If you’re ready to get active and raise your fitness game this fall, Dallas-Ft. Worth is the place to be! With 5K run/walks, marathons and fun runs taking place in and around the Metroplex nearly every weekend, the opportunities to participate in a local competitive (or not-so-competitive) fitness event are almost endless!
Short-distance 5K races are quite popular and it’s easy to see why. First, it’s relatively easy to squeeze training for a 5K (just over 3-mile) race into your busy schedule. Convenience is another factor that makes the 5K race so appealing. The race itself lasts no more than an hour, so you can wake up, warm up, race, cool down and be home with much of the rest of your day still in front of you. Half and full marathons not only require more training time, but they are also all-day events.
Further, if you’re looking to improve your fitness level, a 5K is a perfect choice. Running burns up to 700 calories per hour, raises your heart rate, lowers your blood pressure and helps to relieve stress via the release of endorphins. Running also tones and shapes common problem areas of the body like the glutes and abs. As you ease into your training program, start slow and alternate walking and running, gradually decreasing your walking time and increasing your running time each week. Before you know it, you’ll be able to run 30 minutes or more without stopping. You can also prepare by using the Couch to 5K running app. It outlines a simple training program that will help carry you across that finish line.
Here are five upcoming are 5K races to check out. Several of these events also benefit non-profit and charity organizations, so while you’re working to get fit, you’re also supporting your community!
Kids Matter 5K and Family Fun Run
September 9, 2017
Run, walk or stroll your way through Bicentennial Park in Southlake at the Kids Matter 5K and Family Fun Run. This event helps support children in the DFW area through Kids Matter programs like Around the Block — which provides new clothing, shoes and more for disadvantaged children in our community — and Ramp Up Reading, which works to bolster childhood literacy.
Plano Balloon Festival Half Marathon, Relay, 5K and 1K
September 23-24, 2017
Take your run on an epic adventure, as soaring hot air balloons pave the way for four races taking place this weekend. All participants receive two tickets to the InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival plus parking on race day. All racers are also eligible to win a ride in a hot air balloon! The 5K and 1K races will take place on Saturday, September 23, with the relay and half marathon the following day: Sunday, September 24.
Bubble Run
October 14, 2017
This race is a little different than the traditional 5K. The Bubble Run is like running through Willy Wonka’s factory, with three miles of colored foam covering the Texas Motor Speedway. The Bubble Run is all about having fun, so it’s not a timed race. This event benefits the A-T Children’s Project, a non-profit organization that raises funds to help find a cure or life-improving therapies for alexia-telangiectasia, a lethal genetic disease that attacks children and causes progressive loss of muscle control, immune system problems and a strikingly high rate of cancer, particularly leukemia and lymphoma.
March of Dimes Run for Babies 5K and 1K, and Super Hero Sprint
November 11, 2017
Sign up for the inaugural March of Dimes Fort Worth Run for Babies 5K, 1K and Super Hero Sprint and help raise support for the nearly half-a-million premature babies born each year. Funds raised support research to help prevent premature births. You can compete individually or as a member of a team.
50th Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot
November 23, 2017
It’s the Trot’s Golden Anniversary! Start your Thanksgiving day at the Turkey Trot 5L Fun Run/Walk. This event is designed to accommodate everyone in your family, from grandparents to infants in strollers. After the race, enjoy activities and refreshments at Dallas’ City Hall Plaza. If you’re looking for a longer race, you can always run in the 8-mile event.
Signing up for a 5K may just give you the motivation you need to get fit. Training for an event gives you some accountability to get up and workout rather than hitting the snooze button again. And, even if you’re a beginner, running a 5K race is an achievable goal. Train, pace yourself and, most of all, believe in yourself — confidence is one of the keys to your health and well-being.
