How much does wind impact your 5K time? | The Secret of Running
How much does wind impact your 5K time?
Hans and Ron, authors of The Secret of Running, had a quantitive look.
They looked at how three headwind and tailwind speeds affect an 18-minute 5K time.
Specifically, they looked at wind speeds of:
A light wind: 4.5 mph (7.2 kph)
A hard wind: 18 mph (28.8 kph)
A near gale force wind: 35 mph (57.6 kph)
More:
They also quantified the effect of crosswinds to discover what happens when the wind blows at an angle.
This analysis better helps quantify real world conditions since races rarely ever send runners directly into a headwind.
This article further goes to show that pacing is a delicate balance in the wind.
In light winds, you have to make small but decisive changes to optimize your pacing.
But, those pacing changes become drastic when the wind really picks up.
You can find that article here: https://blog.stryd.com/2019/12/20/how-does-wind-impact-your-5k-time/