You say you "just want to finish", but truth be told, you want to kick your own arse. We consulted studies published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in the past 12 months to find the smartest strategies for sending your performance soaring. Pick your distance and follow our advice - we guarantee you'll leave your former self and a pack of others, in the dust.

YOUR RACE: 5-K
GAME PLAN: GUN IT
Run your first two kilometres of the race at least six per cent faster than your typical pace. In a study of distance runners, those who jacked up their pace for the first couple of kays finished 32 seconds faster than when they started at their average pace.
DO THIS Determine your max heart rate (220 minus your age), then figure out 65 to 75 per cent of that. That's what your heart rate should be at your average pace. Add six per cent (or more) to tat pace time and you've got your first-2km pace.

YOUR RACE: 10-K
GAME PLAN: PLYOMETRICS
If you've always been partial to 5-Ks but want to step up your training to rock a 10-K, add a bit of jumping to your weekly workouts. This can increase your running efficiency (how quickly oxygen flows to your muscles) by nearly five per cent, making the extra kays a cinch.
DO THIS Split-Squat Jump. Start in a lunge position and jump up and forward, pushing off your front leg. Land in a lunge and repeat continuously for 10m. Rest 45 seconds. Do three reps and work up to six. Complete the drill three non-consecutive days a week.

YOUR RACE: HALF-MARATHON OR LONGER
GAME PLAN: SPRINT UPHILL AND DOWNHILL
Running hills preps you for the inevitable slopes you'll encounter over 20km, and the downhill portions teach your brain to execute a faster stride rate - how frequently our feet hit the ground. In a 2006 study, runners who trained this way improved their speed on flat terrain by up to 3.5 per cent.
DO THIS Find a gentle slope (equivalent to a three-degree incline on the treadmill) that's about 20m from top to bottom. Sprint up, then down. Rest 30 seconds. Repeat eight to 12 times, three non-consecutive days. Form note: don't try to fight gravity; let it carry you down the hill to prevent sore quads.