Your First 5K - Times?

AmyMK · May 2012

Hey Everyone!

So I'm training for my first 5K road race which is in about a month...I've never been a runner, and have honestly impressed myself that I've been able to get up to running 3K straight with no breaking...

A question for all the "veterans" out there (annnd by veteran, I mean anyone who has ever ran a straigh 5K).

Was was your first official race time? What is a good time to be aiming for? I'm currently running 3K in about 21 minutes...I was doing some research online and found lots of 5K times generally are between the 17-25 minute range - and I know there is no way in hell i'm going to be able to train for that in a month.

Thanks!

ullrichMEX · May 2012

As you, I´ve never been a runner, I am still obese and after I finished the Insanity workout I gained a lot of endurance and I decide to give jogging a try.

for my suprise I was also able to run 3.5K without stopping (26min) and I could easily continue until the 5k mark, however, given the knee pain I am still suffering (thanks Insanity LOL) I decided to stop,, a week later I ran another 3.5K (this time 22min), and I already registered for a 5K in 2 weeks. I am planning to finish around the 35min mark. I have not tried the full 5k yet, but next monday Ill do it.

lhabedank · May 2012

i ran/walked my first 5k in 50 mins. 2nd 5k about a month later i was a little better prepared and completed in 41 mins, the 3rd 5k another month after that I did in 35 mins. Who cares what your finishing time is as long as you get out there and do it! Even the first race that took 50 mins...i wasnt last

menga88 · May 2012

I am a "heavy runner" but I have run 3 half marathons, so don't let anyone freak you out about running distance not being for anyone but the elite. I am training with a non-running friend for her first 5km and I am thinking we'll pull in just under 40 minutes, which is a nice "I ran the whole thing" time. You should always have three goals: A finish goal (as in, you finished), a pace goal (as in, I ran the whole thing, or a did my plan of run 4 walk 1 or whatever it is you are working with) and then a time goal. You never know what will happen on race day- weather, feel great, feel terrible, be stressed finding parking or whatever- so you want to just GET OUT THERE AND DO IT- and with three goals, you are bound to achieve at least one of them, which means SUCCESS!!!

AmyMK · May 2012

Thanks!

Makes me feel much better then the forum I fell into on Runners World!

I would like to aim for about the 30 minute mark with no walking...I would be happy with anything under 40 though!

jailee813 · May 2012

I usually run about 1.5 to 2 miles when I run, but I would never concider myself a avid runner (i just don't enjoy it all that much, i'd rather do a hard cardio aerobic/insanity session any day!) But just this past weekend I decided to give a 5K a try, just for fun haha. I came in right at 30 minutes and set my goal for a 10 min mile which was something I felt that I should be able to achieve. It felt great and I realized that I really enjoyed the expirience because it was different from running alone, there was a lot of motivation from the others running along with me. I will def be doing another one here very soon. Good luck on the 5K!!

b0t23 · May 2012

I recently completed my first 5k where I jogged/ran the entire way , in 32.5 minutes

I had previously done a 5k where I ran, walked, then jogged, and I did it in under 29 minutes

I don't regularly jog but I do a lot of cycling, body weight exercises, and yoga

I think a lot of it, like with most exercises, is mental.
And about establishing a game plan.
At first I just flung myself down the road or path or whatever, trying to run that 5k as fast as I could or I would atleast run as far as I could really fast. Unfortunately then I would have to walk for awhile, eventually jogging the rest of the way, with some more walking.
Then I heard about negatives, where you do runs that you purposefully jog really slow, conserving energy, and at the end of your run, you sprint. This made me think I should change my pace completely. Now if I run 5k, I run really slow, I try to keep my breath almost normal, where I could have a conversation if I had to.
Then the last mile I try to run. No Walking.
Hope this helps.

craigers13 · May 2012

I just finished my first 10k in 56:45. Unfortunately I somehow missed the 5km checkpoint so I'm guessing it was probably around the 26-27 min mark.

ejohndrow · May 2012

First one was between 28-30 min, I wasn't watching my time super close.

SteveTries · May 2012

I haven't run a race, but I do 5k a couple times a week alone.

I started in January at 3.8km (thought I would die) for 27:30. Got to 5km a few weeks later for 30:30. By April my 5km was 24:50s

I'm told that when you are in a race it really fires you up and you can take whole minutes off your time.

Good luck - have fun.

nickiw68 · May 2012

I have just done 5k in around 40 minutes - I'm a slow runner, in fact more like a jogger!!

I don't care about my time...I'm moving and not sitting on the sofa!!

joehempel · May 2012

17-25 minutes is a pretty damn fast time, so if this is your first time, then I wouldn't worry about hitting those numbers...or even close.

My first race was a Trail Race at 3.4 miles, so just over 5k, my time was 48:04....I was 220lbs then. Placed 112/119

My next race was a 10k, 6.2 miles, I was 200lbs, and did it 75:48, placed dead last in my age groub.

Following this I really picked up my training, and the next race I ran was a night trail race 3.6 miles....was the first time I finished in the first cut off group, 50/112, 32:39.

The next was a Half Marathon in which I finished in 2:12:02

And finally my first OFFICIAL 5k, I ran in 28:40, a 9:15 pace, and I was about 45lbs down from my starting weight.

The next 5k I did was March 18th (was supposed to be a 1/2 Marathon, but my power went out and my alarm didn't go off so I missed the time for the 1/2), and with all the hills that were there, I finished in 28:02.

The moral of this long drawn out boring *kitten* story?? Don't worry about your time, worry about finishing.

joehempel · May 2012

Thanks!

Makes me feel much better then the forum I fell into on Runners World!

I would like to aim for about the 30 minute mark with no walking...I would be happy with anything under 40 though!

I HATE that forum with a friggen passion. If you don't do it their way, or subscribe to their beliefes you are dong it WRONG and they will tell you that over and over...I was there before here....this place is much better, and you will find just as many runners.

kells1970 · May 2012

My best time is 32min and 47 secs which is probably very slow but hey i dont care. The fact im out doing 5k three or four times a week is good enough for me. I love runninng but would much rather do several 5k's a week instead of doing one or two long runs.

ellesince1993 · May 2012

i don't do a lot of running, but when i do go to the gym i do 5k in about 30min...
good luck! and hope that helps

TiffanyEst85 · May 2012

I was somewhat of a track star in high school *sigh* so long ago. But for a long time running wasn't doing anything for my weight loss since my body was so accustomed to it. I took some time off. okay, by "some time" I mean a couple years. I just started back up about 6 months ago and did my first 5k race about 3 months ago. My offical time was 24:15. I was so pleasantly surprised that I have been training to cut some of that time and am actually registered to run a 10k this weekend. REALLY nervous for that so I kind of know how you feel. I haven't set a time goal. I will be happy to just finish without having to walk. Even if I am dead last. You have to keep in mind that even though you are in a race, the biggest competition you have is yourself. I do recommend finishing a 5k before the race, even if it means you do the walk-run method for the last little bit. That way you know what to expect for your race day and can be prepared mentally. My advice: just finish it. Don't worry about how fast you are, when you finish it, you will have already acheived a huge accomplishment. Get your finishing time and THEN you can start getting faster if that is something you still want after you've done the race. I have actually cut my 5k down to 22:45!

Good luck and God's speed!!!
and don't forget to have fun!

Vacationista · May 2012

I did a 5K once, back before I had the kids, and I don't remember exactly, but I couldn't have been faster than 30 min. What I do remember was that I placed in the middle of the pack! (OK, maybe I don't live in a place where people tend to be extremely athletic!). But I was so happy to be a totally average runner for the race! I felt like I had really proven that I can do it.

I've just started training to get back to running, and planning to do a 5k in mid-June. I'm hoping to do about the same, and from my last experience, I know there will be plenty of people just like me there. Hope that helps.

slay0r · May 2012

I did my first one last week and I did it in 23.5 mins. I do a hell of a lot of cycling though so my cardio is pretty immense as it is and my legs are built as a result. If my knees didn't start to hurt I'd have sprinted the end. I think I need better shoes!

dortilolma · May 2012

Don't know if it's been mentioned but I've been using the ease to 5K App on my phone. I've found it brilliant. I'm doing about 4K in 20 mins at the moment and am sure that by the end of next week I'll hit 5K in under 30.

The work out is meant to last 30 mins so the idea is by the time you've finished the build up you should be able to do 5K in 30mins.

razors_girl23 · May 2012

My 5km fun run PB is 32:37. The first time I did a 5km fun run my time was 40:43, which was great for me at the time. I always do run/walk (suffer from fatigue). It's amazing how much you push yourself in a race environment, but just remember not to go out too fast. It's really hard not to.

You'll do fine. I have taken off about 5-6 mins off my average running pace since I started running 2 years ago, but still quite slow compared to others. It doesn't matter though, because I race myself, not anyone else. I am training for a half marathon at the moment. I don't care how many people beat me, as long as I finish in the allotted time. Good luck!

thebigcb · May 2012

Hey Everyone!

So I'm training for my first 5K road race which is in about a month...I've never been a runner, and have honestly impressed myself that I've been able to get up to running 3K straight with no breaking...

A question for all the "veterans" out there (annnd by veteran, I mean anyone who has ever ran a straigh 5K).

Was was your first official race time? What is a good time to be aiming for? I'm currently running 3K in about 21 minutes...I was doing some research online and found lots of 5K times generally are between the 17-25 minute range - and I know there is no way in hell i'm going to be able to train for that in a month.

Thanks!

You would be surprised at how your fitness and times will improve(and also on race day you tend to up the tempo). If its your very first time I would aim for 30-35 minutes. Also, nobody will care what time you finish in, everyone stands around and claps everyone on. Just keep training and enjoy it

Your First 5K - Times?

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