Decent 5k time

richardpkennedy1

Hi runners. What's considered a decent 5k time in running circles? I'm a 32 year old guy who runs recreationally but I want to get into it competitively. My current best is 23:18 but I did run under 22 minutes when I was in my mid 20s and that's where I want to get to.

TavistockToad

Look up race times for your age group?

For me a good 5k is 30 minutes, for someone else it might be 40 minutes, or 20 minutes...

Packerjohn

Small (under 500 runners) local race would need under 18:43 for 3rd in your age group. AG winner was 17:49. IMO, just run to compete with yourself.

BruinsGal_91

The guy who won the BAA 5k last weekend did it in 13:19. Something to aim for?

That's twice as fast as my best time. Heck, I do a happy dance if get under 30 minutes.

pondee629

" What's considered a decent 5k time in running circles? " Slightly better than the last time you ran that course. Unless you're running competitively, to win, in which case you should know the times needed, we all run against ourselves. Getting better is the goal.

As stated above, you can always check your age graded result as it compares to the world record for the event in your age/gender group.

My best 5K, to date, is 28:18. For the Half Marathon, 2:17:10. Let's see how you're doing in thirty years ;-)

BruinsGal_91

pondee629 wrote: »

" What's considered a decent 5k time in running circles? " Slightly better than the last time you ran that course. Unless you're running competitively, to win, in which case you should know the times needed, we all run against ourselves. Getting better is the goal.

As stated above, you can always check your age graded result as it compares to the world record for the event in your age/gender group.

My best 5K, to date, is 28:18. For the Half Marathon, 2:17:10. Let's see how you're doing in thirty years ;-)

Yep. ^^^ Totally this.

I race against myself, and try and get a new PB each time. My best 5k is 27:24. My best 10k is 59:59, and my best half is 2:26:32. Have to say, since moving up an age-group a couple of years ago, I've actually placed a few times.

rybo

My experience is that a lot of people aim for a 20 min goal. In small races that will put you pretty high, in larger ones you would be a ways back. At one time that was a goal for me as well, and although I broke 21, I never reached the sub 20 mark.

naculp

Competitively? I'd recommend getting your time under 20 minutes if you want to have a decent shot for placing in the male 30-39 age group. It also depends on who shows up/how the other runners feel. I ran 7 or 8 5k's last year, barely missing top 3 for my age group with ~23 minute times, but the guys in the top 3 were all typically sub-20

Spartan_Gingi

Check out runnersworld.com. There's all kinds of info on there that may help you . Best of luck on your goals!

rightoncommander

Under 22 minutes at my local weekly Parkrun 5k, with usually around 120 runners, would place you in the top 20, maybe higher depending on who turns up and whether they have a big race the next day.

There's no such thing as a universally accepted "decent 5k time". I'm trying to break 20 minutes, which in my view will make me "a runner", but in terms of the UK national ranking would not move my position very much from my current position around 45,000th.

WhitneyDurham777

I haven't raced in many years, but when I used to. I had so much fun stalking my opponents and learning there best times there weaknesses and strengths. You would just get to know the fast people and they would know you. I met a number of great friends during this time. Fast is competing against your friends. The joy of toeing the line some days you win some days you lose. Absolute times did matter a bit, but on the days that you beat your peers those were good days. The days you lost weren't that bad either.

stanmann571

And here I am trying to get sub 30.

scorpio516

BruinsGal_91 wrote: »

The guy who won the BAA 5k last weekend did it in 13:19. Something to aim for?

That's twice as fast as my best time. Heck, I do a happy dance if get under 30 minutes.

Yeah, but he broke his own American 5k road record.

OP: next year I AG up to 40-44. At the aforementioned race, I ran a 22:xx and am very disappointed. The corrals and staging was a cluster kitty. Good enough to be just outside the top 10%, but inside the top 1000.
I'm never happy with my times, unless I get close to a PR, but I haven't been close to a 17 minute 5k in 20 years.
Most of my local races are won by a guy in his early 30s running 15:xx. Others are won in the low 18s.
Long way of saying, to me decent 5k is sub 20:00

Packerjohn

scorpio516 wrote: »

BruinsGal_91 wrote: »

The guy who won the BAA 5k last weekend did it in 13:19. Something to aim for?

That's twice as fast as my best time. Heck, I do a happy dance if get under 30 minutes.

Yeah, but he broke his own American 5k road record.

Go big or go home

ROBOTFOOD

Looking to podium small local races? Sub 18
At least in the Vegas area.
Getting to sub 20 is a good thing to shoot for right now. You can do it!

thesupremeforce

I consider a decent time to be anything better than my last one.

MeanderingMammal

Fastest in my local Parkrun last week was 16:43.

My PB of 22 wouldn't have me in top three of my age range.

AmyOutOfControl

stanmann571 wrote: »

And here I am trying to get sub 30.

Ditto. I ran my last local 5K in just under 31 minutes - felt like superwoman. LOL

I love running long slow miles outside on a pretty day. I suck at trying to run anything over a turtle speed.

7lenny7

If you put forth your best effort, without going so hard that you get injured, then you'll have a decent time. There's no reason every single person lining up at the start can't have a decent time.

madmickie

Check out 'Age-grading' It will allow you to compare your times to the world record for your age.
50-60% would be a recreational runner - 60-70% a club runner - 70-80% regional level competitor - 80-90% national level - 95% international - all approximate of course.

Based on what I know of the age-gradings at my local parkrun I'd say your time is probably around the 60% which may help you put in perspective.

kristikitter

The best I ever got was like 41 mins! The best time = one you finish the race in!!

Have fun with your 5ks

lucykemp2712

The guys and girls in my running club who are the top runners are easily sub 20s. I think my best time was 25 something and I am an intermediate runner. But I hate 5ks as I have to push hard for the whole time so i don't do many hahahha Go to some local park runs and that should give you an idea. My local park run has a record of 15:14 and that was a guy in the 25-29 category!

BrianSharpe

In your AG you'd have to be going sub-20 to squeak into the top 3rd (keep in mind that many runners are hitting their prime in their late 20s early 30s -you're in a very competitive AG), 22 min would make you a middle-of-the-pack runner which is not a bad place to be.

richardpkennedy1

I broke 23 minutes today. Next stop 22:30

Ann262

You have had some great responses here. I would get out there and run some 5Ks and you'll see what you need to aim for to get on the podium.

LeoT0917

richardpkennedy1 wrote: »

Hi runners. What's considered a decent 5k time in running circles? I'm a 32 year old guy who runs recreationally but I want to get into it competitively. My current best is 23:18 but I did run under 22 minutes when I was in my mid 20s and that's where I want to get to.

If you can get to under 20 min it's a good time. The world record for 50 yr masters bracket is 14:52.92 minutes.

mitch16

Elite men (some in your age group) are running in the 13-14 minute range. Sub-20 would probably get you a medal in local races, but for "big" races (thinking the BAA 5K that's run the weekend of the Boston Marathon) you would have to be sub-16 to medal.

That being said, the more you run, the faster you'll get (if you avoid injury). Check out training plans on Runner's World or other running sites--do some distance work, do some speed work, do some intervals. Losing 10 pounds can increase your pace by 20 seconds per mile.

richardpkennedy1

Thanks for all the advice. Any thoughts on my ideal racing weight? I'm 5'7"

pondee629

richardpkennedy1 wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice. Any thoughts on my ideal racing weight? I'm 5'7"

The weight at which you feel most comfortable; racing, day to day and ability to maintain.

lporter229

richardpkennedy1 wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice. Any thoughts on my ideal racing weight? I'm 5'7"

You might want to check out this website:

http://www.racingweight.com/

He also has a book called "Racing Weight" which has info on calculating your ideal racing weight and how to achieve it. It's for pretty serious runners who are interested in achieving their ideal racing weight specifically for peak performance. The "ideal" weights as recommended by the book are pretty low, just so you know. For example, as a 5' 0" female, the ideal weight recommended to me by the book is 95 lbs. I look pretty ghastly at that weight.

The_Enginerd

lporter229 wrote: »

richardpkennedy1 wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice. Any thoughts on my ideal racing weight? I'm 5'7"

You might want to check out this website:

http://www.racingweight.com/

He also has a book called "Racing Weight" which has info on calculating your ideal racing weight and how to achieve it. It's for pretty serious runners who are interested in achieving their ideal racing weight specifically for peak performance. The "ideal" weights as recommended by the book are pretty low, just so you know. For example, as a 5' 0" female, the ideal weight recommended to me by the book is 95 lbs. I look pretty ghastly at that weight.

I am currently maintaining around my racing weight (5'10", 150 lbs). It should be noted that the advice on there is targeted towards maximizing RUNNING performance though, not aesthetics or balancing against other fitness goals. At my running racing weight, I'm faster, but that compromised my lifting performance and upper body strength.