Ready for 5K/5-Mile/10K
About this race
This program is designed to help walkers, walk-runners, and runners who want to traverse the 5K, 5-Mile, or 10K distance, whether they have previously done their selected distance or not. There is no obligation to register for any race, and if you choose to register for one, that is a payment to the race.
The program targets three groups' goals:
- walkers who want to gradually increase the amount of mileage they do so that they can complete a 5K, 5-Mile, or 10K
- walk-runners who want to increase the speed of their walk-run to shorten their 5K, 5-Mile, or 10K times
- those who want to train to run a 5K, 5-Mile, or 10K without walking
All "Ready for" programs take participants from where they are to their chosen distances and cover at least six weeks, with many coached in-person workouts (including 5K, 5-Mile, and10K practice for the participants' chosen training distances), a practice of at least 70% of their specific distance, a comprehensive training plan (tweaked midway, if needed, as the participants progress), and a private training group on Facebook.
When:
Tuesdays and Thursdays either at 8 a.m. for morning only sessions or 6 p.m. for traditional weeknight/weekend morning sessions.
Saturdays, 8 a.m. for both sessions
Where:
Most workouts are at Greece Canal Park, Millennium Lodge, at 241 Elmgrove Rd., Rochester, NY 14626 until too dark for the park (it closes at dusk). When GCP is closed, sessions typically move to nearby Henpeck Park, Cherry Creek Ln, and Canal Ponds Park.
What:
Tuesdays are hill workouts. Thursdays are speed workouts. Saturdays are long distance workouts.
Why choose Ready for 5K/5-Mile/10K for your training?
- No minimum pace requirement.
- No previous experience required for 5K; experience may be required for 5-Mile and 10K, if the session is a shorter one.
- Small program size means Vickey gets to know you well enough to lightly tailor a program to your goals and needs.
- Vickey is an experienced walker and runner who has raced a wide range of paces and distances, so she can relate to a variety of issues and concerns.
- You choose which 5K/5-Mile/10K to participate in, if you want to do an official 5K/5-Mile/10K at all.
- It's cost effective and provides personalization and individual attention in a small group setting where the coach gets to know each participant.
- All participants are welcome from people just starting to walk for fitness to those who have been racing for years.
Pick your distance
Running
Ready for 5K/5-Mile/10K: Mornings - January Start (6 Weeks)
Participants must be 14 years of age or older; any minor must be accompanied by a legal guardian for first session. No coached workout: 1/10; 1/24, 2/7; Can join coach's personal workout on 1/11 & 1/25
Ready for 5K/5-Mile/10K: Weeknights & Weekend Mornings - January Start (6 Weeks)
Participants must be 14 years of age or older; any minor must be accompanied by a legal guardian for first session. No coached workout: 1/10; 1/24, 2/7; Can join coach's personal workout on 1/11 & 1/25
Ready for 5K/5-Mile/10K: Mornings - February Start (5 Weeks)
Participants must be 14 years of age or older; any minor must be accompanied by a legal guardian for first session. No coached workout: 2/21, 2/28, 3/14; Can join coach's personal workout on 2/22 & 3/15
Ready for 5K/5-Mile/10K: Weeknights & Weekend Mornings - February Start (5 Weeks)
Participants must be 14 years of age or older; any minor must be accompanied by a legal guardian for first session. No coached workout: 2/21, 2/28, 3/14; Can join coach's personal workout on 2/22 & 3/15
Ready for 5K/5-Mile/10K: Mornings - March Start (5 Weeks)
Participants must be 14 years of age or older; any minor must be accompanied by a legal guardian for first session. No coached workout: 4/18
Ready for 5K/5-Mile/10K: Weeknights & Weekend Mornings - March Start (5 Weeks)
Participants must be 14 years of age or older; any minor must be accompanied by a legal guardian for first session. No coached workout: 4/18
Ready for 5K/5-Mile/10K: Mornings - April Start (5 Weeks)
Participants must be 14 years of age or older; any minor must be accompanied by a legal guardian for first session. No coached workout: 4/18
Ready for 5K/5-Mile/10K: Weeknights & Weekend Mornings - April Start (5 Weeks)
Participants must be 14 years of age or older; any minor must be accompanied by a legal guardian for first session. No coached workout: 4/18
Ready for 5K/5-Mile/10K: Mornings - May Start (8 Weeks)
Participants must be 14 years of age or older; any minor must be accompanied by a legal guardian for first session. No coached workouts 6/26 to 7/4.
Ready for 5K/5-Mile/10K: Weeknights & Weekend Mornings - May Start (8 Weeks)
Participants must be 14 years of age or older; any minor must be accompanied by a legal guardian for first session. No coached workouts 6/26 to 7/4.
Ready for 5K/5-Mile/10K: Mornings - July Start (8 Weeks)
Participants must be 14 years of age or older; any minor must be accompanied by a legal guardian for first session. No coached workout 9/5 due to The Potato Run.
Ready for 5K/5-Mile/10K: Weeknights & Weekend Mornings - July Start (8 Weeks)
Participants must be 14 years of age or older; any minor must be accompanied by a legal guardian for first session. No coached workout 9/5 due to The Potato Run.
Ready for 5K/5-Mile/10K: Mornings - September Start (7 Weeks)
Participants must be 14 years of age or older; any minor must be accompanied by a legal guardian for first session. No coached workout 10/17 due to Nocturnal 12.
Ready for 5K/5-Mile/10K: Weeknights & Weekend Mornings - September Start (7 Weeks)
Participants must be 14 years of age or older; any minor must be accompanied by a legal guardian for first session. No coached workout 10/17 due to Nocturnal 12.
Ready for 5K/5-Mile/10K: Mornings Only - November Start (5 Weeks)
Participants must be 14 years of age or older; any minor must be accompanied by a legal guardian for first session. No coached workout Thanksgiving Day or 12/5.
Ready for 5K/5-Mile/10K: Weeknights & Weekend Mornings - November Start (5 Weeks)
Participants must be 14 years of age or older; any minor must be accompanied by a legal guardian for first session. No coached workout Thanksgiving Day or 12/5.
Ready for 5K/5-Mile/10K: Mornings Only - November Start (8 Weeks)
Participants must be 14 years of age or older; any minor must be accompanied by a legal guardian for first session. No coached workout Thanksgiving Day, 12/5, or 12/20.
Ready for 5K/5-Mile/10K: Weeknights & Weekend Mornings - November Start (8 Weeks)
Participants must be 14 years of age or older; any minor must be accompanied by a legal guardian for first session. No coached workout Thanksgiving Day, 12/5, or 12/20.
Typical race-day weather
Based on 22 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Rochester, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 7:42 AM and sets at 4:50 PM local time (EST) in Rochester on January 6, 2026 — 9h 08m of daylight.
Course
No course map published yet.
The organizer hasn't released a route for this event, and we don't publish guesses. If you're the organizer, send us a GPX file and we'll draw the profile.
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ROCtoberfest 5K presented by Strangebird
Nocturnal 12
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Where this page comes from. Race details were last updated on . We re-check listings regularly and again in the week before race day.
- Entries, prices, waves and inclusions — the event's official registration page
- Temperature and humidity — Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)
- Elevation and terrain relief — Copernicus DEM GLO-90, ESA (CC BY 4.0)
- Comparisons and counts — Race Discovery calendar, 87 Rochester events
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