Is a 20 minute 5k really that great

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Replies

  • lizzyclatworthy
    lizzyclatworthy Posts: 296 Member
    I am training for my wedding. I intend to run away if anyone ever tried to get me down the isle (no, nobody is trying, I know that )
  • ukulelist
    ukulelist Posts: 33 Member
    Not gonna lie, but these things look like a lot of fun. I just wouldn't want to be seen riding one by anybody on this planet.

    ElliptiGo-The-Elliptical-Bicycle.jpg

    I saw one of those on my greenway when it was warm last year. He had to tack back and forth to go up a hill (like sailing into the wind). It's pretty terrifying to see that coming at you!

    I have this thing! It is totally fun! Also I can do a 5k on it in like... 10:47 if I'm doing the math right, probably faster because the time I'm calculating from is from an 8.2 mile time trial (in 28:33) and I could sprint faster if it were just a 5k. Meanwhile I'd be elated if I could run a 5k in under half an hour. I don't think that's the same as how gym elliptical machines do their math though, this is geared more like a bicycle.

    None of this is actually super relevant to the OP, I just wanted to point out that I have an elliptigo and it's dorky but very fun. Carry on.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    Not gonna lie, but these things look like a lot of fun. I just wouldn't want to be seen riding one by anybody on this planet.

    ElliptiGo-The-Elliptical-Bicycle.jpg

    I saw one of those on my greenway when it was warm last year. He had to tack back and forth to go up a hill (like sailing into the wind). It's pretty terrifying to see that coming at you!

    I have this thing! It is totally fun! Also I can do a 5k on it in like... 10:47 if I'm doing the math right, probably faster because the time I'm calculating from is from an 8.2 mile time trial (in 28:33) and I could sprint faster if it were just a 5k. Meanwhile I'd be elated if I could run a 5k in under half an hour. I don't think that's the same as how gym elliptical machines do their math though, this is geared more like a bicycle.

    None of this is actually super relevant to the OP, I just wanted to point out that I have an elliptigo and it's dorky but very fun. Carry on.

    Never mind. Misread. Lol. Maybe this is what I've been missing into running!
  • macchiatto
    macchiatto Posts: 2,890 Member
    Most people can't even do a 30 minute 5k. Very few can do it in 20 minutes or less. My personal best is around 22 minutes.

    Agreed, though my PB so far is 29:20. (I started running in Jan '13 and went from a TOTAL non-runner/hated running 37/yo with MS, ran my first 5K in 36:05 at the end of C25K, then 29:29 on Thanksgiving and 29:20 in December.) My goal right now is to run one in under 28 mins; currently training for my first 10K. I can't imagine ever being able to run a 20-min 5K.

    But like everyone else said, elliptical is a different story altogether.

    And yes, I also noticed the poster who put "runner" in quotes for the 30-40 min 5K crowd, and I am also intrigued to know how running is involved in wedding training.
  • dholno
    dholno Posts: 14
    Elliptical So, is it really that impressive or hard to believe? I just did the program, I thought that was supposed to be the end result of it??

    No. Not really impressive.

    5k under 20 in an eliptical trainer it is on the slow side. (Depending on age)
    5k under 20 running? Its pretty much sure you wouldn't make it as a newbie from a C25k.

    DH
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    If you could actually run a 5K in 20 minutes that would actually be incredible...I'm not even sure what a 5K is on an elliptical. Running a 5K in 20 minutes would put you under 7 minutes per mile which would pretty much make you a pretty exceptional runner.
  • tappae
    tappae Posts: 568 Member
    Yea, elliptical does not translate much to actual running, even the treadmill doesn't translate fully to running on actual ground. A 20 minute 5k is very fast. Just to put it in perspective, my roommate is a Marine and they do timed 3 mile runs and these guys are in amazing cardiovascular shape, and an 18 minute time is a perfect score and extremely hard to get. A 20 minute 5k equates to under a 6.5 minutes/mile pace held for just over 3 miles which is very fast.

    I must've had some fit mofos in my school then... The record was 4.7km in 12:30

    That's approaching the world record! Where did you go to school? Addis?

    tumblr_lh4znpp2G31qzjix8.gif

    wut? did you mean to communicate something with this or is it just the only gif you can find?

    My point is that his classmates weren't running that fast unless they are famous runners. Like Haile Gebrselassie. From Ethiopia. Who ran a 5K in 12:40.

    If it helps you, Addis Ababa is the capitol of Ethiopia (though not Mr. Gebrselassie's home town).
  • tappae
    tappae Posts: 568 Member
    Totally different than running. Definitely easier. Running a real 5k in 20:00 is about average. I consider anything sub 17 fast. And to be competitive sub 15:30. Last one I ran was 17:45. I have some work to do.

    While 20 minutes is certainly not elite, I don't know how you could call it average. Average for who? Most competitive runners (track, XC, etc.) are going to be running faster than that. Most recreational runners (local 5Ks) are going to be slower than that. I've run a few 5Ks with 200+ people where only a handful broke 20 minutes. Maybe you meant average in the sense of "ordinary" and not a mathematical average?
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Elliptical So, is it really that impressive or hard to believe? I just did the program, I thought that was supposed to be the end result of it??

    No. Not really impressive.

    5k under 20 in an eliptical trainer it is on the slow side. (Depending on age)
    5k under 20 running? Its pretty much sure you wouldn't make it as a newbie from a C25k.

    DH

    Just what percentage of women runners do you think run sub-20 minute 5k's? NCAA women struggle to break 16 minutes. In her age group, 20 minutes would put her in the top ten during last year's Baltimore Women's Classic. Stating that she "wouldn't make it as a newbie from a C25k" is one of the most ignorant statements I've seen on MFP in a while ... and that is saying something.
  • tappae
    tappae Posts: 568 Member
    the most ignorant statements I've seen on MFP in a while ... and that is saying something.

    hilarious
  • dholno
    dholno Posts: 14
    Elliptical So, is it really that impressive or hard to believe? I just did the program, I thought that was supposed to be the end result of it??

    Stating that she "wouldn't make it as a newbie from a C25k" is one of the most ignorant statements I've seen on MFP in a while ... and that is saying something.
    ?????

    I don't know what are u talking about but there is almost no fricking way a female nebwie from a c25k that wants to lose nearly 80 pounds (according to her bar) at here age will make it under 20mins.

    I don't know if you missunderstood me or you simply want to troll about and mislead people.

    DH
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    Yea, elliptical does not translate much to actual running, even the treadmill doesn't translate fully to running on actual ground. A 20 minute 5k is very fast. Just to put it in perspective, my roommate is a Marine and they do timed 3 mile runs and these guys are in amazing cardiovascular shape, and an 18 minute time is a perfect score and extremely hard to get. A 20 minute 5k equates to under a 6.5 minutes/mile pace held for just over 3 miles which is very fast.

    I must've had some fit mofos in my school then... The record was 4.7km in 12:30

    That's approaching the world record! Where did you go to school? Addis?

    tumblr_lh4znpp2G31qzjix8.gif

    wut? did you mean to communicate something with this or is it just the only gif you can find?

    My point is that his classmates weren't running that fast unless they are famous runners. Like Haile Gebrselassie. From Ethiopia. Who ran a 5K in 12:40.

    If it helps you, Addis Ababa is the capitol of Ethiopia (though not Mr. Gebrselassie's home town).

    I think she got the point. Which was hilarious.

    ETA: seriously. I was giggling over it all weekend. Runner snark is the highest quality snark. Don't ruin it.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    Elliptical So, is it really that impressive or hard to believe? I just did the program, I thought that was supposed to be the end result of it??

    Stating that she "wouldn't make it as a newbie from a C25k" is one of the most ignorant statements I've seen on MFP in a while ... and that is saying something.
    ?????

    I don't know what are u talking about but there is almost no fricking way a female nebwie from a c25k that wants to lose nearly 80 pounds (according to her bar) at here age will make it under 20mins.

    I don't know if you missunderstood me or you simply want to troll about and mislead people.

    DH

    I think you are both saying the same thing: It would be rare for an overweight female runner, running for 30 minutes straight for the first time in her life, to be able to complete more than the 5k distance in that time.

    As a matter of fact, in my experience, it's a pretty rare C25ker who can run 5k in 30 minutes.
  • justal313
    justal313 Posts: 1,375 Member
    At 44 years old my personal record for a 5k is 25:57

    My most recent 5K, Winning Time was 14:38. Fastest time in my age group (males 40-49) was 16:39

    My time for that race was 27:53 which put me 141/269 for my age group. I hope to run a sub 25 minute 5k this year, possibly maybe. I tip my hat to anyone that can run a 5k in 20 minutes. I can easily do a sub 20 minute 5k on an elliptical, not at all the same thing...
  • tappae
    tappae Posts: 568 Member
    I think she got the point. Which was hilarious.

    ETA: seriously. I was giggling over it all weekend. Runner snark is the highest quality snark. Don't ruin it.

    I actually found the gif quite funny. Still don't know why I deserved it, though.
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
    My first 5k was 36 mins. True story. :drinker:

    I'd love to get it under 30 mins, but right now I'm concentrating on adding mileage over speed. These half marathons are really calling my name right now!
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    I think she got the point. Which was hilarious.

    ETA: seriously. I was giggling over it all weekend. Runner snark is the highest quality snark. Don't ruin it.

    I actually found the gif quite funny. Still don't know why I deserved it, though.

    No, no. Your comment was so funny, on-target and snarky that it made her do that. It made me do that too.
  • wsuduce
    wsuduce Posts: 68 Member
    I finished 4th in my division (age/gender) with a 20min 5k. So pretty impressive for most in my opinion.
  • Timmmy40
    Timmmy40 Posts: 152 Member
    20 min 5k is awesome and doable. I have got mine down to 25 mins. I average a 9 min mile, but faster during a race.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    I finished 4th in my division (age/gender) with a 20min mile. So pretty impressive for most in my opinion.

    This thread is so weird.
  • ksuh999
    ksuh999 Posts: 543 Member
    Here's results for the Mother's Day Run and Walk where I live.

    http://www.sportstats.ca/displayResults.xhtml?racecode=104370

    So 20min 5K run is quite good.
  • wsuduce
    wsuduce Posts: 68 Member
    I finished 4th in my division (age/gender) with a 20min mile. So pretty impressive for most in my opinion.

    This thread is so weird.

    oops. My mind is so weird. I should have said 20 min 5k. :)
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    just for reference. The Carlesbad 5000, the "fastest 5k" as it is billed was run yesterday. People from all over the world come to race. The elite mens winner from Kenya ran a 13:13 The elite womens was 15:06. The masters men (40+) was 15:19 and the masters women was 19:55 I dont know where some of you people run, but you run with some pretty elite runners. A 20 minute 5k for a woman who is not a professional runner is elite.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I'd be thrilled to pieces if I ran a 20 minute 5k. But in my two years of running (after completing the c25k program), my average 5k is around 30 minutes. My personal best was around 26 minutes, but I'm still not convinced that my Nike app wasn't just a bit off that day. :tongue:

    So to me, yeah, a 20 minute 5k time for a brand new runner is dang impressive.
  • dianalee9
    dianalee9 Posts: 134 Member
    Based on my personal experience, you can't compare what you do on an elliptical to actually running. I can easily hammer out 45 minutes on the elliptical at mid resistance, and keep a fairly good pace for the whole time (I can't tell you how many km's cause my screen is broken). I am also doing 10K trainer (outside) and this week, I'm on week 4 so I will be doing my first 5 minute run and let's just say... it won't be pretty; I'll dragging my butt and gasping for breath by the end of those 5 minutes. So, no, not even close to the same.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    just for reference. The Carlesbad 5000, the "fastest 5k" as it is billed was run yesterday. People from all over the world come to race. The elite mens winner from Kenya ran a 13:13 The elite womens was 15:06. The masters men (40+) was 15:19 and the masters women was 19:55 I dont know where some of you people run, but you run with some pretty elite runners. A 20 minute 5k for a woman who is not a professional runner is elite.

    This brings me back to the Wormhole Theory of MFP. My suspicion is that the application spans across dimensions where the laws of thermodynamics and the constraints of the human body are entirely different.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    just for reference. The Carlesbad 5000, the "fastest 5k" as it is billed was run yesterday. People from all over the world come to race. The elite mens winner from Kenya ran a 13:13 The elite womens was 15:06. The masters men (40+) was 15:19 and the masters women was 19:55 I dont know where some of you people run, but you run with some pretty elite runners. A 20 minute 5k for a woman who is not a professional runner is elite.

    Well, one of the women I run (I use that phrase loosely) with did place 5th in her age group in the World Championship Ironman in Kona, plus won her age group in the World Sprint distance. Not a pro runner. She would be a master runner.
    Another sub 20er is a a high school track athlete and is placing in the top but not necessarily first.
    The other two or 3 are just regular runners, very good runners, never been pro. I've always considered them awesome, just not elite.
    As I said, I'm in a very small area. These are races with often less than 100 participants.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
    just for reference. The Carlesbad 5000, the "fastest 5k" as it is billed was run yesterday. People from all over the world come to race. The elite mens winner from Kenya ran a 13:13 The elite womens was 15:06. The masters men (40+) was 15:19 and the masters women was 19:55 I dont know where some of you people run, but you run with some pretty elite runners. A 20 minute 5k for a woman who is not a professional runner is elite.

    19:55 is not really world class for Masters woman. 16:30 to 17:00 is world class for that group.
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    just for reference. The Carlesbad 5000, the "fastest 5k" as it is billed was run yesterday. People from all over the world come to race. The elite mens winner from Kenya ran a 13:13 The elite womens was 15:06. The masters men (40+) was 15:19 and the masters women was 19:55 I dont know where some of you people run, but you run with some pretty elite runners. A 20 minute 5k for a woman who is not a professional runner is elite.

    19:55 is not really world class for Masters woman. 16:30 to 17:00 is world class for that group.

    Maybe so. But if that's the case, there were no world class runners there because 19:55 won it.
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    Is this still being debated?

    If you have a shoe sponsor, 20 minutes is pretty dismal.

    If you don't have a shoe sponsor, 20 minutes is pretty cool.

    It doesn't really translate if you're doing it on an elliptical.

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