🏃🏽‍♂️**Surprising Facts About Running a 10k You Never Knew**🤔

1. There's a difference between the 10k and 10,000-meter races.

A rule of thumb is that when someone mentions the 10k, it generally refers to the 6.2-mile road race, which differs from its sister, the 10,000-meter run, which is run on a track.  

2. The 1960's and 70's running boom.

The 10k race grew in popularity in the 1960s and 1970s during the Running boom era. American Robert Drake in Los Angeles set the first. 10k road race record on November 24, 1962. The first 10,000-meter Race premiered in the Olympics in 1912 in Stockholm, Sweden.  

Finnish Runner Hannes Kolehmainen won gold. Finland runners dominated the event in the next five Olympic games, winning gold in Four of them. This dominance earned Finnish runners the nickname the Flying Finns.

Fun fact: The 1912 Summer Olympics also introduced art competitions. The events included literature, sculpture, painting, architecture, and music.

3. Men's Record Holder Controversy

Keyan runner Rhonex Kipruto ran a world record 10k time of 26:24 seconds on January 12, 2020, in Valencia, Spain. On June 5, 2024, the AIU handed Kipruto a six-year ban from competition by the AIU for six due to doping; as part of the ruling, the results of his 10k record were disqualified. The next fastest time was run by Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi, who clocked in at 26:33 seconds on March 11, 2023; Kipruto has maintained his innocence since being charged.  

4. 163 USATF-certified 10k and 32 World Athe Certified courses in the U.S.  

First, a USATF-certified course is accurately measured and meets the standards of the USATF certification program. For a performance to be accepted as a record or nationally ranked, the course must be USATF-certified. USATF states that no one can truly establish a personal best if the course distance is inaccurate.

Of the 163 USATF-certified courses in the USA in 2023, the states with the most certified courses were GA with 14, TX with 16, and NY with 18.                

5. The Most Popular 10k in the U.S. The Peachtree Road Race –

According to data published by online Race management company RunSign Up, the most popular 10k event of2023 was the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, GA. With 37,557 participants in 2023, this number is down from its post-COVID high of over 60,000 participants in 2019.  

6. Average Training time for first-time runners.

Generally, it takes beginners 8 to 12 weeks of training to run a 10K. According to data published on Marathon Handbook.com, the average 10k time for new men runners is 1:05:30 (10:32 min/mile pace) and 1:13:58 for women (11:54 min/mile pace). These results will vary based on fitness level and training frequency.

7. 10k races in Switzerland have the fastest average finish times in the world!

A global study of more than 108 million race results from more than 70 thousand races from 1986 to 2018 found that the average finish time of race participants in Switzerland was 52 minutes and 42 seconds. Luxemburg had the second-fastest average at 53 minutes and 6 seconds, and Portugal came in third with an average finish time of 53 minutes and 43 seconds. The U.S. came in 32nd place (out of 35) with an average finish time of 1 hour and 1 minute.

8. 10k's is Gen Xer's race choice.

According to a study by Runrepeat.com and the IAAF, Between 1986 and 2018, the average age of runners who participated in 10k races increased from 33 to 39. The study suggests that the change could be due to racers having longer racing careers and people picking up running at older age

9. Race Costumes are Welcomed

One of the most popular 10k's where I live is the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k. It has a long tradition of runners wearing some of the most outrageous and fun costumes. I've seen everything from a guy dressed up like Indiana Jones dragging a huge inflated bolder behind him to a group of runners dressed up as Pac-Man and the fruit and dots he eats. It makes for good fun for the runners and spectators.

10.Bridge to the Half and Full Marathon.

If you've never run a 10k, I wouldn't suggest skipping ahead to a marathon. Training for a 10k is a reasonable distance to see if you'd like to go to your next milestone, or maybe running a 10k is your max; in either case, the key is that you are out there pounding the pavement, improving your health. Don't make the mistake of doing too much too soon, because it could have long-term consequences if you're not careful.