READY, STEADY, GO!

THINKING ABOUT TAKING ON A BIGGER RUNNING CHALLENGE NEXT YEAR? HERE’S HOW TO WORK OUT WHE THER YOU’RE READY

This is a brilliant time of year to decide to step up your running, and you couldn’t find a better way to begin that journey than looking through our Ultimate Race Guide. But how do you know whether you’re ready to move to the next level? Whether you’ve run your first 5K and are looking to double your distance, or are thinking about taking on your first ultra, use our guide to work out how far you want to go this year.

10K

A 10K race can be surprisingly tough – for both beginners and more experienced runners. To race one comfortably, you should complete at least 10K in training: this could take you anything from 45 minutes at the speedy end up to 1hr 30mins. You’ll need to run at least twice a week – ideally three times. More experienced runners looking for a fast 10K will need to put in three or four runs a week, including one or two speedwork sessions. Running up to 10 miles is useful if you want a fast 10K, so that the distance itself holds no fear for you.

HALF_MARATHON

Ready to commit to some longer runs? Then you could be in the right place to race your first half-marathon. No matter what your speed, you’ll need to run up to at least 10 miles in training, and ideally cover the whole distance (further if you want a fast time). So expect to spend one day a week running for at least two hours.

Three runs a week is a minimum training commitment for those training for 13.1 miles and you should consider adding some cross-training sessions on top of that – even if it’s just building up your daily step count to get your body used to moving. Faster or more experienced runners may also want to include threshold training. This involves running at around 8 out of 10 effort level for long intervals – up to 20 or even 30 minutes – as part of a longer session.