A Track Race for Road Runners
Note: I am not affiliated with Tracksmith but I think this is a cool opportunity. I plan to participate in either the Ann Arbor race, the Detroit race, or both. Click here to see if there’s an event in a city near you.
A Track Meet for Road Runners
photo from @tracksmithrunning
The Tracksmith Twilight 5000 is a track meet created for every day runners. Most of the runners I coach have never raced on the track. (Many haven’t even ever run on a track.) If they have, it was in high school or university.
There are very few opportunities available for adult recreational runners to participate in track races. If you have ever been interested in racing on a track, or if you miss it from your younger years - this is your chance!!
Track Terminology: “Five Thousand Meters”
In road racing, the 5k is the most accessible distance and the most popular too (don’t quote me on that — I’m just making an assumption) On the track, the same distance is called “5000 Meters.” All the races in the Tracksmith Twilight series will be 5000m.
Track Terminology: “Seeded Races”
The events will be set up so that each runner is put in a race with runners of similar ability. For track races, the term for this is called “seeded” races. Your expected result (or a recent official race result) is your “seed time” and the races are determined based on seed times. The concept is the same as the corral system at road races. The difference is that on the track, an entire seeded race will start AND finish before the next race goes off. This will avoid having too many bodies on the track at once.
Track Terminology: “Getting Lapped”
If someone is running significantly slower or faster than then other runners in a race, the slower runner is likely to “get lapped.” This means a runner is so far ahead they come up from behind and pass the slower runners. This causes confusion and can interfere with the other runners because the 5000m is 12.5 laps on the track. It can be easy to lose count of the laps if the runners become too separated.
Getting lapped is not uncommon but it’s not an ideal situation. This is why it’s best not to jump to a different seeded race (I know this is quite common for corrals in road races). Stick with your assigned wave and run with others of similar ability as yourself.
Interested in learning more about track running? I have LOTS of info here:
A Runner’s Introduction to the Track
Track Running: Turns and Injury Prevention
Track Jargon: Waterfalls, Cut-in, Negative Splits & more
Nicole Sifuentes is a full-time Running Coach for adults of all ages and abilities. She is a former professional runner and 2-time Olympian, and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Read more about her services, and schedule your free coaching consultation.