5km in 30mins?????

[Katger]

Can't believe I've just done my first 30min run. Ive never ever done that much before and I know I should be really excited but I'm a little disappointed as I'm nowhere near 5k. I did 3.9km and I know I'm slow but it feels like It's impossible for me to get to 5k in 30mins. What's an average pace for 5k? Anyone else had this experience??

[Cmoi Graduate]

Very few people doing C25K get to 5K in 30 minutes Katger , so don't worry. Here's a useful post from Instructor57 about this very topic: healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

[Katger Graduate in reply to Cmoi]

Phew... I don't know any runners so I had no idea. Thank you very much cmoi x

[Cmoi Graduate in reply to Katger]

You're welcome Katger . As I've just said in my reply to Instructor57 , the pinned posts that answer this and other FAQs don't always appear at the top of the pinned posts list, so they're easily overlooked.

[Instructor57 Graduate]

Don't worry about doing 5k in 30 minutes, it is NOT a requirement for graduating C25k What you need to do is run the 3x30 minute runs of week 9 .

Pace and distance are irrelevant .

But as it happens, I also did 3.9k on mine 👍

Have a look at this

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

[Katger Graduate in reply to Instructor57]

Thank you! Nice article and that helps a lot 😃

[Instructor57 Graduate in reply to Katger]

😁👍

[Cmoi Graduate in reply to Instructor57]

Great minds hey Instructor57 ?! 😜

I wish there was some way that the pinned posts on the C25K forum could always feature the FAQ , "W5R3 -aargh" and "5k in 30 minutes"questions at the top though. The same topics come up so often, and the relevant posts that give the answers seem to get drowned in a mass of other pinned stuff.

[Instructor57 Graduate in reply to Cmoi]

Yes, I hadn't seen your reply when I posted 😁👍

[Instructor57 Graduate in reply to Cmoi]

Yes, I agree there are some really useful posts in the pins and the faq .But they do seem to get lost 😐

[Katger Graduate in reply to Cmoi]

I have to find that week5r3 aargh post.

By the title I know exactly what it means as that's what I thought.. Maybe + an expletive

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Not sure on the average graduate time over 5k, but I know it’s above 30 minutes... probably nearer to the 40 mark.

We have missed this olympics unless someone gets injured in training very soon... so we have 3 years to be ready. Plenty of time for speed.

Don’t worry about pace, in fact keep the pace down for the next few months, with the odd short faster run or interval session thrown in. It’s the conversational pace runs that we need... there are articles out there on the subject, here’s my favourite mensrunninguk.co.uk/top-fea...

I have run 5k in under 30 minutes quite a few times, but my favourite time for the distance remains around the 36 minute mark... nice and comfortable, smiling, chatting sometimes, listening to the birds, you just can’t beat it.

[Katger Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

😂 3 years to get to the Olympics 🤣 not sure what category I'd be running in? Maybe up against the speed walkers, but even then.....Thanks for the link and tip on keeping the pace down and doing some intervals. I love the idea of a run smiling and listening to birds.

[chunkypie Graduate]

Hi TBH i dont know anyone who done 5k in 30 mins starting c25k. I think i done 3.2k when doing 30 mins. I took me about 3 or 4 runs after to complete 5k.

Give yourself a pat on the back for doing 30mins

[Katger Graduate in reply to chunkypie]

Thank you! 😄

[chunkypie Graduate in reply to Katger]

I done my first 5k in 42mins i think it was.

[skysue16 Graduate]

I graduated in 2016 and have only once managed less than 30 mins (28:38 so only just!) once during a race. But I think it was a fluke really! I tend to run longer distances and go a steady (slow!) pace. Everyone is different and you will find your happy pace that suits you. 😀👍

[Katger Graduate in reply to skysue16]

Thank you that helps a lot. I had no idea there were so many options and way to do this!

[Rodstar]

Hi Katger. I graduated some months ago and I still only manage around 3.4k. Yesterday I ran 4k in 38 mins. Just stick with it and enjoy it and appreciate the health benefits. You'll gradually get better

[Chesterlove Graduate]

Never be disappointed in your run. You ran 30mins 👏🏼👏🏼 I graduated in June and it took me a long time to do a 30min 5km and have only done it a handful of times, and, you know, I felt a nice smug feeling, but actually the runs weren’t as enjoyable as my heart rate was so much higher and I was worn out. Just love what you achieve each time. X

[newbie-nick Graduate]

Firstly, CONGRATULATIONS!!! 30 mins is a major achievement. As for 5K, don't worry. Only 10-15% ever run that far at W9R3. It is a slight 'error' in the name of C25K, as running for 30 mins is the most important thing by far, and you have done that.Our son could do it easily - early 20s undergraduate and national level rower - but my wife couldn't.

Whatever you do, please do not try and run to fast to get to the 5K. Plod along - as I still do - and run for the allotted time. You have you whole post graduate running life to get to 5k, if you wish.

All you now need to do is celebrate 30 mins and keep running and not overstretching.🏃🍾🏃🍾🏃🍾🍰🍰🍰

[nowster Graduate]

As one of the few who did do 5km in 30 minutes on my graduation run (at the end of August last year), I really don't recommend it.

I gained an ankle injury that stopped me running for a month, then I had to build back over a couple of months to get up to the same amount of activity.

Over the subsequent months I got faster naturally, but that was due to putting in the miles regularly, and mixing up the types of runs I did, rather than pushing hard (and risking getting injured again).

[Stephanyabounu]

I run 5k in 40-45 minutes and I’ve been running for a few years. 5k in 30 minutes is fast! You’ve done well

[MisterJawaid]

Don’t be disheartened, just keep going. I’m nearly 62, and almost 9 months back into running- it took me a long time to get to 5k in 30 minutes. Listen to the experienced runners on here, I think a lot of it is about building up your stamina, not necessarily speed. Enjoy your running!

[MrBassmanjazz Graduate]

Hi, When you complete C25K you get pointed at a Survey. The majority are running sub 5K. I have completed a further 3x30min run and I'm still doing 3.6K. I am getting stronger on the inclines and breathing is coming easier, though.

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate]

How fast you run depends on a lot of things but age and sex are probably the two biggest influences. I googled something like 'how long does it take to run 5k'. For a woman in her early 60s like me, only a really top athlete could do it in 30 minutes. I found out that my speed of 45 ish minutes was pretty respectable. Especially as I've only got short legs lol.

My 20 year old son who's skinny and nearly a foot taller than me runs way faster even though he's even newer to running than me, it's just physics and biology. So don't get hung up on speed, instead celebrate the fact that you can run for 30 minutes.

Six months ago would you even have thought that was possible?