Me Strong 5 K

The Me Strong 5 K is held in DeLand, Florida, on January 30, 2027, with a 5K run and walk starting at 8 a.m. Runners and walkers share the same distance and the same start, so the field covers a broad range of paces from the front to the back.

An event that formally includes walkers is a good first race, because nobody is out of place and there is no pressure to hold a pace you have not trained for. If you are building toward that first 5K, four to six weeks of alternating running and walking, three times a week, will get you across comfortably. Runners with more behind them can use a late-January 5K as a sharpening effort before longer spring goals: it stresses the top end of your fitness without costing you a week of recovery afterward.