Riley Masters: On Successful Elements Of The 5K, Staying Patient, And Handling The End

This content requires a MileSplit Pro plan.
Join Now and select any plan for instant access!

MileSplit Pro
Join Now


Riley Masters, a Bangor (Maine) High and University of Oklahoma graduate, is a professional runner sponsored by Nike who owns personal bests of 3:36.49 in the 1500m and 3:56.75 in the full mile. In 2015, he ran a PB of 13:17.97 in the 5K. Below is a conversation recirculated from a FloTrack interview with Masters in 2015. 

Can you discuss what it takes to stay patient in the 5K?

How do you stay patient in a 5K, particularly if you're feeling good?

"I think in a 5K you have so much time to make up ground. Understanding you have some room there [is important]. Obviously, as you start getting quicker and quicker, that gap narrows. But understanding you have room to make it up at the end -- it's a good thing to carry with you throughout the race and something that allows you to be patient."

But how long can you be patient, and when does patience run out?

"It has to run out once people have made their decisive move. So I think in the 5K I found you really want to make sure -- you can be ...