A 5k fun run is supposed to be fun! It’s the culmination of your training, and a way to reward yourself for all that hard work and discipline.
That said, we understand the experience of showing up to a “race” with a bunch of strangers can be a little intimidating to those who haven’t participated before. There is always a bit of mystery surrounding any new adventure, so we’d like to remove some of that so you can fully experience the joy of a 5k fun run!
Below is a simple guide on how to prepare immediately before, during and after your next 5k fun run. While these tips should apply to any 5k, we’ll use examples from our events specifically.
RELATED: How to train for your first 5K!
What to Do Before you Run
The night before your 5k fun run, eat a light dinner and get good sleep. You may also want to lay off the alcohol, as that could have unintended consequences on your run. Double check final details the event organizer may have sent you related to the location, start times, what to bring, etc. Make sure you know where you’re going and what time you’re supposed to be there!
The morning of your run, have something to eat about two hours before race time. Since our 5k fun runs don’t start until 11:00 AM, this shouldn’t cause much of a disruption to your schedule. Pack a small bag with some essential items you may want when you’re finished, like clean/warm/dry clothes, or a change of shoes. While we don’t have a designated place to drop your bag, you can leave it in your car, or with a volunteer at the registration table (at your own risk).
Plan to arrive about 30 – 60 minutes before start time. This ensures you’ll have adequate time to find parking, get checked-in, grab some water, look at the course map, and most importantly, use the restroom one more time. One additional step for our runs during this time is to decorate your race bib, talk with our event partners, and other runners, and find the starting line!
Right before you run, we’ll lead you in some dynamic stretching, so you’re warmed-up and ready to go! If you’re running with friends, discuss what your plans are. If one of you stops to walk, will you both stop, or is it ok if the other person keeps running? Are you hoping to finish in a particular time? What’re the rules for mid-race selfies? Talking about this ahead of time will ensure you’re still friends when you’re done.
If you’re running alone and want to find someone to run with, just ask! Runners tend to be chatty and welcome an opportunity to run with new people.
During the run
One of the best things about a 5k fun run is that you can run as fast or slow as you want! Since our events aren’t timed, it takes some of the pressure of those feelings of competitiveness. Iif you do want to push yourself and see what you’re made of, that’s great too! It’s totally up to you. We can’t stress enough that a fun run should be, above all else, fun! The bottom line is that there is no wrong way to run a 5k fun run!
After the run
Now the hard work is done, it’s party time! All of our events have live music, a raffle with lots of prizes, and of course, craft beer from the participating brewery. To get everything out of the event, stick around to order some food, grab a beer, and hangout listening to the music. This is where the fun starts to happen!
Many of our participants cite the “after-party” as the highlight of the event. Knowing you’ve worked hard make the post-run festivities all that more special.
Join Us
We hope these simple steps will take some of the mystery out of the 5k fun run experience. My biggest piece of advice for those wanting to experience this is just to try it! Maybe you’ll find it’s not for you, and that’s ok! Our mission to help get people active, while having fun and giving back to our community.
