Choosing Your Race

If you’re considering signing up to race, whether you are a first timer or a seasoned racer, choosing the right race is important if you want to have a positive experience.

Here are a few things to consider when choosing a race.

• Why are you running?

When thinking about choosing your race, the reason for running may have an impact on what type of race you want to run. For example, if you’ve just started running and want a fun environment, you might want to enter a fun run like a colour run.

• Distance

Choosing the right distance for your level of fitness is important. You should be realistic, but you want the race to have the capacity to challenge you too. If you’re a first timer, a 5K race is a good place to start, but you can always go straight to a half marathon, 10K

• Location

Location matters a lot to some runners. Some runners prefer trail races in the mountains and others like road races in the city. Weather and temperature also vary depending on the location. You should think about what you want from your race – do you want to race local or travel? If you’re new to racing and you want your family and friends there for support, you might want to consider racing at a local event rather than going out of town.

• Lifestyle

You should think about the impact training will have on your life.  For instance, if you choose to run a marathon, there might be a lot of early mornings and long runs on the weekend, so it’s likely to have an affect on your social life.

• Research Races

Review the course map on the race website.  Also, be sure to know the course time limits for your race and be sure your expected pace will allow you to finish on-time.  There are a lot of reviews about how good or bad a race is, so be sure to do your research before making the commitment!