5k running times?!

Blimey TF! That is astonishing – I was thrilled to bits with 1374 in the country for V45 10k 😂

I have done so many over the years and courses can vary a lot. I have ran from 15 min exactly (and a couple of others under 15:15) but unless its a ratified course then over such a short distance a mis measurement can make a big difference, people kid themselves a lot, when you are fit you know what is a true PB. Suppose my best is 15:48 which I did on the track. Absolutely nothing special and in the 80’s there would be 15 club mates ahead of me and even making the 12 stage team was a struggle!

10k, again many of them in the mists of time but peppered 32:30 a number of times with my best being around 32:20 ish. 25:50 for 5 miles.

Edit: BTW I am 54 now and like to think in the spring I would get to around 18:30, 55 in October.

I scored a Pollok Park parkrun PB of 23 minutes a few years ago, but I haven’t been anywhere close to that time since. It is such an anomaly (all other times around then were 24 to 26 minutes, I’m back up to between 27 and 28 minutes now) that I can’t help thinking there was a glitch in the space-time continuum matrix that morning.

The biggest issue for me is that it takes me 2 or 3k to get warmed up and comfortable. I suppose I should do a few 7 or 8km runs….

If you’re serious about going for a PB you should never just head off from the start without warming up, at least not for a short run like a 5K. A reasonable plan is to jog to the start from your home (assuming it’s only a couple of miles away), doing at least a couple of sprints before you arrive. Then jog home again to cool down.