what is a best time for a 5k running

JTick

I'm going to copy and paste my status update from last week about my thoughts after running my first 5k. I hope this gives anyone reading this thread a good perspective about how it really is about competing with yourself.

"Yesterday at the gym, I was having a chat with the manager when she asked me how I finished in my 5k Sunday. For a moment, I was ashamed to tell her I finished 3rd to last out of about 25 people. Then, I realized she knows nothing about me. She wasn't there a year ago when I was having surgery to correct a kneecap that liked to dislocate. She wasn't there when I woke from surgery and my calf was hurting. She wasn't there when I was flat on my back in the ER, sobbing, where they diagnosed me with something that was almost unheard of at my age. She wasn't there when I begged the doctor to just let me start running, but they refused, afraid it would kill me. She wasn't there through the haze of painkillers and ice bags when I forced my knee to start handling weight at a squat it wasn't ready for yet. She wasn't there when I couldn't even run the 300 feet to our mailbox, and I walked the whole way back feeling like a failure. She wasn't there as my brother ran beside me Sunday, and just repeated over and over, "just keep running. You can do this. You can finish". She wasn't there as I fought eating disorders and demons to drop the 77 lbs I've dropped in the last year. And she wasn't there tonight, when I ran a mile and a half without ever thinking I needed a walk break. Tonight, I watched the moon rise while I ran, thanked God for the people in my life who WERE there, and realized that I'm pretty awesome"

I finished my first 5k in 36:00 minutes, shaving four minutes off my best training run. I might never run a sub-20 5k, but what matters is that I do run.

Montarosa456

I'm going to copy and paste my status update from last week about my thoughts after running my first 5k. I hope this gives anyone reading this thread a good perspective about how it really is about competing with yourself.

"Yesterday at the gym, I was having a chat with the manager when she asked me how I finished in my 5k Sunday. For a moment, I was ashamed to tell her I finished 3rd to last out of about 25 people. Then, I realized she knows nothing about me. She wasn't there a year ago when I was having surgery to correct a kneecap that liked to dislocate. She wasn't there when I woke from surgery and my calf was hurting. She wasn't there when I was flat on my back in the ER, sobbing, where they diagnosed me with something that was almost unheard of at my age. She wasn't there when I begged the doctor to just let me start running, but they refused, afraid it would kill me. She wasn't there through the haze of painkillers and ice bags when I forced my knee to start handling weight at a squat it wasn't ready for yet. She wasn't there when I couldn't even run the 300 feet to our mailbox, and I walked the whole way back feeling like a failure. She wasn't there as my brother ran beside me Sunday, and just repeated over and over, "just keep running. You can do this. You can finish". She wasn't there as I fought eating disorders and demons to drop the 77 lbs I've dropped in the last year. And she wasn't there tonight, when I ran a mile and a half without ever thinking I needed a walk break. Tonight, I watched the moon rise while I ran, thanked God for the people in my life who WERE there, and realized that I'm pretty awesome"

I finished my first 5k in 36:00 minutes, shaving four minutes off my best training run. I might never run a sub-20 5k, but what matters is that I do run.

' but what matters is that I do run' - You hit the nail on the head there...very inspirational status...

jeffrodgers1

Ok... best way to answer this is to ask... What do you think is your best time for running a 5K? Did you commit to it and do the best you felt you can do? Or do you want to go back and try and beat it?

Running is an individual sport and we are all different. Yes, worlds record is 12 minutes something... but that is an exceptional person. If you want to know the average... most people will finish in the neighborhood of 28-32 minutes. Most people also take 7 years to hit their peak when they start running.

A 33 minute 5K is quite good for a beginner.

Great Job!

jdim1093

I started C25K in June of 2012. My first race was Sept 2012 and I was just over 34 minutes. So you beat me.

I just ran the 1-year anniversary of that same race and PR'd it: 23:55.7

jdim1093

I have a quote on my home PC

"No matter how slow you run, you're still running circles around the guy laying on the couch"

jeffrodgers1

I have a quote on my home PC

"No matter how slow you run, you're still running circles around the guy laying on the couch"

Awesome and TRUE!

MichaelForgets

Google your favourite/dream 5k race, and look for past results. For example, Boston 5k (http://www.baa.org/races/5k/results-and-commentary/2013-full-results.aspx) and enter Female for the query. Then pick a random page and scan the results. That should be about average. The nice thing about that linked page is it even lets you narrow it to age range, so your results are more relevant.

goldenguymsw

I think everyone is different and courses vary... and ability levels vary... I have been running for only one year... I am 42 and my PR is 21:58

aurabu

Thank you all for the messages, very inspirational and informative.

I went back there running and i am proud to say that my best time is now 31min 17sec!

XXXXX

denniskillz

Unless you are planning on running competitively there is no point in asking others what a good time for a 5k is. Really you are competing with yourself to see if you can go faster each time, or can you run longer as time passes by. I used to run cross country and then stopped for a decade, I am now trying to run like I used to but I know I will never get back to the speed I used to run at, but the hope of trying to better myself keeps making me try everyday.