Average 5K Times – Data, Runners Opinions & How To Improve

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A 5K is a fantastic distance for a running beginner. In fact, it’s my favorite running distance. It’s just short enough to be completed with a bit of practice. It’s also just long enough to count as a decent workout. If you’re new to running 5K you’re likely to be wondering what kind of time you can expect it will take to get one completed.  

On average, a new runner can complete a mile in 10 minutes. There are 3.1 miles in a 5K run. Therefore, an average 5K time would be 31 minutes. However, the ability amongst running beginners varies. Statistically, the average finish time for a 5K is 40 minutes for men and 45 minutes for women. 

Working out what kind of time you’ll get running a 5K can depend on lots of different factors. To give you as best an idea as possible, I’ve looked at the following:

• Average statistics based on age, gender and ability.
• The opinions of other runners.
• The impact of running ability.
• How a 5K time can be improved.

What Runners Think About Average 5K Times

The official statistics are included in the tables below. But to get an idea of what real runners thought counted as an average time to complete a 5K, I held a poll with 583 runners asking them what they thought was the average time to run a 5K. The results are in. 

Time	Votes
20-30 mins	312 (53.5%)
30-40 mins	249 (42.7%)
40+ mins	22 (3.8%)

Interestingly, most runners think that an average time to complete a 5K is around 20-30 minutes. I found this interesting as that’s way faster than what the statistics show. However, if it takes you longer than 30 minutes to finish a 5K I wouldn’t be disheartened. One caveat to this study is that the people who voted likely already have a few 5K’s under their belts. Some of the runners who voted had this to say:

“I think if you look at the general population, the average 5k time would easily be 40+ minutes. The average person probably can’t run a 5k.”

ashtree35

“Don’t worry about the average time. Focus on doing better and forget about what other people are doing.”

ExpatJundi

What The Data Says About Average 5K Times

Running level has got together some really extensive data displaying the average 5K times for running beginners, intermediates and experts. The table below shows the average time for a 5K you can expect to get based on your age and gender as a beginner. 

For Men

Age	Time (Minutes)
10	37:39
15	32:35
20	31:29
25	31:29
30	31:29
35	31:59
40	33:09
45	34:25
50	35:47
55	37:16
60	38:53
65	40:38
70	42:43
75	45:55
80	50:49
85	58:28
90	01:11:08

For Women

Age	Time (Minutes)
10	41:29
15	37:14
20	35:27
25	35:27
30	35:27
35	35:40
40	36:25
45	37:43
50	39:39
55	41:56
60	44.29
65	47:23
70	50:40
75	54:27
80	58:57
85	01:06:22
90	01:19:59

Average 5K Times and Age

Looking at the data above. It’s clear that age can have a big impact on a 5K. You’re likely to get your best times when you’re between the ages of 20 and 30. The graphs below do a better job of showing the impact that age can make on your overall time. 

Average 5K Time Based On Experience

Regardless of whether you’re 15 or 50, you’re 5K time can also depend on your overall level of experience. Simply put, the more you run a 5K, the better at it you will become. The table below shows the kind of outcome you can expect to get from a 5K when running at elite, advanced, intermediate, and beginner levels. 

Level Of Experience	Average Time
Elite	Generally speaking, elite runners are going to complete a 5K anywhere from 17-25 minutes. Achieving this kind of time would require a lot of effort and dedication done through training. Typically, elite runners will do between 70-80 miles a week. If you’re looking to run a 5K at an elite level, this is what you need to work towards. For more information on elite times, check out the table at the bottom of this article.
Advanced	Unlike running a 5K at an elite time, getting a 5K advanced time is a lot more attainable. Advanced times are much closer to 20 – 30 minutes. As an advanced runner, you’ll be spending around six days a week running and will be able to keep up your training with a high level of consistency.
Intermediate	You will have been running for a while and have begun to build up some stamina and endurance. Your times should ideally still be under 30 minutes and your pace will generally be between 5 and 8 minutes per kilometre.
Beginner	You’ve just started running so it’s likely your time will be hitting anywhere from 30-40 minutes. The previous tables can give you an exact idea of times based on your age. But if you’re just starting out, it’s a much better idea to take things slow and steady and build up your abilities before trying to achieve a better 5K time.

Worlds Fastest 5K Time

Men’s Fastest 5K Time

The men’s fastest 5K time is held by Joshua Cheptegei who achieved a time of 12:32:36. To put that into perspective, that’s around 4 minutes a mile or just under 2:30 minutes a kilometer.

Joshua Cheptegei is the 35th person to ever hold this record. He also holds the world record for the fastest 5KM road race which he achieved in 12:51 – 19 seconds slower than his track record. 

You can view the full race that Cheptegei ran to set this record below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GyBBtE3Az4

Women’s Fastest 5K Time

The women’s fastest 5K time is held by Letesenbet Gidey who managed to complete 5K in an incredible 14:06:62. She also holds the world record for 10K with a time of 29:01:03. 

An Ethiopian long-distance runner, Gidey is the first woman since 1993 to hold both of these records. Whilst this is impressive enough, Gidey started young and in fact also won the junior race at the 2015 world cross country championships. You can see her record-breaking time for the women’s 5K below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3ZSkjojnXA

How To Improve Your 5K Time

I’ve actually written an entire guide on how to achieve a 5K personal best which you can find here. However, if you’re looking for some top tips, then the points below are a great place to start:

• Prepare- Getting all the right kit, figuring out how to carry water and finding the best location possible to run in are all great ways to ensure that you can run your 5K with the most efficiency. 

• Visualize- It might sound a little strange, but many athletes use visualization to motivate themselves and drive them to succeed. By seeing yourself winning a race, it helps keep doubt out of your mind. Some runners even go as far as to imagine what they will taste and smell when they cross the finish line. 

• Track Progress and Set Goals- Tracking your times (fast or not) is perfect for setting yourself goals to work towards. It’s also great for figuring out where you might be going wrong. For example, if you log a 5K run first thing in the morning and it was completed in 30 minutes, but the next day you ran a 5K late at night and completed it in 40 minutes, then it may be worth looking into whether the times of day and how you’re feeling are having an impact on your performance. 

• Use a Pacer- If you’re lucky enough to have a few people help you out. Using pacemakers are an excellent way to improve your 5K time. By having someone run alongside you at your desired pace, you’re a lot more likely to complete the 5K in your desired time. Even if you aren’t fortunate enough to have someone physically help you track your pace, running watches such as this one by Polar are specially designed to utilize GPS to give you a pretty accurate idea of the pace you’re running at. 

• Eat Well- It’s pretty straightforward, the better the input, the better the output. As a general rule, runners should eat plenty of carbs as well as protein to keep their energy stores up and muscles in good condition. Fruit and vegetables are also important. If you want to know more about the kinds of foods you should be looking for as a runner, take a look at this article on my top 9 types of foods for runners

• Rest- If you’ve just got into running 5K’s you might not like to hear it, but getting plenty of rest as well as running will make it a lot easier to improve your 5K time. Some studies have even found that plenty of sleep can improve reaction time, accuracy and endurance performance. 

Exercises To Improve Your 5K Time

In addition to the tips above, there are several exercises that you can use to help improve your overall ability and push your limits in order to achieve the best 5K time possible. 

Strength Training

Many runners overlook strength training because it puts less of a focus on things like endurance and stamina and more focus on building muscle, power and mobility. However, strength training 2-3 times a week can do amazing things for your 5K.

In fact, Pure Physio states that strength training can improve your maximum sprint and efficiency gains. Simply put, it will help you to run longer. 

Exercises that runners should do to improve their 5K time need to be based around the core and legs with specific muscles including the hamstrings, quads and abs. Exercises can be done both through body weight and through free weights. 

The video below by Ben Parks shows a great workout for runners using body weight. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrD6rciTq-s

Interval Workouts

Interval runs are another great way to improve your 5K time. An interval run is where intense running is done for a few minutes followed by a short break before repeating again. 

Doing interval workouts will allow you to push yourself to your limits, without overexerting yourself. Over time, this should help build up your abilities until your maximum effort becomes the norm for your 5K. 

There are hundreds of interval workouts runners can follow. For beginners, Runners World reccomend the following:

• Walk and stretch for 3 minutes as a warm up.
• Run at an easy pace for 10 minutes.
• Run for one minute at a hard but controlled effort.
• Follow up with 1 minute of walking to catch your breath.
• Repeat the above for another 7 times.
• Run for another 5 minutes at an easy effort.
• Walk for 3 minutes as a cool down. 

Looking for more advice on how to do interval training? Check out this video by Sikana English:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O78pemR9xdM

Hill sprints

Hill sprints are another great way to build strength and efficiency in runners which, in turn, will help improve your overall time for a 5K. For a guide on how often you should be running hills and the best time to do so check out this article I wrote. 

Hill sprints are pretty straightforward. It is essentially practising the effort of running up and down a hill and pushing your limits whilst doing so. However, if you want to add some structure to your workouts, there are some rules and guides available.

When it comes to running a 5K, you want a hill workout that’s geared mainly towards endurance. A great place to start would be to find a hill with no more than a 5% incline and run up and down this hill for a total of 4 repetitions. Ideally, this workout would mean that you had to spend 15-20 minutes running uphill. 

When doing hill runs, take your time at first. Whilst hills sprints offer some amazing benefits to runners, there is also a higher chance of injury. For more information on running injuries check out this article I wrote. 

Interested in learning more about hill sprints? Check out this video from The Run Experience:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2BjmDitJVU

5K Training Plan

The final (and probably best) way to improve your average 5K time is to follow a dedicated training plan. There are hundreds of 5K training plans available for you to experiment with online. My advice would be to find one that you feel is most suitable and make sure you stick with it. 

The 6-week training plan below taken from Very Well Fit is a great example of a 5K training plan for a beginner. 

How To Measure Your 5K Time

We’ve touched a little bit on using a pacemaker already to help improve your average 5K time. However, it’s worth thinking about all the methods available for tracking the distance of a 5K. I’ve written an entire article on how to measure running distance and what methods runners most prefer – which you can find here. Some of the most common methods include:

• Google Maps – And regular maps if it takes your fancy. This method is perfect if you’re planning your run ahead of time and not sure where you’re going. The biggest downside is that maps can become outdated and you may feel stuck if you’re unable to proceed down the route you planned. 

• GPS – The most favourable amongst runners. Very easy to use and doesn’t require a lot of planning or effort. Runners should bear in mind that GPS can be accurate only to the nearest 10 feet. So it’s worth bearing this in mind if you’re serious about your finishing time. 

• Walking Wheel – The most accurate method of measuring a 5K, but also the most time-consuming.  Walking wheels can be used to measure a set distance, such as a yard or meter at a time, and then be used repeatedly to make a 5K. They can be difficult to navigate over roads and trails so if you plan on using one, it may be best for a track. If a walking wheel is what takes your fancy, check out this one from Zozen.

What’s A Good 5K Time For A Pro?

The most elite runners can complete a 5K at a significantly faster time than a beginner. For example, the table above shows that the average 5K time for a 20-year-old female running beginner is 35:27. For an elite female athlete of the same age the time would be 20:47. Runners should note that to get to an elite time for your 5K it could take months, if not years, worth of training. 

To put things in perspective, check out the table below which compares the average 5K times between elite and beginner runners.