I thought I’d have this nailed and to be fair, I have taught myself to run faster and with better form but maintaining a sub-4 minute pace per kilometre for even 5k has proven challenging for a number of reasons (excuses).

My original plan was to race a 10 km race. However, this has not taken place for two years running due to COVD restrictions.

I decided that I would therefore use the 10km Run part of the ITU World Triathlon Championship Olympic distance race on my 41st Birthday as the event to put down an official time.

However, due to weather conditions the Olympic distance was shortened to a Sprint, the run therefore only being 5 kilometres!

My previous best 10k was 45:08 but I have not set an official time to challenge it or compare with.

In terms of 5k, my PB was 21:37 at Park Run back in 2014 (I’ll post the details up soon) and the two official 5k runs I have done have not been this fact but were as follows:

Preston Park Run 5k:

Abu Dhabi Sprint Distance Triathlon, 5k:

You can see from the above that I can maintain a pace of around four and a half minutes per kilometres but this will equate to 45 minute 10k at best so I’ve got some work to do.

I will update this post when I enter an official race with 10km distance and will update with progress as I spend more time running on the run up to Manchester Marathon in April 2022.

To be updated…

Update 20/01/2022:

I entered a 10k race! I was due back in the UK with some work related thing so considered fitting a 10k race in while I was there.

Unfortunately my trip was cancelled but undeterred, I booked some leave, registered my place at Chester Zoo 10k and booked a flight… only for the race itself to be cancelled days later!

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!

My Friend found another 10k run in Heaton Park in Manchester that same weekend so we signed up to that instead!!

All being well, this one will actually happen and I can officially see if I have got any faster! In any case, it will be nice to get back to the UK for a few days regardless.

Heaton Park 10k:

I absolutely tried my best but it was too windy and too hilly for me to get a personal best. I was hoping for at least 44 minutes and wasn’t too far off the pace at times but just could not maintain it.

Garmin Data:

Guess now I need to work out what to do with my place from that old Chester Zoo race….!