Average time for 5K

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.

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'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 :-)

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

I've done 1 5k, I finished in 44.30. I walked some. I hope to be able to run it in less than 30 some day!!

I might be fairly average lol... I got to week 9 day 1 of C25K when I ran my first race and I ran a 34:20

Yesterday at cross country i ran a 17:31min 5k which was a little tough but i think you could easly run a sub 20min 5k just have a rough pace of 6:35ish per mile

under 20 is "slow" for cross country and track runners, but that is pretty fast for most middle aged recreational joggers and other adult on-set runners

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!

Huh, I must be waaaayyyyy off average then. When I started I was much slower than this, and I'd rarely do 5k in less than 30 mins even after 18 months of running. It is a bit hard to tell though, because I train for longer distances so I'm not really focussed on speed and I try not to go out too fast at the beginning.

OP, my suggestion is that you work on getting used to comfortably covering the distance and don't focus on speed. Trying to go too fast before you are fit or strong enough is putting you at major risk of injury. In your first race you are always going to do a PB - so enjoy your training, enjoy your race and don't worry about speed just yet.

Under "20" is slow for XC? Really? This tells me you never ran in HS or college. At a HS XC meet you might see the very fastest varsity runner come in at the high 14's /low 15's. These are extremely fast times and worthy of collegiate scholarships. At the frosh level you will see most of the pack come in around 18-19 min. A frosh winning time would be in low 17's. These super-fit times. At the age of 28 I ran an 18 min 5K but I ran in HS at the 16 min level. Trained every day for years.

When we talk about "average times" there are two kinds of average. The average runner or the average person. The average person doesn't run so taking a 50 year old guy with no athletic background would put him around the 45 min mark for a 5K. Just my estimate. Athletes, and former athletes, make up the bulk of the 5K world. 50 year old winning times are around 21-22 min. Middle of the pack would be around 25 min. The slower end is usually upper 20's lower 30's. But be mindful, none of those guys are really average in the larger sense of the word.