*100* Proven Tips to Smash Your 5K PB or Parkrun PR and Run Your Fastest Time Yet

This article focuses on improving your parkrun 5K time within a week or so, allowing you to make the most out of the fitness you already have. If you’re aiming for a longer timeframe and a specific 5K goal time, you’ll need to follow a 5K plan like this, which caters to runners aiming for between 25mins/5k and 17mins/5k.

After research and testing, this article snowballed into a top 100 list. The intended audience is casual-yet-serious runners who want to improve. There are some pro-science-based tips here, some frivolous ones, some contradictory ones, and some seemingly crazy ones that may not be as crazy as you think, and some that ARE as crazy as you think.

[2024] Add parkrun barcode to Apple Watch or Garmin Forerunner/Fenix

Of course, ‘tricks’ only work for a while. Serious runners who come to this page will probably not find anything new. However, if you’re a regular parkrunner, you may discover something new to add to your running kit bag. Ultimately, you have to train extensively to see significant improvements. But not for this coming weekend, you don’t…you have to maximise the training you have already done.

All the suggestions are starred:

• ⭐⭐⭐3x stars. IMHO, it will work
• ⭐⭐ 2x stars. It might work
• ⭐1x star. Can’t hurt
• ❌ 1x cross. It CAN hurt if done wrong.

If you want to know how to run a 5K in under 20 minutes, follow a proper sub-20-minute 5K parkrun training plan for 6-12 weeks and use all the ⭐ starred tips below for race day.

Normal Nutrition & Extra Supplementation

I assume you eat properly all the time. If so, there’s not much you need to do with your normal ‘food’ for the week before your race. ‘Carb-loading’ will make little difference, as you have all the energy you need for a short 5k race. So the benefits here come from damage limitation from what you eat 48 hours before the race, and then supplements to boost your physiology.

Q: Is this snake oil?

A: Some of it probably is.

There is a lot of science around nutrition, but a general problem with the whole food and supplement industry is that many manufacturers pay for science. Unsurprisingly, it finds the ‘right’ result.

Luckily enough, most of this can’t hurt. In the sense that it can’t hurt your performance, but might hurt your wallet 😉

1. ⭐⭐⭐ Consume coffee (caffeine). It is a legal sporting stimulant that was once banned for serious competition. You require 2-5 mg caffeine per kg body weight for a 2-hour event (sorry, not 5k). So if you weigh 68kg, you take a 136-300 mg dose an hour before competing. One espresso is about 100mg, and it’s NOT enough. Caffeine has as many PROVEN benefits as all the illegal stimulants you may or may not have heard of, BUT the effects and side effects of caffeine are known, understood and legal. Other caffeine-taking protocols involve abstinence or loading and may recommend taking 200mg of caffeine 5 minutes before a race – ignore them and do exactly what I say. Note that TOO MUCH caffeine has no positive benefit and MAY be negative and stop lactate from being flushed from the system, and may have other adverse heart health effects. Caffeine has a ‘half-life’ and wears off after a couple of hours, so for longer races, you will need to top up, BUT ONLY for longer events. I take 300mg 1 hour before a 5K or parkrun event and weigh 70kg. I take six tablets of a supermarket’s own-brand version of PROPLUS. To be clear: I have taken specific advice on caffeine from a world expert in caffeine in sports…the advice here IS correct. Some people have a gene that makes them respond better to caffeine. I have that gene and have been tested for it.
   
2. ⭐⭐ Beetroot juice (source of nitrates). Take 0.5 ml beetroot juice containing approximately 6.2 mmol of nitrate 2.5-3.0 hours before you start. Bike tests show this boosts power by nearly 3%. Pros use this, although the effect on them is minimal (but still there). I also tend to have beetroot juice the day before an important race, and it wouldn’t surprise me if there were a loading benefit from taking it daily for a week leading up to the race. Advice: Take one to two Beet-It sport shots two to three hours before a race.
3. ⭐⭐ CurraNZ Concentrated blackcurrant tablets. If Beet-it works for you, then these are complementary. Take two daily, a week before the race; otherwise, once a day at all other times during training.
4. ⭐⭐Use creatine monohydrate, especially if you generally also consume whey protein. If you get ‘burning legs’, this might be a way to get more energy in those all-important muscles. Test this before race day. I have a couple of scoops 30 minutes before the race. The evidence for creatine is mixed.
5. ⭐❌ Also, try Coenzyme Q10, branched-chain amino acids and glutamine. These are all legal and harmless. Do some research, as they can have side effects; I notice no sporting effect
6. ⭐Rhodiola extract may help lower lactate levels. I‘ve tried Rhodiola Rosea 2000mg servings; I notice no sporting effect. However, it makes me feel happier!
7. ⭐Try Ginger. It helps reduce the stomach distress you may have caused yourself by taking too many supplements ;-); I notice no sporting effect
8. ⭐⭐ Properly go to the toilet beforehand, especially in the morning. Get it all out. Coffee and routine will help.
9. ⭐⭐ Have a light evening meal at least 12 hours before the race.
10. ⭐⭐ Don’t eat (too much) protein the day before – it’s hard to digest (eggs are not so bad). You want to consume digestible things that replenish your muscles and hydrate you, AND you can fully pass out of your body before the race.
11. ⭐⭐⭐ Eat a minimal, comfort-breakfast as long as you can before the race. You have enough energy for a 5k in your body as carbs when you wake up. Big breakfast = discomfort + weight + blood moving to your digestive tract rather than your muscles. Counter that by eating what you know you need to eat to avoid feeling/being sick.
    
12. ⭐⭐❌❌ Drink as little excess fluid as you can on race day (assuming an early race). You are PROPERLY hydrated from yesterday and the week before, right? Drink a max of 500ml if you need something. If you feel thirsty, drink. To be clear, you must be sufficiently hydrated, but you don’t want litres of excess liquid in your stomach. 2% dehydration WILL impair your performance, and 1 litre of excess fluid will also degrade performance.
    
13. ⭐⭐❌❌ Carbs or take about 25 minutes to have an effect in your bloodstream; however, you already have sufficient stores in your muscles and liver. Glucose (sugar) and fructose (fruit sugar) are digested through separate pathways, and it is beneficial to consume both. Different kinds of carbs will peak and metabolise at different rates, so there is no hard and fast rule, but I might have a Lucozade Sport &/or a banana for breakfast about 30-120 minutes before a race. That’s mainly for comfort rather than performance. Or take a glucose gel 30 minutes before the race.
14. ⭐⭐❌❌ If you take gels for a 5K, don’t bother with a 2:1 glucose:fructose gel. Glucose is sufficient.

15. 

     

16. ⭐⭐❌❌ ‘Special’ carb drinks are from Maurten and SiS with their Rocket/Beta Fuel which looks at minimising GID and maximising carb absorption….again, this shouldn’t be an issue for you for a 5K (Maurten uses pectin and sodium alginate to create a gel IN your stomach that passes into your intestines where it is digested as a solid..ie less GID, this method allows you to get more cabs in your intestines but I don’t think the amount absorbed will be increased)
17. ⭐ Premier League footballers chew caffeine chewing gum at halftime during matches. This is because caffeine is more readily absorbed in the mouth in minutes. Think about cowboys chewing tobacco as an analogy to how that gets in the bloodstream, and you’ll know why it sounds sensible.
18. ⭐ The smell of peppermint might help. Don’t ask!! Just have a Polo Mint or two, it can’t hurt! Very little evidence!
19. ⭐⭐ Ensuring you are stocked on these essential supplements/vitamins might help: magnesium, iron, vitamin B and B12. They are all involved in energy production. You might find that athletes need more than the RDA of many vitamins. I generally take multivitamins on a just-in-case basis. However, I believe some vitamins, like Vitamin A, can accumulate in the liver if you take too much of them, and you do NOT want that to happen.
20. ⭐⭐ If you cramp, then it could be due to deficiencies. You might want to try MAGNESIUM OIL SPRAY. It’s cheap. *IF* that stops your cramps, then that is a sign that you are magnesium deficient. Whilst that directly shouldn’t impact your 5K times, it implies something is amiss in the energy production in your muscles, so take supplements. FWIW, I do this but for longer races.
21. ⭐❌ Minor pain relief on the day. If you have a niggling minor injury that might put you off trying as hard as you might. A mild painkiller might help. You should use paracetamol, not aspirin or ibuprofen.
22. ⭐⭐⭐An ergogenic effect of paracetamol is most commonly observed when a dose of 1500 mg is ingested 30–60 min before exercise. (don’t regularly take it)
23. ⭐⭐⭐❌❌❌ Sodium Phosphate and Bicarbonate of soda help as their alkalinity offsets lactate acidity, enabling you to push harder for longer. They work for me, don’t try them together. The Hammer Race Day Boost product recommends a 5-day loading strategy, whereas simple kitchen baking powder (sodium bicarbonate) can be taken a couple of hours before the race. These can play havoc with your digestion. Some of the latest uber-expensive Maurten gels include bicarb, and how it is combined in the gel reduces GI distress – I recommend one Maurten for that reason.
24. ⭐❌Interestingly, some pros use a sodium bicarbonate lotion to reduce soreness and lactic acid buildup, try www.amphuman.com. I’ve not tried it.
25. ⭐⭐ 1,000 to 2,000 mg of L-carnitine 1 hour before racing
26. ⭐⭐ L-Citrulline: 3–6 grams, taken 30–60 minutes before exercise.
27. ⭐⭐1.5g of beta-alanine helps high-intensity efforts like a 5k. Try Cellulor C4 Original – this is a pre-workout combo of several of the recommendations here.
28. ⭐⭐ Hydrate properly the week before the race to increase blood plasma volumes. Why? More blood = better temp regulation = faster. How? Just drinking water, as you hopefully already do, will NOT be as good as using electrolyte/isotonic drinks, which INCREASE absorption AND increase blood plasma volumes. This takes a day or so to achieve rather than a few hours. So plan. Many suppliers of electrolytes offer these salt-based supplements: eg H2PRO (Review Link), High5, OSMO Nutrition and others. Milk is good at rehydration (and protein provision). Alternatively, just put a bit of salt in your orange squash – it doesn’t taste too bad.
29. ⭐❌ Lose 100g in weight. That 100g should gain you just over 1 second over the whole 5k 😉 – although if you try to lose too much weight in less than a week, you will probably lose either water or muscle, so I’m not sure it would help really!! Nevertheless, the rule of thumb holds that for every 0.5kg you lose in weight, you will save at least 6 seconds on your 5k time. Going back to hydration: 1 litre of excess fluid will cost 12 secs on your 5k as it weighs 1kg!
30. ⭐⭐ HVMN Ketone (Review Link) supplementation is a new endurance fuel. It’s an FDA ‘Generally Regarded as Safe‘ product that is naturally occurring and is WADA-approved. Ketone supplementation gives you easier access to energy when you metabolise fat as you race. You WILL still be using a large proportion of fat for your 5K, so this might help. However, the manufacturers are targeting it for > 1-hour races. It will NOT make you slower for sure. From my experience, it does something positive. Look for BHB, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and ketone 1,3-diol for other ketone products. Similarly, if you Google the science, you want to ensure it’s performed on the right ketone diol, as much of it isn’t.
31. ⭐ Note there are ONLY 4 types of Ketone boosters which might work and these are Ketone Esters (e.g. HVMN, KE4), MCT Oils (e.g. C8 MCT), 1,3 Butanediol, Ketone Salts (e.g. KetoCaNa, GoBHB),
32. ⭐⭐ KETONES AVAILABLE IN THE UK: Look for the powder and bars containing C8 MCT at the Ketostore. 
33. ⭐ A similar product to HVMN Ketone is KE4, again, not yet available in the EU. (Buy Link)
34. ❌ Don’t bother with Ketones like Raspberry Ketones – the science says “Nah” for this product for endurance athletes. These might be called KETONES, but they just aren’t one of the four categories of ketone mentioned in the previous points (Buy Link)
35. ❌❌❌ Drink alcohol the night before, have no water and have lots of red meat. Go on…waste all those hours of training.

Kit for a 5K PB / PR

If this were a cycling section, it would be a book. But it’s for running, so other than a decent pair of shoes, there’s not too much you can buy to make you faster.

1. ⭐⭐⭐❌ If you only have ‘regular trainers’, I’m very tempted to say get a new pair of race shoes. These should make a noticeable difference. The downside is that you will not necessarily have had the chance to get used to them and may injure yourself. Then again, you are only running 5k and not a marathon. How do you know if your existing trainers are any good? Answer: they’re not. If they were ‘racing flats’, you would already know exactly what ‘racing flats’ were and why they made you faster. Please read this to understand why shoe weight makes a BIG difference.
   
2. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ With the 2-hour marathon achieved, then maybe a pair of Nike Zoom Vaporfly Elite wouldn’t hurt? Treat yourself; they will return more energy after your footstrike with carbon plates and responsive foam. “In a 2017 study published in Sports Medicine, every one of 18 runners tested at the University of Colorado had a better running economy in the Vaporflys – the forerunner to the latest model – than wearing two other types of popular racing shoes. The average improvement was about 4%.” Go figure. Then, in 2019, the top 10 Chicago marathon finishers wore Nike shoes, just like the men’s and women’s marathon record holders. I’ve used Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next%2 shoes, as shown below, and newer models. They are all undoubtedly faster and you will be AT LEAST 5 seconds per km faster, ie they will knock 30 seconds off your PB, other things being equal. Yes, even for you. Supershoes are faster because of their FOAM and CARBON plates – in my opinion, carbon plates do not do much for me, but Nike’s PEBAX foam does.
3. ⭐ Other running gear or clothing won’t usually make any positive difference. I would say that I’m assuming that you have broadly the right kit in the sense that what you wear does not make you too hot or does not help keep you warm enough. If, for example, you are too hot, you will certainly run slower. Maybe ditch that cotton T-shirt.
4. ⭐ Compression gear might help. Either full-length leggings or calf guards. The argument is that they stop your muscles from wobbling, so you either waste less energy or use your muscles better. They have other benefits too, and might aid slightly higher muscle oxygen levels. Then again, how many Olympic gold medallists wear such kit?
5. ⭐ Wear compression gear – another theory. Boosts blood flow to muscles and reduces the risk of injury.
6. ⭐ Don’t wear compression gear. It adds extra resistance, and you tire more quickly. Choose which to believe! 🙂
7. ⭐❌ I bought a pair of Nike XC (Cross Country) lightweight spikes for £10 in an end-of-season sale. In post-purchase hindsight, it strikes me that 2km of my parkrun is grass and the other 3km could be run just off the ‘path’ or on the path on a soft underfoot day. Spikes or a good tread pattern should help your time on less-than-ideal days and surfaces, but those conditions aren’t PB-conducive.
8. ⭐⭐⭐ Use a running track and spikes rather than a parkrun and trainers. Other things being equal, a running track will give you a PB perhaps 20 seconds faster than a parkrun. Quite possibly more. This is the way to go for a PB !!! ie NOT a parkrun
   
9. ⭐❌ Insoles. Many of us have one leg longer than the other for various muscular/skeletal reasons. You can’t change that by the weekend. However, if one leg is a few mm shorter than the other, an extra insole will balance your legs and might give you a bit more power. Or it might distract you from the balance you are already used to. But you should find out if your leg lengths differ, which may lead to injuries.
10. ⭐❌ Insoles. You should also check for pronation and consider correcting that with insoles.
11. ⭐❌ Insoles. I use custom insoles in super-light shoes, and the insoles correct my slight pronation. Custom orthotics are expensive. As a first step, perhaps try a sports insole that supports your arch; this could help quite a bit if you pronate and/or have flat feet. Typically, I find that arch supports support too centrally on the arch and should have a maximal support point to the rear of the centre…this will better free up your forefoot for toe-off.

Gadgets for a 5K PB / PR

‘Sports gadgets for running’ means GPS running watches, heart rate monitors and footpods (Top 10: Best Running Watches). They are of some general use even to good runners, but also provide other abilities with a sanity check or some reassurance that you are performing as planned.

1. ⭐⭐ Unless you are a good runner, you will not know your speed. A GPS gadget will give you feedback on your race pace and let you know whether or not to speed up or conserve energy. I use one.
2. ⭐⭐But GPS gadgets will show you the wrong pace if you are near buildings or trees, so you could instead get a footpod like Stryd, which will give a meaningful pace if correctly calibrated
3. ⭐⭐You can use running power devices like STRYD to measure your current effort (power). This will help you to maintain effort rather than speed when running uphill (broadly, you want constant effort levels or perhaps 5% more effort uphill at most). STRYD will also give you a very accurate running pace. I use one.
4. ⭐You could run with a metronome to get your cadence right, but that would annoy people, and you should really have already trained with your ideal cadence, and then you will probably just naturally run at that cadence.
5. ⭐⭐More advanced sports watches can alert you if running too fast or too slow.
6. ⭐A basic or advanced watch can be used in different ways to check if you are on track for that PB. You might use that to speed up if you are behind schedule.
7. ⭐⭐More advanced sports watches let you run against a virtual partner running at a pre-determined pace. You can then visually see how far ahead or behind that person you are and react accordingly
8. ⭐⭐On hillier courses, you will not be running at a constant pace, so the previous gadget feature will not work. Instead, you perhaps load up your efforts on last month’s course and race against that effort, which, hopefully, will have considered hills. Garmin has an advanced feature that considers the effect of hills on race pace.
9. ⭐ Most people must run 5K above their lactate threshold heart rate (LT2, AnT, LTHR). After 1km or so, your heart rate should be up to and above your threshold heart rate. You can use a gadget to monitor your HR. For example, Garmin HRM-DUAL should work with any app or sports watch. You have to know what heart rate your threshold corresponds to on race day, considering the effect of supplementation like caffeine. It is EASILY possible that caffeine will raise your LT2 by five bpm or more.
10. ⭐ Heart rate is affected by many factors that alter its reliability. Another approach is to use a muscle oxygen sensor like Train.Red to determine if you are running at your race limit. I’ve not tried it for racing, but I HAVE used it before a race to ensure I was properly warmed up (I got a 5k age-grade PB as it happened…first for a long time)

Training, Tapering & Warmup for a 5K PB / PR

This section is probably the most important. If you train hard for 6 days and race on the 7th day, I reckon many of you will be over a minute slower than you would be had you instead followed a good taper. Tapering is the art of maintaining fitness whilst reducing fatigue.

1. ⭐⭐⭐ Sleep. Your body does all the repair and improvement overnight. Sleep LOTS. Want some Human Growth Hormone? You could steal it…or sleep for a similar effect.
2. ⭐❌ I’m guessing, but do not know, I think that sleeping tablets interrupt how your body repairs at night (it affects my HRV for sure), so sleeping tablets might not be a good idea
3. ⭐❌ Sleeping tablets are muscle relaxants. I’m not sure you want to have these the night before a race. (IDK for sure. See this science, which says otherwise.
4. ⭐⭐❌ Don’t train AT ALL!! A 3-day abstention (taper) should suffice for many levels of runners, i.e. Wed/Thur/Fri – do nothing. More serious runners will benefit from activity during a taper, even the day before a race (see later), and there is no one fixed and correct taper rule that suits all runners.
5. ⭐⭐❌ Warm up properly on the day, as if you pull something, you won’t get a PB. Get a few race-pace strides in that warm-up. I jog a mile to get there…Or I cycle or drive. The consensus these days is that any stretching you do before a race should be ‘dynamic’. Look at track cyclists between races. They stay ‘warm’ by using stationary trainers for a reason. Simplistically, the muscles are pumped full of more oxygenated blood right away, and all the energy systems are activated from the start and are ‘ready to go’, and you have also kick-started your energy production from fat stores. Jogging to the start might be a good idea. If you ever get the chance to use a MOXY or Train.Red to prove to yourself that you are warmed up. You might even see a similar effect with PERFORMANCE CONDITION metrics in Garmin’s higher-end watches, but I wouldn’t trust that for a race.
6. ⭐❌ So you plan to do the 3-day do-nothing taper mentioned earlier? If you’re not so supple, set aside 30-45 minutes for an intense stretch session on the first day, stretching everything on your legs and core as much as possible without injuring yourself. Be aware of how far you stretch; this should feel like a workout. It takes 2 days to recover. On Saturday, do a quicker, easier stretch that is not as deep. If you are more flexible, simplistically, there is less resistance to overcome within your body, and you might go faster.
7. ⭐⭐⭐❌ Look at ‘proper’ tapers if you are of a reasonable standard (included in my 6-week 5k plan). Short bits of speed work leading up to the big day, BUT AT THE RIGHT TIME AND FOR THE RIGHT DURATION/INTENSITY, will help you stay fresh, but don’t get it wrong. Scientists say that a proper one-week taper will make you go 22% faster than a 1-week total abstinence taper. That’s a lot, but is it true? However, note that in ‘proper’ tapers, not much is done in the last 3 days, so the 3-day abstinence taper is easiest to follow for minimal performance opportunity loss.
8. ⭐⭐⭐ Do a proper taper. There are a few more thoughts and plans on that.
9. ⭐⭐⭐ Do a proper taper appropriate to your CURRENT level of fitness/fatigue. A generic taper might not be best for you RIGHT NOW. Look at TSB (CTL and ATL) on numerous products; the most accessible is ELEVATE for STRAVA. Aim to get your TSB to about 20.
10. ⭐⭐❌ Light, race-day sports massages are supposed to help. I’ve no personal experience. I would NOT do a race day sports massage unless it is light for warming-up purposes.
11. ⭐⭐Have a sports massage 3 days before the event, which might free up knotted muscle tissue, reduce internal tension/friction, and slightly increase your range of movement. But remember, we are looking for lots of “slightly” to see that PB tumble. I would have a sports massage on Monday or Tuesday before a Saturday race.
12. ⭐⭐ Look at readiness-to-train software like the Elite HRV, HRV4Training, Athlytic (iOS) or Bioforce apps. Use that to limit what you do on the days leading up to your race, but don’t worry about what it tells you on the morning of the race, as ‘nervous stress’ might make the readiness readings poorer – do not look at the results of HRV ‘readiness’ on race day.
13. ⭐ Have a nice warm race-day shower. Get the blood flowing, especially if you are not a ‘morning person’.
14. ⭐⭐ It takes your body about 10 minutes to start properly converting fat to energy. Warm up.
15. ⭐⭐ Finish your warm-up at least 10 minutes before you start.
16. ⭐⭐ If you try the 3-day abstinence taper before a race, see if that works. But then next time, try a gentle 30-minute easy jog the day before your race that includes 60 seconds at 10% SLOWER than your race pace.
17. ⭐ Get to the course early to start stress-free and warm up.

Running the Race for a 5K PB / PR

1. ⭐⭐⭐ “Aim to run at an even pace. Know that you are fresh enough and able enough to do that pace. Believe that you will do it. Then just run at that pace. When it hurts a lot, keep running AT THAT PACE. When it hurts more, KEEP RUNNING at that pace. You’ve done your training, and everything is right for today’s run. You can do it. It’s not easy, but you can do it. If you slack, you won’t do it. There are always plenty of excuses; don’t get yourself in a position where you must make them. This is your one shot.” That’s my mindset on the days when I perform well. Once we and probably you lose that belief, determination, or concentration, it is challenging to run a maximal effort. Even if you lose focus for the 4th Km, it is hard to regain lost time on the 5th KM and the sprint.
2. ⭐⭐⭐ On that point. Just running as hard as you can do it! But of course, if it were only that simple, you could do that week after week and continue to improve.
3. ⭐ Get someone to pace you who you can rely on to run at the desired speed. Try to stay in front of them.
4. ⭐⭐ On a windy day, run behind someone into headwinds. Don’t worry if they get annoyed. But a PB on a windy day? Maybe not.
5. ⭐⭐⭐ Run at an even effort/pace, use cumulative pace for the Km on your GPS device.
6. ⭐❌❌ Run ‘correctly’, with the ‘correct technique’. This will be difficult to change by the weekend. Try leaning forward a little from your ankles, NOT HIPS. Many of you with Achilles problems might benefit from running more upright whilst keeping your body relatively straight. Breathe through your mouth. Many argue that running on your toes (fore-foot strike) or ‘flat-footed’ (mid-foot strike) is faster. You need to have trained for this, but note that, whichever way your foot hits the ground, your heel MUST at some point touch the ground each time in a 5 K.
7. ⭐⭐⭐ Sprint the last minute – that will only make a few seconds’ difference. No, I mean faster than last time! And those seconds do count. Try and sprint with 2 minutes to go, and when you feel your legs going, hold off (slow down slightly) for 5-10 seconds and then sprint again to the finish.
8. ⭐⭐⭐ Run in straight lines. ie run 5k, not 5050m from wandering all over the place – EVERYONE does this to some degree. That extra 50m (which can be 50m) will probably take you at least 10 seconds to run. Running ‘straight’ requires significant focus throughout the race and usually involves NOT following the person in front of you! Think about it if you don’t initially get what I am saying. Also, if you are using GPS pacing, remember you run further, so you need to pace slightly quicker than the pace shown on your GPS to take the extra distance into account.
9. ⭐⭐ If you can’t run an even split. My understanding is that for most people, the best tactic is to run the first 1 or 2 Kms slightly faster than the 3rd and 4th (you sprint the end of the 5th, which is faster, invariably meaning you weren’t trying hard enough earlier)
10. ⭐⭐ Pacing on hills is tricky. For gentle undulations, I would suggest running at an even level of EFFORT. Something like STRYD could help you do that. However, when it gets steeper, the best strategy may be to increase effort by about 5% when going uphill and do the best you can on the steeper downhills. To be clear: you would still run at a slower pace up the hills. I’m talking effort (power) and not pace.
11. ⭐⭐⭐❌ Running cadence. Aim for about 90-95 strides a minute (180-190 footfalls). Changing it for the weekend could make a NEGATIVE difference if this differs from your current natural cadence. If your cadence is much lower than 90-95, a longer-term strategy to get it progressively above 85/170 is a good idea. If you have time, you can experiment with STRYD on a treadmill – keep the belt speed the same but vary your cadence, the cadence requiring the lowest power might be the most efficient 5k cadence for you to target NOW.
12. ⭐⭐ If you are doing a parkrun, starting at the front can save you 10-30 seconds, especially at busy parkruns like Bushy Park.
13. ⭐⭐⭐ Start near the front in busy races. With a field of 1500 at Bushy Park parkrun, you will take 30 seconds (yep 30) to cross the start line if you cross at the back – I timed it once whilst running with some family members!.
14. ⭐ Don’t start too near the front if you are smaller and slower (kids), you may get knocked over by faster runners.
15. ⭐ Smile every 1km, it will relax you. Can’t hurt?
16. ⭐ Pinch yourself hard before that final sprint. (I don’t think this will work, but causing a bit of pain might give you a quick adrenaline rush) Only use this for the sprint; apparently, extreme amounts of pain before competing in other events can provide boosts because of raised blood pressure from the pain. One pinch can’t hurt, tho. And I’m not sure how a higher BP will help anyway.
17. ⭐ Slow down at the start, you are going too fast. When you get going, you burn the super-easy-to-obtain energy within your muscles. It only lasts a few 10s of seconds. That’s why after 2 minutes you pass all the kids who have ground to a halt after their initial sprint. STICK TO AN EVEN EFFORT THROUGHOUT. All middle-distance and long-distance world records are set at an even pace.
18. ⭐⭐ If you’ve heard people talking about ‘digging deep’ and learning how to do that in a running/racing sense, you might have thought it was a “load of tosh“. Well, it wasn’t! You will know what I mean if you’ve dug deep and held on. You have to learn to do this to keep those PBs rolling, and it requires significant motivation and dedication.
19. ⭐⭐Music has been shown to improve 5k performance. Read this study. Music is not allowed in parkrun.
20. ⭐⭐Breathing – When running comfortably hard but not at the extremes of your exertion, breathe in twice and exhale in one more extended breath more slowly. This better regulates your HRV. See Huberman and others.

Choose a Course for a 5K PB / PR

1. ⭐⭐ Know the course. The ups and downs, the windy bits on the day, then plan accordingly.
2. ⭐⭐⭐ Race at an ambient temperature of no more than 16 Celsius. For each degree above that, you will lose 3 seconds over 5k. Strange but true.
3. ⭐⭐ Familiarise yourself with the course and with your pre-race routine. If you are unfamiliar with any aspect, you MAY worry about it. I could go on about this, but a lack of preparation and familiarisation might affect your race psychology and/or warm-up.
4. ⭐⭐⭐Choose a flat, firm, smooth and dry course (it’s called a running track). This might help 😉

What is the hardest parkrun

Other

1. ⭐ Shave. Especially for men: shave or clip your torso hair (both sides, if applicable). On a sunny and warm June-to-September PB morning, this might make your core stay cool a little longer. Then there’s always the legs. You can go cycling too and not feel out of place. Shaved legs save cyclists about 5 watts of drag, but they travel faster, so it makes more of a difference. It will be something like 0.25 watts for fast runners (a guess)
2. ⭐⭐ Positive mental attitude. You ARE going to do it. People underestimate the psychological side of getting a PB. Even Sub17 runners will see over 20 seconds’ difference if they are not sufficiently focused.
3. ⭐ Lucky charm. Hmmm.
4. ⭐Train at altitude or buy your oxygen tent. About 7,000ft above sea level!! Ideally, you will be **living** at altitude but training at a lower altitude beforehand!
5. ⭐ Try a few of these tips at a time. Maybe just one. Not all of them! How do you know if one specific thing you changed helped, or was it several things?
6. ⭐ Write a key message on the back of your hand. Please read it and stick to it, even when you feel awful towards the end of the race.
7. ⭐⭐⭐. I produce a TAILORED 5k, 6-week taper plan for a nominal fee… can’t hurt, and you help support this site. People have less than 17 minutes with this plan, but it’s geared for people already running under 25 minutes.

MUST-READ: Personalised 5K Training Plan – including proper taper

If you use these tips and get a PB, ask questions or use this site we would very much appreciate your support – the easiest way is to buy me a coffee from the links below or if you want something in return how about a personalised a detailed 5k training plan with lots of supporting notes and tips.

5K PR PB FAQs

Q: How should I pace my 5K for a PB?
A: Aim for even splits or a slight negative split—start controlled, finish strong. World records are at an even pace.

Q: What should I eat the night before and the morning of parkrun?
A: Night: Balanced, light meal with carbs and minimal or no protein. Morning: Light, familiar carbs (e.g., banana, toast) 1–2 hours before.

Q: How much should I taper or rest before parkrun?
A: Reduce intensity and volume 5 days prior and significantly so for 1-3 days. Rest for two days before the race. On the day before the race, do a very light 30-minute run with 1 minute at 90% of race pace.

Q: Should I do a warm-up before parkrun, and what kind?
A: Yes. Finish your warmup 30 minutes before the race start time. 10–15 mins of easy jogging should include 5 minutes progressively increasing to race pace, and then include 3 5-second sprints faster than race pace.

Q: What’s the best strategy for the first kilometre?
A: Start at your goal pace—don’t sprint the start.

Q: How can I run a more even or negative split?
A: Use a GPS watch to stay on pace; practice holding back early and pushing in the last half.

Q: Should I use caffeine before the race?
A: Yes— Typically, 200 mg, 30 mins will improve performance (see main article for exact dosage protocols)

Q: How do I avoid starting too fast or burning out?
A: Line up with people of your ability or slightly lower, breathe evenly, and monitor effort in the first few minutes.

Q: What shoes are best for a 5K PB?
A: Lightweight super shoes are proven to be faster, but are expensive

Q: Can I improve my time without extra training in just a week?
A: Yes—with better pacing, rest, gear, nutrition, and race strategy. But you cannot get fitter for a race in a week. Try the tips in this article.

Q: What mental strategies help during a tough 5K?
A: Use positive self-talk, break the race into segments, and focus on one runner ahead.

Q: Should I use a GPS watch or run by feel?
A: Use a GPS watch to guide pace, but don’t obsess—adjust to terrain and conditions.

Q: How does the weather affect my PB chances?
A: Cool, dry, calm weather is ideal. Hot, windy, or humid conditions certainly slow you down—adjust goals slightly as needed.

Q: Is running with a pacer better or worse for a PB?
A: Running with a good pacer is better, but not all pacers are good.

Q: What should I do in the final kilometre to finish strong and kick?
A: Increase effort progressively, use landmarks as targets, and give a strong kick in the final 200–400m or 1 minute

Q: How do I improve my 5K time on Strava?

A: You need to train fast and taper. Then use the tips from this article to maximise your race day fitness

Q: What is the best GPS watch for 5K?

A: The best running watch is the Garmin Forerunner 970, but any modern GPS watch will suffice.

Q: How do I use Stryd for 5K pacing

A: Stryd gives two things 1) accurate pace and 2) the option to use power, which can be used in hilly terrain.

Q: How do I perform VO2 max training for a 5K?

A: A VO2max effort is about 5 minutes long, even for Pros. You want to improve your threshold level for a 20-40 minute 5K. Periodic VO2max training and a higher VO2max will help your 5K time as will longer, slower endurance running. There are no shortcuts.

Q: What is the best heart rate zone for 5K?

A: In a 5K race, you should be over your threshold heart rate and in Zone 5 (top of Zone 4) after about 1km.

Q: Are 5K race predictor calculators any good?

A: They can be, but often are not. Run 6 minutes flat out. Stand still for 6 minutes. Run 6 minutes back flat out. The average of the 12 minutes running is the pace that you should be able to maintain for a 5K race in about 6 weeks if you train properly. That is a VERY general rule of thumb

Q: What would be your review of the Garmin 5K Plan?

A: Garmin’s Coach plans are reasonably good, but specifically target slower runners looking at times over 23 minutes.

Q: How do I break 25 minutes 5K?

A: You are aerobically undertrained. You need to run longer and slower for progressively increasing distances in your training

Q: What are the best shoes for 5K racing?

A: Supershoes from Nike and other top brands are faster for 5K and slower runners. Nike AlphaFly are excellent.

Q: Does Beetroot juice improve my 5K performance?

A: Yes, it might easily knock 20-30 seconds off your previous best.

Q: Will running socks make me faster in a 5K?

A: No

Q: What is the fastest parkrun course?

A: Here is a list of ranked, fastest parkrun courses.

Q: What parkrun strategies are there for a PB?

A: An even pace is the best pace. If you plan to run the second half faster, ensure you don’t go too fast on your first 1km

Takeout – The Very Best 5K PB  Tips (Taken From The Article Above)

1. Run at an even pace
2. Get some supershoes like Nike AlphaFly
3. Take Caffeine
4. Take Beetroot juice
5. Take a bicarbonate gel (like Muarten)
6. Choose a flat, hard course (aka a running track)
7. Choose a cool, windless day

5k Training Plan | Sub 19, 20, 21, 24 | running parkrun