I'm hoping since there are a few running clubs in and around McMaster, someone can help me out with a few questions!

I'm interested in running a 5k or 10k marathon in the near future, and the soonest one I could find in Hamilton is the Road2Hope marathon in Confederation Park.
http://hamiltonmarathon.ca/5k/

I have a few questions, since I've never run a marathon before. I'm in pretty good shape, and I work out almost everyday. I'm definitely not a runner though.


- Is it reasonable to expect to run the 10k marathon considering I generally don't run, or should I stick to 5k?
- Do I need to "train" beforehand, or is that just for hardcore marathoners doing the long ones?
- Is it casual, meaning anyone can raise money and join in, or is it only for people who are serious about marathons?
- How stupid am I going to look if I get exhausted and end up walking half the way? Is this common?
- The site says the 5k runners need to be done in 1 hour. Is this going to be difficult? How long do 5k and 10k runs usually take?

Basically, I want a bit of a challenge. I want to train, but not to the extent that I'm up every morning at 5am. Are 5k and 10k a "walk in the park"? Should I go for the half marathon (21k), or is that unreasonable?

Thanks for any help!

if you push yourself a bit you can do a 5k without training most likely. That said I would run for a bit and see what your endurance is like. Try running outside as it tends to be more fun and will better simulate any marathon you do. As for the hour time limit, 5k is very easy in that time even with a lot of walking.

Do not just try a 10k without first testing yourself. Its harder than it seems and the average person i find can barely run 20 min without practice.

As for a half marathon, you willl need to train for a while. I find its more about training your mind and and smaller stabilizing muscles more than it is cardio.

As for walking in marathons..its acceptable, especially in charity marathons where people tend to be all over the place in terms of fitness. Even top athletes have off days.

If you haven't run a marathon before, then I suggest you try the 5K first. I don't know about this marathon in particular but when it's for charity, the 5K is usually pretty casual and some people partly jog/walk rather than run the whole thing.

As far as training goes, I didn't do any formal training per se, but I was running on a regular basis for 2-3 months before doing the Run4Hope marathon.
As for time, I wouldn't consider myself a good runner but even I was able to do the 5k in a little under 30 min.

Originally Posted by Kathy2

I'm hoping since there are a few running clubs in and around McMaster, someone can help me out with a few questions!

I'm interested in running a 5k or 10k marathon in the near future, and the soonest one I could find in Hamilton is the Road2Hope marathon in Confederation Park.
http://hamiltonmarathon.ca/5k/

I have a few questions, since I've never run a marathon before. I'm in pretty good shape, and I work out almost everyday. I'm definitely not a runner though.


- Is it reasonable to expect to run the 10k marathon considering I generally don't run, or should I stick to 5k?
- Do I need to "train" beforehand, or is that just for hardcore marathoners doing the long ones?
- Is it casual, meaning anyone can raise money and join in, or is it only for people who are serious about marathons?
- How stupid am I going to look if I get exhausted and end up walking half the way? Is this common?
- The site says the 5k runners need to be done in 1 hour. Is this going to be difficult? How long do 5k and 10k runs usually take?

Basically, I want a bit of a challenge. I want to train, but not to the extent that I'm up every morning at 5am. Are 5k and 10k a "walk in the park"? Should I go for the half marathon (21k), or is that unreasonable?

Thanks for any help!

Personally, there's no way I would be able to just get up and run that. I get really happy if I'm able to run for over ten minutes at a rather slow pace...but I also have a medical condition

If you're worried, it can't hurt to just give it a shot one day...pick a time, and see if you can run 5k. Depending how difficult you find that, you can decide if you want to go further.

Either way, you should be fine doing 5k in 1 hour. A brisk walk is about 5km/h--I did the Run for the Cure a few years ago, and I walked the 5k and was done in a bit under an hour. I think that's a really generous time frame if they expect it to be a run only.

I found that with minimal cardio training, and just doing muscle training that I could jog for 5k (but I was panting for like 20 mins after). My muscles felt fine so if you have any kind of cardio buildup, you should be just dandy.

As for 10k, defintley do some training, or try running 5k and up it 1k for a week to see how it does, but without training I can't imagine you won't walk for at least a bit

- if this is your first, stick with a 5k. if you're in physically good shape, you can generally just get up and run 5k, but it'll be mentally challenging. you might be physically capable, but you'll want to rest. a 10k will require some training and practice. mostly to psych yourself out to prove to yourself that you can actually run that distance.
- any training would be beneficial. for 10k, I would recommend at least a few practice runs.
- its a community event. new-comers are always welcome
- plenty of people stop for a rest. a personal tip: if you find yourself tiring, walk for exactly 1min, and then start running again for at least another 5.
- a 5k takes anywhere between 20-35 min
- a 5k and 10k would be considered a jog in the park :p doing a half marathon for your first time would just be stupid. dont be stupid.

I did cross country and long distance track throughout high school. I didn't see a time one had to complete the 10k in? Completing 5k in an hour would be ridiculously easy (I just looked up a grade 12 time of me doing cross country, 7k, did it in 27:11, and that is super hilly terrain, windy paths, through forest, etc and I was just an alright to good runner), and you say you want a bit of a challenge. I would say it depends how healthy you eat, how much you are going to train, what you consider a challenge, how hard you push yourself, your pain threshold etc.

An easy way to go about it, would be to just map out a route, figure out how long it is, run it, time yourself, and get an idea of if you could run a distance within the allotted time given how dedicate you are to improving as a runner.

An easy answer is 10k. 5k would not be a challenge at all, 21k might be more than a 'bit of a challenge.' There is a lot of factors to consider.