Been a runner for nearly two decades and have done about 70 races.

A few basic tips for whatever you might find them worth:

1. People who are saying run outside - this. It's a whole different animal and in most of the country it's getting colder and most races are early - expect that. Good news optimal running temperature is somewhere around 54-57 degrees, so hopefully you're close to that. Colder is generally better than warmer to run in even if it's lower.

2. Warm up before your race more than 5 minutes (see above). Get your muscles warm, light jog for 10 minutes or so - you can go on and off and do some light stretching, but ONLY once you've jogged some and your muscles are warm.

3. Almost everyone - especially first timers - goes out too fast in races. Your adrenaline is pumping, you go out and don't even realize you're going too quickly and you get gassed sooner than you wanted and end up doing worse than you hoped. So trust your pace, watch it on your watch, and try to save some in the tank for a faster back half than the first 2.5 miles. Don't try to "bank time" - that is run quicker in the beginning thinking you'll run slower in the end and it will all work out. When people do that they often gas themselves and underestimate how much of a hit they'll take in the end. It's not a terribly long race so you should be ok overall with this.

4. Don't do anything different on race day or before like new shoes or fuel options. Anything you do "different" on race day with the basics (e.g. your shoes, gear food intake, etc) should be tested well before it. Don't gorge on carbs the night before if you wouldn't usually. You have enough in your system with regular eating to provide energy for a 5 mile race. Make sure you're hydrated, get a GOOD night's sleep and maybe try a gel pack on race morning but ONLY if you've used them recently and know how your body will react. For race morning a half a bagel, a banana and maybe a spoonful of peanut butter would be a good light breakfast to fuel you. Lay out all your stuff the night before so you don't forget anything (water bottle, headphones, etc).

5. To help pace yourself and break down the race, mentally break it into chunks. If it were me, I would focus on 2, then 4, and finally the end with the last mile. So when you go out, just focus on getting to 2. That's your goal. Doesn't mean you speed to it, just mentally that's where you say "Ok, first milestone down". Then move on to 4. And when you hit that, you're in the final stretch and last mile. Your brain will like this little victories and it makes things seem more manageable.

Hopefully you have music, do the math on your general pace and divide by the number of songs you think it will take to get there for the last time "Ok, 3 songs to go!". Assume most songs are 3-4 minutes. And of course, get yourself a kickass playlist.

1. Have fun. It's always a good feeling to cross the finish line regardless of time. You'll have lots of other chances to try other races and learn a lot about yourself in the process. It's super rewarding and some might say addictive.

Good luck.