Races as speedwork?

ravendude

If I'm running say a 5k or 10k race every week or two, is it reasonable to treat it as my speed day that week? Like intervals or tempo... Not exactly the same thing obviously but can it function the same as a speed session in my routine?

To put it another way, will running regular races as part of a routine make me faster?...or can it be counter productive

Sandwell

In the short-term this kind of approach should lead to (slightly) faster times due to better pacing, race strategy etc. However it's going to be unsustainable for most people to race hard once a week while also maintaining mileage and quality. You'd end up feeling burnt out or getting injured.

It's fine to do for a few weeks though and it's something I generally end up doing myself at this time of year when you have an abundance of 5k and 10k races to choose from.

In theory it should be possible to use a race as a tempo session every week as part of a balanced training plan but that would require very disciplined pacing and take away a lot of the fun.

Tombo2001

I would say recovery from a full out race is a bit longer than recovery from a regular speed session, but happy to defer to those more experienced.

Dubh Geannain

If you're coming back from injury the benefits may differ than someone who is ramping up their efforts and trying to PB.

You could get away with a few weeks of it. I think a race every week may be too much if it was me personally (age related) but it depends on the effort level in those races. I managed to run a 5k race this year at a controlled effort and ended up enjoying the race immensely while not chasing a PB.

You could also race a couple of 5ks in a row at 10k effort before a target 10 k race. Similarly, racing a 3k at 5k pace when targeting a 5k. You're less likely to break down but are getting more used to the race effort.