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Exercises

Warm up for a 5K: what to do before the start

Published October 24, 2026

For a 5K race, jog easily for 10 to 15 minutes, do about 3 minutes of dynamic moves (leg swings, ankle and arm circles), a minute of hip and calf activation, 2 rounds of skips, high knees and fast feet, then 3 to 4 strides of 15 to 20 seconds that build to your race pace. Start about 30 minutes before the gun and finish the last stride roughly 5 minutes before the start, then keep moving in the corral.

  1. Running Quads, Hamstrings, Calves
  2. Leg Swings Hamstrings, Glutes
  3. Ankle Circles Calves
  4. Standing Side Leg Raise Abductors
  5. Standing Calf Raise Calves
  6. Skipping in Place Calves, Quads, Hamstrings
  7. High Knees Quads
  8. Fast Feet Calves, Quads

Step 1: the easy jog (10-15 minutes)

A 5K starts fast, so you want to arrive at the line already breathing comfortably and properly warm. Jog slower than any pace you will run in the race. If you are new to the distance, 5 to 8 minutes is plenty.

Warm-up jog and strides

Running

Quads, Hamstrings, Calves

The jog lifts your heart rate and body temperature, and the strides at the end bridge the gap between easy running and race speed so the first kilometer does not come as a shock.

How to do it

  1. Start at a pace where you could speak in full sentences.
  2. Keep your stride short so each foot lands close to under your hips.
  3. Swing your arms front to back from the shoulder with the elbows bent.
  4. Lift the pace only once the first minutes feel smooth.

Cues

  • Tall and relaxed
  • Quick, quiet feet

Common mistakes

  • Starting at goal pace from the first step
  • Reaching the foot far out in front

Swap for: Treadmill Run, Brisk Walk

Build a session with Running

Step 2: dynamic mobility (3 minutes)

Loosen the hips, ankles and shoulders while you are still warm from the jog. Keep moving between exercises so you do not cool off.

Hip mobility

Leg Swings

Hamstrings, Glutes

Front-to-back swings loosen the hips you will be driving hard for the next few kilometers.

How to do it

  1. Stand side-on to a wall or rail and hold it with one hand.
  2. Swing the outside leg forward and back like a pendulum, small at first.
  3. Let each swing travel a bit farther while your torso stays upright.
  4. Finish the count, turn around, and swing the other leg.

Cues

  • Loose leg, still torso
  • A little bigger each swing

Common mistakes

  • Arching the lower back on the backswing
  • Forcing full range on the first rep

Swap for: Standing Cable Hip Flexion, Cossack Squat

Build a session with Leg Swings

Ankle mobility

Ankle Circles

Calves

Quick to do on the start line, and they keep the ankles moving while you wait.

How to do it

  1. Hold a support and stand on one foot, or sit, with the other foot off the floor.
  2. Trace slow, full circles with your toes, moving only at the ankle.
  3. Do the count one way, then reverse.
  4. Change feet.

Cues

  • As big a circle as you can draw
  • Slow and even

Common mistakes

  • Turning the whole leg instead of the ankle
  • Rushing the circles

Swap for: Single-Leg Calf Raise, Standing Calf Raise

Build a session with Ankle Circles

Shoulder mobility

Arm Circles

Shoulders

A fast race needs a strong arm swing. A few circles each way loosen the shoulders that drive it.

How to do it

  1. Stand with both arms straight out to the sides at shoulder height.
  2. Draw small forward circles and widen them little by little.
  3. Reverse direction for the same count.
  4. Keep your shoulders low, away from your ears.

Cues

  • Long arms
  • Small to big

Common mistakes

  • Shrugging up
  • Letting the elbows bend

Swap for: Band Pull-Apart

Build a session with Arm Circles

Step 3: hips and calves (1 minute)

One short set for the side of the hips and one for the calves. They take a minute and work on a patch of grass beside the start.

Side-of-hip activation, standing

Standing Side Leg Raise

Abductors

Lifting a straight leg sideways works the outside of the hip, which keeps the pelvis level and the knee in line when you land on one foot or cut.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall, hands resting at your waist.
  2. Keep the leg straight and the toes facing forward as you lift it sideways.
  3. Lower it with control, finish the reps, then switch legs.

Cues

  • Toes point forward
  • Torso stays upright

Common mistakes

  • Leaning away from the lifting leg: a lower lift with a still torso works better.

Swap for: Clamshell, Lateral Band Walk

Build a session with Standing Side Leg Raise

Calf activation

Standing Calf Raise

Calves

Calves do a lot of work at 5K pace. Ten raises off a curb or step, with a full stretch at the bottom, get them ready.

How to do it

  1. Stand with the front of your feet on a step and the heels hanging off.
  2. Let the heels sink below the step.
  3. Press up as high as you can onto your toes.
  4. Hold at the top a moment, then lower under control.

Cues

  • Full range
  • Pause at the top

Common mistakes

  • Bouncing at the bottom
  • Bending the knees to help

Swap for: Single-Leg Calf Raise, Ankle Circles

Build a session with Standing Calf Raise

Step 4: drills and strides (5 minutes)

Drills sharpen your rhythm; strides tell your legs what race pace feels like before the gun. Build each stride from jog to race speed and walk back.

Drill, rhythm

Skipping in Place

Calves, Quads, Hamstrings

Rope-free skipping adds bounce and works on the spot if the start area is crowded.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall with your fists beside your hips as if holding rope handles.
  2. Circle your hands and bounce lightly from one foot to the other, as if skipping over a turning rope.
  3. Keep the bounces low and springy for the whole interval.

Cues

  • Bounce off the balls of your feet
  • Hands circle, elbows close
  • Relaxed shoulders

Common mistakes

  • Stomping on the heels: stay on the front of your feet.
  • Hopping high: a small bounce clears an imaginary rope.

Swap for: High Knees, Butt Kicks

Build a session with Skipping in Place

Drill, knee drive

High Knees

Quads

High knees rehearse the quick knee lift you need when the pace goes up.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall, feet under your hips.
  2. Run in place, bringing one knee toward hip height, then the other.
  3. Touch down on the front of your feet right under your hips.
  4. Pump the arms in time with the knees.

Cues

  • Knees up, chest up
  • Short ground contacts

Common mistakes

  • Leaning back to get the knees higher
  • Landing on the heels

Swap for: Skipping in Place, Fast Feet

Build a session with High Knees

Drill, quick contacts

Fast Feet

Calves, Quads

A few seconds of fast patter wakes up quick footwork, useful in the corral when there is no space to stride.

How to do it

  1. Sink into a shallow squat with your weight on the front of your feet.
  2. Patter your feet as quickly as you can in tiny steps.
  3. Keep your chest over your knees and the arms ready.
  4. Stay low for the whole set.

Cues

  • Short and fast
  • Stay on your toes

Common mistakes

  • Standing up tall
  • Big slow steps

Swap for: High Knees, Agility Ladder Drill

Build a session with Fast Feet

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

First 5K or a fun run

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts1× a week
  • Working sets11 a week
  • Per workout~10 min
  • EquipmentStanding Calf Raise

You want to finish comfortably and enjoy it, not chase a time.

When the plan is to run at a steady, conversational effort, a short jog and a few moves are all you need. Strides are left out, since you will not be running fast at the start.

Race Morning
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
RunningSeconds. Six minutes easy jog. 6 × 60 4 0 s
Leg SwingsPer leg, each direction. 1 × 10 4 0 s
Ankle CirclesEach way, per foot. 1 × 10 4 0 s
Standing Calf Raise 1 × 10 4 0 s
Skipping in PlaceSeconds. 2 × 20 4 0 s
How to run it
Start about 15 minutes before the gun, finish at the corral, and begin the race at the pace of your warm-up jog.
How to progress
For your next race, add the strides and the drills.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Racing for a personal best

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts1× a week
  • Working sets22 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentStanding Calf Raise

You are going to run hard from the gun and want the first kilometer at goal pace to feel controlled.

A full warm-up before a hard 5K takes 25 to 30 minutes: a long easy jog, mobility, activation, drills and strides that build to race speed. You finish fresh but fully ready, which matters at a distance where there is no time to settle in.

Race Morning
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
RunningSeconds. Ten minutes easy jog. 10 × 60 4 0 s
Leg SwingsPer leg, each direction. 1 × 10 4 0 s
Arm CirclesEach direction. 1 × 10 4 0 s
Standing Side Leg RaisePer side. 1 × 10 4 0 s
Standing Calf Raise 1 × 12 4 0 s
Skipping in PlaceSeconds. 2 × 20 4 0 s
High KneesSeconds. 2 × 20 4 0 s
RunningSeconds. Strides building to race pace; walk back. 4 × 20 2 1 min
How to run it
Begin about 35 minutes before the start. Finish the strides about 5 minutes out and keep jogging gently or doing leg swings until the gun.
How to progress
As your fitness grows, make the last stride a touch faster than goal pace.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Packed corral, no space to jog

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts1× a week
  • Working sets14 a week
  • Per workout~10 min
  • EquipmentStanding Calf Raise

The start area is crowded and you have to be in your pen early, so you warm up mostly in place.

When you cannot run around, in-place drills keep your heart rate up: fast feet, high knees and skips in 20-second bursts. A short jog before you enter the pen and calf raises at the line fill in the rest.

In the Corral
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
RunningSeconds. Five minutes easy before the corral. 5 × 60 4 0 s
Fast FeetSeconds. 3 × 15 4 0 s
High KneesSeconds. 2 × 20 4 0 s
Ankle CirclesEach way, per foot. 1 × 10 4 0 s
Arm CirclesEach direction. 1 × 10 4 0 s
Standing Calf Raise 2 × 10 4 15 s
How to run it
Jog 5 minutes before you enter the corral, then repeat the in-place round every few minutes until the gun.
How to progress
Get to the area earlier next time so you can fit in a longer jog and strides.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

How long before a 5K should I warm up?

Start about 30 minutes before the gun and finish the last stride around 5 minutes before the start. Then keep moving gently.

How long should a 5K warm-up be?

10 to 15 minutes of easy jogging plus 10 minutes of mobility, drills and strides if you are racing hard. For a first 5K or a fun run, 10 minutes total is enough.

Should I do strides before a 5K?

Yes, if you plan to start at race pace. Three or four strides of 15 to 20 seconds that build to race speed get your legs used to the pace.

What not to do before a 5K?

Do not try new moves or run your warm-up fast. Everything before the gun should feel easy except the short strides.

What is a good 5 minute warm-up?

If you only have five minutes, jog for three, do 10 leg swings per leg, and finish with two 15-second strides.