each month (about double the number of January 5K challenge runners pre-pandemic).
Why the sudden surge in popularity? “5K training entails working on speed, power, and endurance: all the things that you would get out of even a marathon training plan, but in much more bite-sized chunks,” says Jes Woods, certified coach for Nike Running, Brooklyn Track Club, and Chaski Endurance. “It’s an accessible challenge, but it sets you up to be in shape for any distance.”
You don’t even need to join an online community to race a 5K; the beauty of a virtual 5K challenge is that “it’s just you against yourself,” says Woods. “It’s something anyone can start at any time and easily wrap their heads around, especially when there are no races.”