit any Marathon block IMO - Just make it a bit more miserable 

[Balj]

My days of ‘fast’ running are a bit behind me (2:47 marathon etc) - any ultra runners on here? I’m running Wildhorse 200 in a few weeks and have full Dragons Back in September. Will be collecting my sixth star in NY in November though. 

[SecretPro]

3 hours ago, James_lcfc said:

The 'grabbed by the jeffries sessions' are the ones that really move the needle fitness-wise for me - Intervals of a km and below.

 

Massive benefits to running form, economy and VO2max. Traditional 5km training would benefit any Marathon block IMO - Just make it a bit more miserable 

Mona Fartlek for me has been massive.