You may feel out of place the first time you appear at a 5K race. This is natural. It happens whenever we do something new and don’t understand the so-called rules.
Rest assured that every other runner you see has had a “first race” experience. They didn’t know what to expect the first time they walked onto a street full of runners. Here are a few tips to help make your first 5K enjoyable:
1. Arrive early
You do not want to get stuck in traffic. All the close parking spaces will be gone. Make sure you have time for prerace necessities, which include porta-potty visits (smelly but necessary). Arriving early allows time to absorb the prerace excitement.
2. Pin your number on the front
In track meets, athletes often wear numbers on their backs; in road races, they wear numbers on the front. A number pinned to the back will brand you as a rookie. You don’t want that to happen, do you? Pack a couple of extra safety pins to make sure you can secure your number at all four corners.
3. Be visible
If friends plan to accompany you, will they be able to spot you during the race and find you after the race? Wearing a bright race uniform may help. Checking the race map may allow you and your friends to determine good spectator spots and meet-later points. Advertise yourself on Facebook to be sure that everyone knows your plans.
4. Follow the leader
In those last few minutes before the start, nobody is going to be watching you. You watch them. When everybody starts moving toward the starting line, that’s your cue too. It is okay to behave like a lemming, following everybody without shame.
5. Start in back
Don’t make the mistake of starting near the front; otherwise you’ll spend the first mile watching everybody run past you. Start toward the back. You may lose some time crossing the starting line, particularly in big races, but time isn’t important to you in your first race — or shouldn’t be. With most races timed electronically these days, the clock will start for you only after you cross the starting line, and then stop when you cross the finish line.
6. Pace yourself
One reason for starting in back is to avoid running the first mile too fast, either because of enthusiasm or because faster runners pull you along. Once you cross the starting line, settle into your normal training pace — or run even slower. You’ll enjoy your first race more if you run comfortably and see what’s happening.
7. Savor the moment
Every beginner’s first race is a special moment. You will experience other running highs as you continue in the sport, but do your best to enjoy your first 5K as much as you can.
With these tips in mind, you should be able to approach your first starting line comfortably. After the start, it’s all up to you.
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This story originally adapted from Run Fast and appeared on Rodale Wellness.
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