I just signed up to the Virgin Sport 2017 5.5k Chase Your Mate at the end of the month, so did a recce of the local running track and put in some (very low intensity) warm up laps. I don’t have a mate to chase, by the way.

19:56 Tuesday April 11, 2017

Clissold Park, Stoke Newington, London

Fact: A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that stretching before going for a run made a runner’s body less efficient so that they did not perform as well and were unable to run as far.
Instead of stretching, try warming up with a walk and running-specific moves to mobilise your joints before your run. You should then make sure to include stretches as part of your post-run routine.