5km is the most awesome event ever.

And don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

In this era it seems we are all drawn to the heroism of the long stuff; the gruelling, time consuming, far from pleasant slog of endurance sports. But I am here to tell you, don't shrug the short stuff. It is actually one of the best ways to partake in the world of fun runs.

Let me tell you why with my top 5 reasons a 5km event is literally the best thing ever:

1. No nipple bleeding. Now this is mostly one for the guys, but the short of it is, 5km is simply not enough time for your nipples to create such friction on your run shirt and without that friction, there is no bleeding and no need to vaseline those bad boys up pre-race. Now if you weren't aware this was a thing in endurance sport; you're welcome, you've just been educated!

2. Shorter races = smaller entry fees. Life is expensive at the moment, but shorter races give you the opportunity to participate with less financial expense and often for the same medal and experience. That's a win to me!

3. Saving on medical bills. Marathon training is typically a gateway drug to injuries. Overuse injuries go hand in hand with endurance training. That's not to say you don't get injured doing 5km events too, but when you're doing less overall kms in training and your sessions involve a greater variety of paces (interval training is great for a 5km event!), you'll be more likely to stay healthy. And when you're healthy, you get more injury free running days. More injury free running days = happy runners with more money = a healthy global economy. Fact.

4. More free time. No 3 hour runs for you on the weekends leaving you busted up and walking around like a zombie. What will you do with all that luscious free time? Not only are your giving yourself an opportunity to have a balanced lifestyle, your time commitment on race day is significantly less too. This makes it the perfect distance for busy people; you get all the benefits in a fraction of the time.

5. 5kms are super stylish. No fuel belts, water bottles, gels or blocks or powders or bars required. No shorts with 300 pockets needed. No ruining your new run top with Vaseline stains (remember the nipple bleeding thing from earlier?). No post-race chafe screaming in the shower (that's also a thing in endurance sports!). You can literally run your 5km in your favourite kit, shower with comfort afterwards and marvel at the medal you rightly earned. 5km's are smart. Trust me!!

6. I know I said '5 reason's' but here's a 6th: 5km's are the best way to dip your toe in the sport. I remember my first 5km and even now, after 10 years of running it's still my most memorable achievement because it was something I didn't know was possible. And even better; there are lots of people tackling their first fun run in every 5km event all over the country, so you are never the only newbie :)

So there you have it, 5km events really are the most awesome event and if you join the 5km at RunHaven, you'll be the first done. Which means first to kick back with an icy cold one of your choice (beer is mine after a run, but a lemonade is also a winner) as you kick back and watch the everyone else stumble home as the sun is setting. What's not to love about that?! Register here for our IDPlanning 5km and we'll see you on the start line.