I mean, that seems to go against everything that anyone would tell you to do, but go for it. I guess it won't hurt anything if you have no PR ambitions on the half.

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Considering many people do the Goofy Challenge (Disney Half/Disney Marathon on consecutive days) and the Dopey Challenge (Disney 5K/10K/13.1/26.2 on consecutive days) every year, I don't think a 5K will hurt your marathon. What matters is your goals; are you trying to BQ in your marathon? If so,why take the risk?

To me, it depends on your age and how hard you went on that 5k. I could easily do a 5k and then turn around and do a half a day later. Now that I'm in my 40s I have to pick and chose my races if I want to have a good race.

It's a half, not a full marathon. Goal for the 5k would be around 18 and somewhere around 1:22 in the half.

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That is so damn fast.

Go for it, I'd like to see what running 30s per mile faster does the day before an half does to there half performance.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Do it.

What could possibly go wrong?

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I've done a few sprint/Olympic doubles on a weekend when doing tris, so this would seem less demanding. I'd be a case-test-dummy!

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Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
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I find straight up run races far more demanding on the body than tris, and certainly on back to back hard run days. IE- unless 18 min is an "easy" run pace for you.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

I rode a hard 7 hour ride the week of Kona this year and look what it did for me!

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Go for a PR in the 5k - and then in the half marry.

Please.

Then tell us how it went

Not really.

Yes, racing a 5k will slow you down for a half marathon. There is no doubt about that.

If you're not trying to run an optimal half, sure have at it. But if you're trying to maximize that half marathon, this is a pretty stupid thing to do.

Do it; consider it a warm-up. Lots of our local half marathons do a 5K the day before.

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- John
"Have courage, and be kind."

For me, just running a 5k the day before wouldn't cause issues. However, racing a 5k the day before would definitely cost me time in the half.

I should add I have my athletes adding some hard paced efforts the day before an race. In fact 2 days before is usually much easier day than the day before a race, but not the full intensity for that type of duration.

IE- I'll give them 5k distance and every 5th min is strong 100m stride effort + 3-4 strides post run. Now the rest of the 5k run is shake out efforts, but it's more "priming" intensity the day before an race than anything.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

As others have said, it does sort of depend how much of an 'A' race the half is. There is no doubt that the 5K done the day before (if raced) will take a bite out of your performance for a HM being done 24 hours later. Anyone that says differently is kidding themselves. If it helped performance, everyone would be doing 5K's as 'sharpening workouts' the day before. Now the classic sharpening w/o is actually 3x1mile at 5K RP, but it is done 2 weeks prior to a marathon...

Anyway, some of the answer lies in how your recover also, as well as what exactly your goals are for the two races. Another important variable is how your have trained. If you have not done a significant amount of 3-5K race pace, there is certainly a chance for an injury from the 5K race.

If your are looking for permission to go out and race both from ST, you'll get it (along with the added risk).


Buyer beware...and good luck in your race!

I've ran (not raced) a 5K the day before a half Ironman. It didn't work out too bad for me but neither was an A priority race. The key is making the 5K more of workout than a race. I would also take a day or two completely off before the 5K. A short fast workout (5K) before a big race isn't a bad plan. It can be hard to hold back in 5K because your tapered its hard to resist the competition. Going for PRs in both races is a bad plan.

I do not see an issue with it. I always run the Las Vegas Half Marathon. As part of that race there is a 5K the day before. A Lot and I men A LOT of people do both (5K and Saturday and half on Sunday). I see it as a great warm up and 5K is not that far (considering that you are in good shape).

Do both.

My half time will probably suffer considerably after 5K the day before. That being said, it's nice training weekend for marathon/ironman.

There is a race around Boston where you can do 1 mile, 5K and Half in one morning! http://www.yukanrun.com/TripleThreat.html
I did only the half in 2015. There was a guy who won all 3. Well, he didn't won as much as outclassed the local crowd.

It's not the distance that is the issue with an "5k" before an half. It's the effort. You want to run a 5k, go for it. You want to race a 5k and then race a half, go for it and tell me how that goes.

ETA: I'm guessing those 5k/halfs are part of every "destination" half/full marathon race packages these days.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

I help with a 5k at my Church. The winner went 17:XX the day after doing a trail 1/2 marathon in 1:20'ish.

You should be fine.

Yes, odds are that he will be 'fine'...meaning the risk of getting an injury from racing the 5K is low, but it is certainly there.

The fact that anyone has done it previously only attests to their ability to not be injured and how quickly they recover. I would argue that both performances were not optimal for that particular athlete-one perhaps, but not both.

And that may be ok, it depends on what the goals of the OP are, but there is undoubtedly a risk.

It would kind of suck (as it did for one of the runners that I know-who raced a 10 K about 3 weeks prior to her goal marathon and tweaked her hamstring) to get injured and be out for a much longer time because of back to back races, especially when one of them was considered only because it was local.

I wouldn't do it, but that's me. I have done lots of 5K's the week or two before a marathon (back in my running/racing years) on the spur of the moment. That is actually an optimal time for speed sharpening with low risk, but there is still little bit of injury concern, as always. I actually enjoy the challenge of racing back to back and did the Quassy 'Full Revolution' twice-Oly Sat, HIM Sun. But I always just raced the OLY and survived the HIM.

You gotta live life, just know the possible outcomes...and be able to live with them.

Definitely do it, I used to love back to back races on weekends. OF course something is going to suffer, either the 5k pace, or the 1/2 overall time. I would say make sure that you negative split every mile of the 5k if racing it. If you do that then you are in pretty good shape to have a good 1/2, provided the 5k time went well in the first place.

On the down side, if you have a shitty 5k, you will be depressed all night thinking the 1/2 is gonna suck too. So best bet is not to put too much pressure on the 5k time, give yourself some mental wiggle room no matter what the time is..But if it really goes to shit on Saturday, drink a 6pak or bottle of wine that night, stay up late partying, and then go run the 1/2. That would be your only chance at a great race if the 5k sucks...(-; (I have done exactly that, and ripped the Sunday race!!)