I don’t think that is the case in my part of the World. I don’t know of any runners in my region who haven’t done at least one parkrun. Local parkruns have bigger numbers than almost all other races in these parts.
In the ultramarathon subreddit I see increasing numbers of “oh hey I have my first race - a 50k/50mi/100mi - in like 2 weeks. What should I eat for it? Gels make me barf”
I think a lot of it has to do with our culture of instant gratification - working your way up through the distance ladder takes time, and folks just want the medal on the wall or buckle or the adulation from their friends they imagine they’ll get from something bigger right now.
That said, I ended up running a road 5k recently (with Ontario Blind Sports as a guide) and it was a nightmare of dodging people, which is way bloody harder when you’re trying to help a blind person maneuver through the melée as well. Definitely made me appreciate the laid back vibes and smaller fields of trail and ultra, and of course I went out for another run later in the day so I could get some distance in that’s meaningful for my own training..
There’s something to be said about that, for damn sure
You’re never really “made your bones” until you’ve had an Epic DNF or DFL; I have a hard time with people who’ve done their one & only 26.2 in 6 hours or so and said “it was an amazing experience!!!”
If it was that amazing, I’d want to do it again & again, not sit on just the one, thinking ‘that’s as good as it’s gonna get’
I ran the 5k in highschool. I still like running it now, but given the shape I’m in, I’m happy to get a time in the low 20s. In highschool I could do it in 18 minutes.
Call it a mental block or whatever but I think I’d rather run a slow half marathon or marathon than a slow 5k. Like 16 year old me would be judging me for it!
I’ve run 20+ marathons, several 50k trail races, and a couple 100 milers and never done a 5k race. I think the main reason is the cost and hassle of going somewhere just to run 5k. Although, I am thinking about doing one this year as I would like to officially run sub 17 for 5k before I get too old (52).
That is sort of the thing with modern culture. The distance is the challenge and the recognition they crave. I’ve never approached a distance event and thought the distance was the challenge. The challenge was how fast I could do the distance. I personally despised longer events because they felt so slow to me. Even my best marathon was just waiting around for two hours until my body fell apart. I stopped them 20 years ago.
Not saying this applies to you, but anyone who says “just a 5K” seems to be missing the point. But then, I can’t think of anything I would rather do less than run slow for 50K.
Let us not forget that are are people who suffer significant challenges - physically, mentally, psychologically, spiritually, ecumenically - for whom completing “Just a 5K,” even by walking, would be a tremendous achievement
An Artist friend of mine did a 5K yesterday, then worked her booth at the New Jersey Punk Rock Flea Market, and again today
There are more 5K races than any other distance or race format. If you want to race a lot, 5K are your bread and butter. Anywhere I have lived I could races 1-2 times a month, year round, with less than a 2 hour drive to races (and I lived an hour+ from civilization in multiple locations).
Lots of people take on Marathons as a bucket list item. I had a roommate in college who was not a runner by any means but he was going to do one marathon in his life so he signed up, trained for 4-5 months. Ran the marathon in 4-1/2 hours then retired from races. He never ran a 5K, 10K, half marathon, or any other distance or format at any time in his life.
I would go and run every race I could find. 5K’s, 10 milers, Duathlons, etc. I didn’t run Marathons because I was told that they would trash my legs for a year and that I may never get back my short distance speed after running a marathon. The person who told me that ran a Marathon when he was 17-years-old and said he wished he hadn’t because it ruined his senior year cross country and track seasons and cost him a cross country team state championship. I didn’t do a marathon until about 20 years later when I thought I had set all my life time PR’s at every distance from the 1600m to a 15K. When I started training for a Marathons I had to skip all the 5K’s and other events so that I could stay home to do my long run for my Marathon training.
5K and Marathons usually don’t mix. If you are training for fast 5K’s marathons can derail that plan. Likewise if you are training for a Marathon a 5K’s can get in the way of that goal.
More than 2.5 million people run organized 5K’s in the USA every year. Only about one million people run a marathon in the USA every year. So 5K’s are still the dominating distance for all types of runners. An estimated 60-80% of marathon runners will also run a shorter race like a 5K in a given year but the 5K doesn’t support the Marathon it is in addition to a marathon so if new runners have the goal to run a marathon a 5K may not help with that goal.
I think the question here is why are new runners focused on Marathons. It may come down to advertising. Winners of the top 10 marathons in the USA get $100K-$150K. Winner of the top ten 5K’s in the USA only get $8,000-$15,000. That is quite a gap. The focus on the Marathon is huge and what brings in many new runners.
I was one who jumped too fast in distance, and believe this ruined my potential with out mastering the 5k and shorter. This is an American problem, and can be seen on the world stage why we get beat in longer distance
As I’ve posted before, D’Wife claims that when she & I first met, 30+ years ago, I was racing every weekend … my collection of scrapbooks, however, refute this
Out of all of that LLM output, this stood out as the most unhinged - you really standing on “new runners are going for marathons because of the prize money”?
I think the analysis is focused more on what has the highest dollar value assigned and that can lead to more eyeballs on the event because there is more money to be made and therefore higher levels of advertising, which drives participation. I don’t think any newish runner is looking at the prize purses.
There isnt a great metaphor to other sports, like a new golfer could be dreaming of winning the masters because they can make it through 4 days of 18 holes their first time out, and the other endurance sports (like cycling) have much lower participation rates when it comes to races. But the more money and advertising a sport gets the more it can increase advertising and participation.
Out of all of that LLM output, this stood out as the most unhinged - you really standing on “new runners are going for marathons because of the prize money”?
No…new runners are not after prize money. They probably don’t even know what the payouts are at any races. The prize money just shows how society values the marathon and how it values the 5K. New runners see all the talk, all the buzz, all the focus and advertising, and all the excitement around marathons. They do not see any of that around the 5K so when they start running they want the Marathon experience not the 5K experience. I however highly recommend the Super Intendent’s 5K & Fun Run in Cypress, TX. That fun run was the most fun races I have participated in anywhere in my 40 years of running; Boston Marathon included. If more was put into the production of 5K races it would change things but as is the budget of a 5K and the budget for a Marathon are in different leagues.
curtish26