Should you run a 5k race the whole time on your toes for the most power?

Question

What are some important things to remember while running a 5k race? Should you pump your arms to give you more power?

Should only your toes touch the ground, like you are in sprinting form the whole race, or should you step down on heel and push off with toe the whole time?

Also, should you be in the same exact body motion the whole time, or half the race, switch to a different form so you can use other muscles for more energy, such as shortening your stride or bending legs more in a shorter sitting position?

Answer 1

Heel toe is correct. Not flat-footed — and definitely not on your toes. You cannot sprint 5K. No one can even at the Olympic level. I don't think anyone can even sprint an entire 400 (there's a backstretch "float" involved).

The only time I've ever advised flat-footing it is for natural toe runners — to try to get them through a 4K cross country race. Usually they don't stay with the program. Changing a person's form is extremely difficult to do.

Your arms should have a natural, relaxed swing. I like to cup my hands loosely with my thumbs gently resting on my last index finger joint, and slightly bend my wrists out which has the effect of bringing my elbows in.

Don't mess around with the other things you mentioned.

There are no magic bullets in distance running. You will teach your body how to run with lots and lots of long distance practice.

Have a great race.

Coach RA123

Answer 2

I think that good form includes heel strike too.  I can't tip toe for 3 miles.

Answer 3

I see you are taking things seriously. Nothing wrong with that.

Understand however that your body over time will naturally adapt a way of running that works best for you.

There have been great runners who had unusual running styles. At first glance the way they rolled their shoulders or carried their arms might seem inefficient but are actually very efficient for them as a whole. These same habits would be ineffective and almost certainly detrimental for another runner  to emulate (copy). In other words, we are all special.

As I said, over time your body will naturally learn what is best for it over time. Over thousands of miles run. After hundreds of track workouts. Still, there are some simple things to be aware of that can speed things up.

Bouncing- Be conscious that bouncing up and down is common for new runners and is counterproductive. Most of your energy should be spent moving you forward - not up and down or side to side. On a sunny day, use your shadow like a mirror and become aware of this bounce.

Slapping the ground- Related to bouncing actually. Be aware of the sounds your footfalls make on level ground. Less sound means less energy being wasted. Remember slapping the ground doesn't move you forward and requires extra work from your muscles and joints.

Breathing - Become aware of it. Breathing hard is a function of your exercise. It is not a separate thing. Are you breathing harder than is needed for some reason? Breathing harder than you need to is very easy to do. In fact it is habit forming. Become aware of your breathing - keep it light, steady and relaxed. Even when you really very tired.

Tensing - Become aware that you may be tensing your face, shoulders and/or hands when running. Understand that when you tense any of these areas you are tensing your body as a system. Your body is not just a bunch of parts; limbs, organs, etc. Your body is a network of systems. A series of relationships. Keep your body calm and relaxed from the beginning to the end of your run.

Use as little energy as possible to run as fast as you can.

Repeat in your head as you race, "relax, faster, relax, faster, smooth, relax, faster..."

Use running drills to assist your body in learning proper technique. Watch live races and videos of top runners and become aware of what they are doing (and possibly not doing).

Don't pump your arms dramatically or alter your stride, body position or technique over the course of your 5K run.

Just relax and run.

Watch the video below a few times. THAT is beautiful running.

Answer 4

Except for a sprint, no race should be on your toes only.  For middle distance races, you can land on the ball of your foot, but i wouldn't go on the toes.  for a 5k, landing only on your toes won't help.  Its just too long a race to do that.  Heel-Toe works better.

As to form, i try to keep the same form the whole time, proper form.  you have proper form, you'll waste less energy.  I pump my arms at the end of a race to generate more power in my stride so as to have a kick, but other than that i really keep my form consistant.

Answer 5

Pump your arms at a 90 degree angle. Do Not run the whole race on your toes and try not to land on your heel, land flat footed with your leg bent a bit ready to push off. Running heel toe messes up your knees. Run the same way the whole race and lengthen your stride. It saves energy and gives you more speed.