10K Race Strategy

10K Race Strategy
By Bob Glover

The following text is adapted from The Competitive Runner’s Handbook by Bob and Shelly Glover. Refer to it for more detailed info 10K training and racing.

The 10K (6.2 miles) is the yardstick of performance: the ideal distance to compare 5K specialists from one end of the road racing spectrum and marathoners at the other. You can fairly accurately predict 5K, half-marathon, and marathon performances from 10K results.

This is the perfect racing distance for most runners. It's long enough to challenge the endurance of beginner and casual racers, and short enough to challenge the speed of experienced competitors. If you don't want to suffer too intensely or for too long, the 10K offers a middle ground—combining the speed of the 5K with the endurance of the marathon.

NOTE: The following guidelines are primarily for those RACING the 10K. For those first-time competitors or casual participants whose only goal is to finish in reasonable comfort, the guidelines are much simpler: line up well back in the pack, start slowly to warm up, ease into your normal training pace at which you can converse, and keep that pace all the way, taking brief walk breaks if necessary.

Logistics
Warm up properly to allow for a quick start. Don't overdress; the intensity of 10K racing heats you quickly. Many experienced competitors wear racing shoes for the 10K; lightweight trainers may be the best choice for most runners. Hydrate before the race and for the first 5K to 4 miles, but not after that. Taking fluids late in the race wastes seconds. It takes about 20 minutes for the fluids to absorb. After 5K, I'll just rinse my mouth and pour the fluids over my head for a quick mental boost. "Hitting the Wall" due to glycogen depletion isn't a factor in 10Ks since you will probably finish within an hour. But you do need some fuel in the morning to counteract brain drain and low blood sugar. Avoid a sluggish race and poor concentration with prerace fueling. Fueling up during a 10K, however, won't help performance and wastes time.

Strategy and Tactics
You'll be racing along at about 92 percent of your maximum aerobic capacity, and at or slightly above your lactic threshold. At 10K pace you have a little more room to operate below your limit than at 5K pace, but starting too fast or surging too quickly along the way will still cause significant fatigue due to lactic acid accumulation. Race pace is about 15 seconds per mile slower than 5K pace. But that's still much quicker (1 to 2 minutes per mile) than your training pace.

10Ks require a combination of the aggression of 5Ks and the patience of marathoning. You don't need to concentrate as keenly in the 10K as you do in the 5K, but still you can't let your mind wander too much. You have more time to make up for pacing and tactical errors than in shorter races, but the race isn't so long you can make up a lot. The key to 10K racing is to start off at the proper pace, concentrate in the middle miles, and then push it home the last mile. The first half-mile or mile sets the tone for your race. Going out too fast or too cautiously ruins your chance for a good time. For 10Ks, I prefer to start slightly faster (no more than 5 to 10 seconds per mile) than goal race pace for the first 1 to 2 miles and then settle into a steady pace. Many runners race best starting at goal race pace and trying to stay there; others start slow and then pick it up after the first mile. Experiment with various pacing strategies in buildup races.

Early Miles
The first mile or two should feel relatively easy. It's the same pace or slower than your mile intervals on the track, so think of that first mile rep when doing speed training. You're pushing and holding back at the same time in a tug-of-war that helps you keep right on pace. Look for runners you want to beat or stay close to. Unless you start much too fast or much too slowly, you will not pass or be passed by many runners after the 5K mark. Get into the proper position relative to competitors early.

Middle Miles
The middle miles are critical. This is where time is lost. You're no longer fresh and you can't yet get pumped for the finishing kick. Don't let your mind wander. Concentrate on good form and relaxed breathing. From mile 1 through 5, think of the middle mile intervals in your speedwork sessions. Here you're pushing to stay on pace more than holding back to keep from going too fast. Use the 5K mark as a mental spur: You're heading home, it's now only a 5K race.

In the first 5K, concentrate on pace, not runners trying to pass you or vice versa. For the second half of the race, try to move up from runner to runner to help you maintain a good pace, or "hitch a ride" when a competitor goes by you. Don't be satisfied with just holding your place; look to move up a few places. Most likely many of the runners around you are slowing down. This presents a mirage. You think you're on pace but you may not be. Instead of slowing with them, use the runners up ahead as targets to keep you on pace. Look for your peers--runners in your age group or those who run similar times. Go after them. Use them to pull you in or to try to beat and thus move up another notch. To do this, you may have to increase the effort slightly to gain ground on your competition and to keep from slowing from your goal pace. But don't get excited and surge. That could push you over your lactic threshold. The goal here is a steady push at your limit.

Final Mile
Gather your physical and mental resources for the final mile. Reflect on how hard the last reps were in your mile intervals. You made it through the discomfort then and you will make it to the 10K finish by being mentally tough. Fight off oxygen debt and leg fatigue by relaxing and really concentrating on good running form and controlled breathing. Position yourself for changing into your final gear at the 6-mile mark. Pick out a runner ahead to go after. Only two-tenths of a mile to go. That's less than a lap of the track. Switch to your one-lap kick mode and go.