5k run

The Couch to 5K program is 9 weeks, so 8? Sure, close enough. Especially if you are in good shape from hiking. Do a distance based rather than time based program in case you are a bit slow to make sure you are making the distance.

By the way, that race sounds amazing. Wine mid-course?! Makes me want to take a road-trip.

The Zenn Labs C25K program is 8 weeks (for some reason it is different than the others at 9 weeks) and you might be able to jumpstart into week 3 if you have been active and not just starting off from the couch.

another vote for C25k, in case you can't find it (it's a british thing and I'm guessing you're american), here's the general guideline

Before I did my first 5k, I downloaded a free HIIT interval timer on my phone and set it for intervals....I tried to run 3 minutes (It would yell GO!), and walk 1 minute (REST!) and try to keep a pace doing it that way. The day of the 5K, I started off with that intention, but ended up jogging the whole thing without stopping. A very nice friend stayed by my side and ran with me the whole time.

There were two guys in front of us who were doing a bit of a run/walk combo...we were always playing cat and mouse with them (not in a competitive way), but sometimes they would be ahead, sometimes we would be... even though we were jogging and they were run/walking. We all finished right about the same time.

Just have fun with it...use the race as a goal and motivation. 5K races are so much fun, just people of ALL levels coming out and being outside and active and doing something positive for themselves. Don't worry about time for your first one. See what you do and how you feel and then try to beat it your next race! It really is for people of all levels.

Who knows, you may even catch the race bug....before you know it, you'll be spending all your money on sneakers and race entry fees. A 5K is a great distance and with a little consistent running, totally doable! You will be AMAZED at what you can do. It's great to have a 5K as a goal and it will feel so good to cross the finish line. Have fun!

I can't anything that hasn't already been said, except having wine mid race definitely is more of a fun run. I think by competitive they mean you'll be timed. Sometimes on the website they may have a "everyone must finish within x amount of time" usually that's to get the volunteers off the road, etc. But this one sounds amazing - and those race fees! Super cheap! Most 5k's are at least $35 plus in Chicago. Go for it! And if you can hike for 20 miles, you will have no problem running/walking for 3.1 miles.

In my experience, "competitive" in this context tends to mean a timed race with results versus an untimed walk or fun run. Most 5ks have walkers or slower joggers even when there's a walk offered. One thing I used to do when I was nervous about my speed compared with other participants is look at past results for that event. If there were people who finished around the time I would expect to (at the time, that was anywhere from 40-50 minutes for a 5k), I figured I was fine.

CoolRunning has a C25k program that is 30 minutes, 3 days a week. You reach 3 miles continuous running at the beginning of the 9th week. Just keep your pace as slow and easy as you can. You have the muscular strength, it's just a matter of developing the aerobic capacity, which shouldn't be difficult if you can hike.