Average time for 5K

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jlhschrock
jlhschrock Posts: 6
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm attempting to run a 5K by the time I turn 30 which is in a few short months....I completed a 5K today at the gym and now I'd like to work on trimming my time and running more than walking & jogging. Does anyone know what an average time for a 5k generally is?

Thanks.
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  • jrueckert
    jrueckert Posts: 355 Member
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    Bump
  • keb80
    keb80 Posts: 394
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    In the two I've participated in, the fastest was between 18 and 22 mins (crazy fast!) and the last person usually finished around 60 minutes. My treadmill time is always slower than my road-running time... not sure why but that is always the case.
  • wewon
    wewon Posts: 838 Member
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    There's a lot of variance on that one.

    I've seen some that have an unbelievable time (sub 20 minutes) while others move a lot slower.

    What was your time today?
  • lorika1977
    lorika1977 Posts: 144 Member
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    Most people that start running do an aprox. 10 min mile which will put you roughly at 30 min for 3 miles (5K). Good luck!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    In the two I've participated in, the fastest was between 18 and 22 mins (crazy fast!) and the last person usually finished around 60 minutes. I wouldn't worry about it though. There are usually some walkers too.

    And the women's wold record is 14 minutes and some odd seconds.
  • FitCoachJen
    FitCoachJen Posts: 139 Member
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    I'd say there's no such thing as an average time, as people of all fitness levels run/walk them. I know people who can run them in 15 minutes, or walk them in 45.

    I'd look at your recent 5k time and just go from there. When you're running you're generally competing with yourself and you previous PR's :-)
  • Uncle_Dim
    Uncle_Dim Posts: 8 Member
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    Mine was 28:20 but you are not me. Look at what pace is comfortable and set a goal. If you reach it then great. My next goal will be 27:00.
  • CommandaPanda
    CommandaPanda Posts: 451 Member
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    I would say a good time to aim for is 25 - 30 minutes, which is what I ran last summer (25 min) for the 5k that I did. I mean, that's definitely not marathon status but I would aim for that.

    The Marine Corps standards for somebody between the ages of 27 - 39 is doing a 3-mile run in under 29 minutes. Ages 17 - 16 is 28 minutes.

    To give you an idea
  • bigalfantasy2004
    bigalfantasy2004 Posts: 176 Member
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    It's all age, gender, and talent dependent. When I was in high school I used to run 5Ks between 19 and 20 minutes. My brother ran them in 14-15 minutes. Now my best time as a mature adult (41 year old) has been 28:44. So, at 30 you'll probably be looking around the low to mid 20s unless you are highly skilled then lower.
  • rfoshee
    rfoshee Posts: 6
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    http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&source=hp&q=average+male+5k+time&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=c76bb526256213d5&biw=1680&bih=884

    Consensus: there is no "average" because there are no "average" people.
  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    You can look at results from local races I suppose. Bottom line, the winners may run under 15:00 and some walkers could take over an hour. Go out and have fun and don't worry about your time.

    My 5K PR is 19:49, but I don't race them very often (too damn painful)
  • jlhschrock
    jlhschrock Posts: 6
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    Thanks everyone for all the responses!! :) That gave me a great guideline to go by! I appreciate it!
  • skinnyjeanzbound
    skinnyjeanzbound Posts: 3,932 Member
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    This is a really tough question b/c you've not defined average for whom. If you're wondering about other 1st time runners someone else posted a request for people's 1st time 5k times a while back and it looked like a lot of people finished just under 40 minutes. Consider that at an average speed of 5 mph you would finish just over 36 minutes. I finished my first 5k in 39 minutes, but I wasn't able to run the entire thing. I'm doing another in August and hope to run all the way (even if it means I have a slower time overall).

    I would say set your own goals and don't worry what other people have done--everyone's different. Ultimately, aim to do your best and enjoy the accomplishment. :flowerforyou:
  • Elzecat
    Elzecat Posts: 2,916 Member
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    I don't know if there's an "average" because it depends on how fast your mile pace is. I am a slow new runner. I completed my first official 5k at a 37:53 time, which is a 12:13 mile...at the event I did there were runners (mostly teenagers lol) who completed it in SEVENTEEN minutes, and then a few people who finished after me because they did more walking. The treadmill will be helpful in letting you experiment with different mile paces...

    Feel free to add me, I love talking to other new runners ;)

    Ellen
  • jabbogurl
    jabbogurl Posts: 193
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    Its all about setting a goal for yourself. What you can do though is look at the previous years' race results. Most of the time they are on the same webpage. Or look up any 5k that list the previous years results. They should list it by division too, age/gender, allowing you to see what you are competing against.

    But, in the end of the day, its about YOUR personal goal. Good Luck!
  • katheern
    katheern Posts: 213 Member
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    I would say if you can get under 30 min total that's already a really great accomplishment (~10min/mi). In high school I could run a 5k in about 20-23 min (but I also played sports all year around and weighed like 150lbs). Now I am on a good day between 32-34 min (I am about 199 right now and trying to run 3-4 times a week). When I hit 30 and under I will be very happy :)
  • FatUncleRob
    FatUncleRob Posts: 341
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    Most people that start running do an aprox. 10 min mile which will put you roughly at 30 min for 3 miles (5K). Good luck!


    I started C25K back in April. My first race is on Tuesday.

    I'm 44 years old, 6'2" and around 245 lbs (still need to lose at least 35 pounds).

    I hope to run that 5K in 30 minutes. (Fastest so far in training has been 32:30).

    Good luck!
  • mauryr
    mauryr Posts: 385
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    I am a beginner too. I completed my first treadmill 5k at about 31 mins, a couple of months ago. Since then, I've done several more 5k's - also on the treadmill. My times have been between 31 mins and 27 mins. - I have no idea if these are "average" times, or not, though. I'm just about 50 yrs old.
  • corinnak
    corinnak Posts: 51 Member
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    I agree, there is no real "average" 5K-er. I have run quite a few, and have gotten faster over the years I have been doing them. There are a lot of things that factor in besides weight, including gender, weight, and even weather - I'm definitely faster in cooler temps, slower in warmer weather/higher humidity.

    I agree with the previous posters - don't worry too much about how you compare with others, especially for your first race - just get out there and enjoy the fact that you can do it! Worry about time when you do your next 5K. :smile:

    Before I do a race even now, I will look at the results from last year's race - it gives a pretty good indication of where I'm likely to fit in. There really is a lot of variation depending on who else is out there that day. I have run races in the top quarter. I have run races where I was 3rd from last to finish. So much depends on the event, the other events happening at the same time and who shows up that morning.
  • ciege77
    ciege77 Posts: 60
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    I'm 28 right now and have never been a super-strong runner. Max 3mi (5k) in the military was around 19:45ish. I just ran a little under 24min a couple weeks ago, and I haven't done much endurance cardio in the last 4 months. I can warm up at 6mph, which translates to a 30min 5k, but that pace is VERY light in my opinion, but at least it saves my knee! Anything under 28min passes the Marine Corps physical fitness test, so if you beat that, there's a good sense of accomplishment =)

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