Happy Friday! Today, I have 5 articles with 5K racing tips. There are tips for beginners and race strategies for those looking to improve their performance for a personal best or a medal. I enjoyed reading through these as I train for my 5K PR.

Also read my 5K racing tips for the long distance runner.

5K Racing Tips

1. Runner’s World Tips for Your First Race

Tips for the week, days, and hours leading up to your first race. Great for beginners, but also worth visiting if you feel race days have recently been going awry. Sometimes, it’s important to get back to basics.

Like no tacos before race day.

Mmm, tacos

2. Active.com’s 9 Race Day Tips for Your First 5K

Tips for the actual race day, including running tangents and water stations.

3. Active.com’s 7 Running Experts on How to Achieve 5K Race-Day Success

7 excellent tips from the experts on food, warm up, mantras, and learning to trust your training. These tips are good for all races, not just 5Ks.

4. Runners Connect’s Race Plan for a 5K Run

5K racing strategy broken down by the mile with negative splits in mind. Also has a calculator to put in your goal time to see the split ranges.

5. Ask Lauren Fleshman’s How to Run the Perfect 5K

Lauren suggests setting a range for success, rather than a minute:second success that requires ridiculous precision, and possibly heartbreak. I typically have a goal that I’m relatively confident I can do and a goal that requires more reaching + good conditions. If I don’t make that second goal, I’m still happy about my first achievement. Lauren suggests 3!

She also has a race strategy that I love:

Run the first mile with your head, the second mile with your focus, and the third mile with your heart.

Check out Lauren’s article before your next 5K, and learn how to run a perfect 5K.

Also read my 5K racing tips for the long distance runner.

Your favorite 5K racing tip?