Can you tell me what time an experienced runner can run 5kms in please? I'm aiming for 30 minutes but my running partner wants to go faster!

[Jaxstr]

Running times

[Cmoi Graduate]

Hi Jaxstr ! First off, you are not your running partner. If they want to go faster, then fine, they can. Doesn't mean you have to.

As to aiming to run 5k in 30 minutes, not many manage that for their C25K graduation. I certainly didn't. It took me a while, and I've rarely managed it since. I don't care. I've discovered a liking for longer distances, especially in my beloved forest, and I run at the pace that suits me.

But mostly, not quite six months on from graduating C25K, I'm still astonished, delighted and grateful that I, a 60 year old female with the past sporting achievements of a tin of tomato soup, can run at all, let alone enjoy it.

And for me, that's the key. Enjoyment. Please don't let anyone persuade you to do something that you're not ready for, not happy to do, especially since you're risking injury if you push yourself too far.

[Jaxstr in reply to Cmoi]

Thank you. I should clarify we're doing the programme together but not actually running together, however it still gets competitive! That said I'm very much focused on getting to 5km without injuring myself as I tried running before by just doing it every day and not surprisingly my knees started hurting and I had to give up. This time I'm really enjoying it and feeling my ability building.

[AppleB Graduate in reply to Cmoi]

hahaha - tin of tomato soup!

[Decker]

At this point in your training I would not worry about times or paces. Just try to run for 30 min. Your pace will improve over time as you consolidate, but step up slowly to new thresholds. An injury can hold you back for months. Having said all that, 30 min for a 5k is reasonable for a runner with 1yr plus of weekly efforts behind them. Some runners are faster than others and always will be. Always go at the pace that feels right for you is all I can say.

[Jaxstr in reply to Decker]

Thanks Decker. I just wanted to know what she should be realistically assuming for. I'm not planning on competing. She's younger than me and much fitter but I'm still thinking 25 minutes would be a good time for her.

[Cmoi Graduate in reply to Jaxstr]

Honestly, if your running partner can crack 5k in 25 minutes by the end of C25K, I'm surprised she needs to do the programme.

If she's already a runner, and is doing C25K to support you, then fair enough, why not aim for under 5.00/k. In that case I would imagine that she knows how to pace herself, and how to train to improve speed.

But if she's a novice runner, then my personal opinion - and bear in mind I'm inexperienced, I only started running in mid-May this year - is that 5k in 25 minutes by the end of C25K is way too ambitious. I don't want to put a downer on things, I'm competitive myself, but sometimes taking things slower produces better results in the end.

[Jaxstr in reply to Cmoi]

Thanks for the advice. I totally agree. She's a novice runner like me and I think ultimately we'll both be happy to complete 30 minutes solid running. It's just some people say they can do 5km in a lot less and I'm wondering if they're being entirely honest.

[Cmoi Graduate in reply to Jaxstr]

Me yet again, in between cooking Christmas Eve dinner!

Just saw your other post. My guess is that anyone who says they're running 5k in 17 minutes would be only too pleased to show you the evidence on their Garmin, Strava, or whatever else they use to record their runs. I'd also expect them to be supportive, encouraging and telling you both to take it easy.

Happy Christmas, happy running!

[Decker in reply to Jaxstr]

That would depend on her current times. If she is easily doing 30 min 5ks then 25 min is a realistic goal. But its equally important to avoid injuries if your legs and joints are not ready for that kind of speed. You’ll find a good deal of caution on this board as we’ve seen so many older and younger runners injured from pushing too hard too quickly. I’ve been guilty of it more than once too. Its a balance for sure.

[shuffleido Graduate in reply to Decker]

Thanks for this information. I'm on consolidation runs and was working on 5k in 30 mins in a years time - so spot on for me.

[Rennur Graduate]

Some never get to that speed. But I understand that instead many just go on to half marathons and more. I might not get to 5K in 30 minutes but I will get to 10K in however minutes it takes ( I'm aiming for 60 minutes non stop first. For me that will about 7K if I'm lucky.)

[Jaxstr in reply to Rennur]

Thank you. Good luck!

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

If you are a new runner then you need to build your resistance to impact and injury, as well as develop stamina and strength.The recommended pace for C25K is one at which you can speak clear ungasping sentences as you run. This easy conversational pace equates to approximately 75% of your maximum heart rate, which is the perfect zone to build the solid aerobic base required to run faster and further, which is why it is the pace at which elite athletes spend up to 80% of their training time.

You might benefit from reading this post which attempts to explain the reasoning healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Pushing too fast, too soon is the quickest route to injury and no running at all.

The world record is 12'35" for 5k.........

[Jaxstr in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thanks. So you'd have to be a serious athlete to do 5km in 17 minutes?

[mrrun Graduate in reply to Jaxstr]

Why 17 minutes?

[IannodaTruffe Mentor in reply to Jaxstr]

You will find plenty of runners doing 5k in 17 minutes at parkrun, but they are not new runners and they will have built their pace over a period of time.We have runners on this forum in their teens and their eighties, of all shapes, weights abilities and disabilities and performance varies hugely. Compete against your former self, forget about others.

C25K is a basic training plan designed to safely build the base that you need, to go on to run further and faster. It is duration based, not pace or distance based, because that is the safest way to develop your body.

There is a lot to learn in the running world and getting speed into perspective is a crucial lesson to learn.

[TotalNewbie1 Graduate]

I am still a relative beginner at this and can only dream of doing 5k in 30 minutes, my adult children all manage it. One can do it in 17 minutes the others around 25 minutes. They are young and I can get despondent that I can’t achieve it but they are super proud of me always encouraging me and tell me never to compare myself. With this in mind run safely, set a speed that is comfortable and just enjoy it.

[nowster Graduate]

I have done 5km in 30 minutes... once. I injured myself doing it. I haven't done that sort of distance at that speed since.

I have done shorter distances faster, though. If I were to extrapolate the time I ran one kilometre last weekend, I'd have run 5km in 22'45", but I'd be in need of resuscitation at the end of it!

Yes, a serious athlete (who does running as part of their training) would be able to do it in under 20 minutes.

We're all different. For this programme, all you need to do is to be able to run 30 minutes at your own easy pace. There's no need for speed. And there's no need to compare your efforts against other people's.

One word of warning to your running partner: our muscles develop faster than the other parts of our legs: the tendons, ligaments and bones. It's easy to get overconfident about your developing abilities and suddenly find yourself with an injury that takes weeks or months to heal.

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate in reply to nowster]

Although I have never ran 5K in less than 30 minutes, my PB is 30.55, I did meet a runner who ran a 5K in 28 minutes, she asked me to run at that pace for the last 150 metres which I did manage, what would be quite interesting to me would be if she could pace me for the whole 5K distance at just under 30 minutes pace on a flat course, I just MIGHT under certain circumstances be able to do that,

[Jaxstr]

Thanks everyone. I was just trying to get an idea of times so she can feel good about what she's doing now. I'm certainly not going to push it. My daughter trained with the airforce and ended up with shin splints which come back when she runs. She is petite, at 5'3 and still had to run with the same 20kg packs as the bigger guys. I'm really enjoying the programme and feel like I'm building up steadily.

[Yellowsunset Graduate]

My man would run about 6 to 7 minute miles. This means he would do 5k (3.1miles) in approx 20 minutes. He has run all his life.

I am on week 8 and today's run averaged 10.30 minute mile. If I managed this for 5k it would take me 33 minutes approx.

I'm not using a calculator so not accurate.

To do 5k in 30 minutes need to be faster than a 10 minute mile.

As others have said, this is very difficult and very few manage this.

Concentrate on endurance not speed. The worst thing you could do is get too worried about speed, push too hard, end up with an injury and be off running for weeks maybe months depending on what.

So focus on sticking to the plan and gradual increases in time etc

[Newbie59 Graduate]

When I graduated at the end of June I was doing around 4k in 30 minutes and I just kept plodding on with the 30 minute runs, pleased to be a runner in my mid 60s. By October the runs had dropped to one a week, but in November I made an effort to run twice a week, in December I treated myself to a Garmin 45S watch, which informed me that I had run 5k in 36:22 (on my 32nd consolidation run). So I was quite chuffed

[Jaxstr in reply to Newbie59]

Well done! 😊

[Reggit Graduate]

I graduated C25k in early July this year. Now I can manage an occasional 10k (1hr 14 ish) my best for a 5k is a smidge under 34 minutes. Don’t know if I’ll ever manage sub-30 minutes. Don’t really care either!

One of my mates (ex-paras) runs sub-20 minute 5k’s ive not a chance 😂

[RunBrianRun Graduate]

A sensible target for any new runner on this plan is to avoid injury. As just about everyone else has said, will say, at this point it’s not about speed. Which is me rather contradicting myself, as I do prefer to focus on speed. Avoiding injury has to be a top priority. However, said all that, if she manages to finish C25K in 30 minutes she’s done really well! I completed mine in 36 minutes 3 years ago almost to the day. Yesterday I ran a 22 minute 5k and I’m nearly 60 so huge improvements exist beyond this program for everyone whether it’s distance or speed. No rush.

[Leah2018]

Hi I graduated in September and have gone on running but I’m slow. I regularly run 5k but it takes me 50-55 min. I don’t care. I feel fitter than I ever felt in my life. I’m 67 and was never athletic. I’m not overweight but Since I started running I have definitely toned up and lost flab. I take medication for high blood pressure but my body was still always on the high side of normal. Now it’s classic 120/80. My son started running again and wanted to do 5k in 20 min. He got down to 23 min and had to stop because of injury.

All the young runners overtake me but I don’t care I’m still doing it.

Merry Xmas to all u runners x

[skipintro]

As a 76 year old with an arthritic hip I was quite pleased to do 5 km in 53 minutes. All I'm aiming for now is to increase overall pace and get it down to well under 9min/km as normal average.

Incidentally - arthritis seems painful and limiting in the house pottering about, but running seems to override it. Running turns out to be more comfortable than walking, which is a pleasant surprise!

[WeavingWonk Graduate]

I will never run a 30 minute 5k, let alone faster! First 5k was just under 45 minutes. Fastest to date was just under 40 minutes. And the stars were aligned, nothing hurt that day, I was well hydrated, weather was perfect. I'll be happy if I ever get to 35 minutes. But I'm not holding my breath!

[Newbirunner]

Consider this, to complete the 5K in 30mins your average/continuous speed has to be at 6 m.p.h. and to achieve that sort of performance you have to be pretty experienced and fit. There are many who run for fun and enjoy the 'Outdoor' and I suspect that is most of us so join the FUN and the love to run bit. Good luck!

[Tasha99 Graduate]

I know someone who can run 5k in 15 minutes. I know someone who usually takes over 40 minutes. I’m 45. I took 34 on graduation. Now, after 2 years, my PB is 26 minutes. It took me 5 months after graduation to get sub 30. It’s all relative. I think the average parkrun time is around 29 minutes. You could always look at the results from your local parkrun because they show the age group of the runner if you click on their name. Here’s my local parkrun last results.

parkrun.org.uk/albert/resul...

[Jaxstr in reply to Tasha99]

Thanks for telling me about Parkrun. I've just taken a look and it looks great! Can't wait for it to be up and running again!

[Tasha99 Graduate in reply to Jaxstr]

It’s the best!