Goal Setting for 2026

The New Year is often regarded as a time for renewal, offering individuals a fresh start and renewed motivation to begin the year positively.

"New Year, new me!"

Running has gained significant popularity, making it increasingly challenging to enter races spontaneously. Consequently, setting goals for the year requires more advanced planning than before. Not every race needs to be a target race; some can serve as training runs, allowing runners to acclimate to running in crowds, practice hydration strategies, and refine their fueling techniques during runs. While everyone aims for success in major races, these events may be scheduled far in the future.

For those with a goal race scheduled for the latter half of the year, maintaining motivation can be facilitated by establishing smaller, interim goals. Consider objectives such as completing a long run while maintaining a zone 2 heart rate, running continuously without walking, achieving your fastest 1km, reaching a Parkrun milestone, setting a personal best in a 5km race, meeting a specific distance target by year-end, or consistently completing all planned training sessions. Ultimately, consistency is essential for realizing significant goals.

Wishing everyone the best of luck in achieving their goals for 2026.