It’s that time of the year again.
Race time.
You’ve been having lots of ‘fun’ with STRYD over the winter and many of us are getting to the point where the taper for our A race is in sight.
The Zone-based training we have been doing is relatively straightforward to grasp. But how does that translate to RACE POWER?
In the video from STRYD, below at 9:20, we get this simple table:
– 5K power is 103.8% of critical power
– 10K power is 100% of critical power
– Half marathon power is 94.6% of critical power
– Marathon power is 89.9% of critical power
I do NOT use the method that STRYD recommend for determining CP/FTP. However the CP that Golden Cheetah calculates for me near-exactly ties my CP in with my current 5K times @104%. And 94.6% of my CP is probably what I should be able to do for HM now if I raced that distance.
Take Out: Tentatively I would suggest that you should closely consider these recommended power levels for run-only races.
Last Updated on 16 January 2026 by the5krunner
My favourite kit and nutrition
- Injinji – Runners protect your toes. Avoid discomfort and minor injury. Run more. run faster. I use them.
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter — the small adapter that keeps your charging cable tidy at the stem. Essential for race day. I use one.
- Garmin charging puck — the fastest and most reliable way to top up your Garmin before a session. I use one.
- Ravemen FR300 — front light that mounts directly under your Garmin or Wahoo head unit. Keeps your bars clean and your beam pointed where it matters. I use one.
- Body Glide – The Blue anti-chafe stick that all swimmers and many runners use. I use it.
- Maurten — the race nutrition trusted by elite athletes. Gels and drink mix engineered to be easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Garmin Varia RTL515 — radar rear light that alerts you to vehicles approaching from behind. Pairs with your Edge or Garmin watch. I use this model.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2 — the power meter pedals most serious cyclists end up choosing. Accurate, easy to move between bikes. I use this model.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
Good timing. I’ve a HM next w/e. Only 150m of height gain, but enough to make my 1:30 target marginal. Tempted to try Stryd Race app for the first time. Usually I just monitor power on the hills trying to keep peak power <120%, but doubt that'll work this time.
you should allow NP to be 105% of target. you should go a bit harder uphill although perhaps not on that level of height gain. (I appreciate we normally say to target even power)
Sorry, what’s NP?
normalized power. kind of the real average physical cost of the effort