Our 5K training is a group running and walking program meeting for 7 weeks and training for the The Fort Wayne Great Santa Run 5K, all levels of walkers and runners are welcome! This is a 7-week program for both beginners and experienced runners. The group will provide motivation to help you cross the finish line on December 6 , 2024. You'll receive a training program, 2 group workouts per week, and motivation from our coaches and other members like you!
The program meets twice a week during the training period, Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm and Saturday mornings at 8 am at Fleet Feet Southwest. The workouts will last about an hour to an hour and a half as we increase mileage throughout the season.
Important Dates:
- Season Starts: Thursday, October 23, 2025, at 6:30 PM
- Season Logistics: Thursdays at 6:30 PM and Saturdays at 8:00 AM at Fleet Feet Fort Wayne Southwest
- Goal Race: The Fort Wayne Great Santa Run 5K, December 6, 2025
What to expect at our Workouts:
Each week will have a slightly different focus - breathing, form, nutrition, etc. Below is an example workout and how our weekly topics are discussed during the training:
- Welcome/Announcements
- Weekly Topic (Mini-Form Clinic, Nutrition Sampling, Product Demonstration, etc.)
- Find your pace groups
- Group Dynamic Warmup
- Prescribed route for the day - you'll have turn by turn directions if necessary and mentors leading your group
- Optional Cool down stretching with your group
Run/Walk Interval Running:
There are many benefits to using a run/walk method in your training. We encourage beginning runners to start using a Run/Walk interval in our Beginner 5K training programs - it's a great way to get started. But using a Run/Walk interval is not just for beginners - it’s an excellent tool to help you build endurance and help you cross the finish line of your next race. Some of the benefits include:
- Decreased chance of injury. The run-walk method causes less wear and tear on the body, decreasing the chance of injuries. Continuous use of muscle will result in fatigue much quicker. This method will allow a runner to go farther and/or longer before fatigue sets in.
- Quicker recovery. With less wear and tear on the body also come quicker recovery after a run.
- Breaks up distances into manageable units. Running is as much mental as it is physical – especially when you get into the distance races. Using the run-walk intervals will help with those long distances. Running 3 miles just seems impossible. But breaking it down by running for a set number of minutes, it’s much more manageable.
- Motivating for new runners. This method allows just about anyone to run any race they want. It doesn’t matter your age, weight, gender, or physical ability. You can be a runner. As you start off slow, you can work your way up to running for a longer amount of time and having fewer walk breaks.
What is included in the program?
- Access to expert coaching and encouraging mentors
- A training plan that also includes workouts for the days you do not have a group workout
- Weekly newsletters going over the week's workouts and focus
- Info sessions including but not limited to good form, foam rolling, nutrition, etc.
- Access to a closed Facebook group to interact with the other participants and coaches
- Special store discounts just for Fleet Feet Running Club members
- A Fleet Feet long sleeve Running Club shirt
Have questions? Reach out to Sara, our training program coordinator, at saralynnmill@gmail.com
Ready to run with us? Register.
Holiday 5K: Winter 2025 Training
Program Start: Thursday, October 23, 2025
Program Schedule: Thursdays at 6:30 pm and Saturdays at 8:00 am
Goal Race:
The Fort Wayne Great Santa Run
Program Fee: $50 excluding race fee
Description: Our 5K training is a group running and walking program meeting for weeks and training for The Fort Wayne Great Santa Run 5K, all levels of walkers and runners are welcome! This is a 7-week program for both beginners and experienced runners. The group will provide motivation to help you cross the finish line on December 6, 2025. You'll receive a training program, 2 group workouts per week, and motivation from our coaches and other members like you!
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