How to Race the Year-End 5K PR Series

Congrats to those who have signed up to take on the challenge of the 2020 Year-End 5K PR Series!

Haven’t registered yet? You can still enjoy early-bird pricing through September 30!

By signing up, you'll commit to racing at least three of five upcoming 2020 5K virtual races and achieving your own personal best, whether your goal is to run a faster 5K, make a habit out of cross-training, or improve your running overall. We’ll provide tools to help you race your best, including a free 5K training plan and Zoom calls with tips before or after every race.

In addition to these valuable resources, read on for some 5K racing tips. Whether this is your first time participating in virtual racing or you’re a seasoned pro, these tips can help you run fast, have fun, and feel connected.

Pre-Race Steps

• Confirm that you’re registered for the 2020 Year-End 5K PR Series in your NYRR profile.
• Confirm that you’re signed up for each of your three individual virtual 5K races in both your NYRR profile and on the Strava Challenges page. Check the list of qualifying virtual 5Ks.
• Map out your route in advance using Strava Routes. Find a route that will motivate you. You can race each of your 5Ks in a different location, or consider doing all three on the same course to try getting faster with each one.
• Plan to run a little over the full 3.1 miles to ensure the race activity is counted.
• Make sure your GPS device has enough memory and is fully charged.
• Check the weather forecast and select your gear accordingly.
• The 5K distance does not require fueling mid-race, but make sure to hydrate and fuel well beforehand.

During the Race

• Before you start, turn on your tracking device, acquire a GPS signal, and make sure you’re recording your activity.
• As you run, check periodically that your device is recording your distance.
• Pace yourself! If this is your first race, it's okay if you don’t have a target time or pace. This is about experimenting with effort. If this is your second or third 5K, you can try setting your pace a little faster than usual in the first mile to try pushing yourself to a PR
• The first mile should feel manageable even if it's faster than your normal training pace. In the second mile, your breathing should pick up, but still be controlled. For the third mile, dig deep and stay concentrated – it’s ok if it’s starting to get hard. Finally, kick it in that last 0.1 as hard as you can!

After the Race

• Make sure you save your activity as a Race on Strava and set your privacy settings to Everyone, so your race will be counted in the leaderboard.
• You can race as many times as you want during the race window. Your best time will be ranked on the Strava leaderboard.
• Share your accomplishment on social media and stay connected with our greater running community.
• Check back in with your 5K PR Series training plan and start prepping for your next race in the series!
• When you finish all three of your 5K virtual races, that medal is yours! All medals will be shipped after the conclusion of the 2020 Year-End 5K PR Series.

Happy running!