How To Know If 10K Is Right For You

With 10K race season just around the corner, how can you decide whether 10K is for you?

With so many distances of running race on offer, you need to find your favourite. Your running style, fitness, and personal preference will mean that a 10K race is perfect for you. How can you decide?

Know The Distance

10K is 6.2 miles. Obviously it’s double the distance of a 5K race, but there are lots of things that make it more than just “twice as long”.

10Ks are usually run at a slower pace than a 5K. This can actually make them easier, and more appealing, to lots of women. In a 5K, there can be a sense that you need to push the pace every step of the way (after all, it’s “only” 5K!) With a 10K, the distance is long enough that you can pace yourself and take it at a more moderate pace.

Understand The Pace

A 10K is long enough that you can’t go all-out right from the start until the finish line. But it’s not as much of an endurance race as a half-marathon. It’s the perfect distance if you’ve done a 5K race, or if you like long training runs of around an hour. For some people, 30 minutes or so just isn’t enough! You have to find your favourite distance.

Does 10K Suit Your Personality?

We think that certain race distances suit different characters. Marathon runners need mental endurance, and to shut their minds off to distracting thoughts. 5K runners need to be mentally sharp right from the off, and be able to push their own pace every step of the way.

10K tends to suit runners who are patient and have the ability to judge their own pacing.

What Do You Want To Gain?

10K training will get you fit, fast. It could help you lose weight or manage your weight, if that’s a concern for you. It will teach you to run faster, but also give you great endurance. And it will help you get to know your body as a runner. You’ll discover how much you can push (and hold) your own pace.

What Kit Do You Need?

You don’t need anything extra for a 10K that you wouldn’t have for any other race distance.

– Good shoes are a must (you could even invest in a slightly lighter pair for 10K, if you’re at that stage in your running)

– A sports bra, and technical wicking top and bottoms

– Extra kit like peaked cap, long socks, gloves (to suit the weather)

– A sportswatch or other tracking device to log your mileage, pace, and distance

You won’t need a water bottle, energy drink, or energy gels for your training runs or for the race itself. It’s unlikely that you’ll go much over one hour in training. And on the day itself, there will be water stations.

We’d love to know what made you realise you were ready for a 10K race. What advice would you have for another woman currently making the decision?

Similar Posts:

• How To Know If 10K Is Right For You
• 9 Reasons You Should Run A 10K
• How To Find Your Fitness Starting Point
• Train For Your First Sub-60 10K
• Training Tips For Your First 10km Race
• How To Run Your Fastest 10K Yet