Average Running Speed?

[runningforfree]

Hello! I was curious what is the average speed at which you guys run/jog? I know many mayn't keep a track but if possible, do let me know. I am jogging at 9km/hr (or 6.67min/km) on treadmill.

Edited: Added min/km for convenience

[mrrun Graduate]

Mine is approx 5.30min per km and there’s nothing wrong with 9min/km either.

The thing is, what is speed? 5:30 in any serious competition is slow to boredom so what’s the point of speed unless we are training for some serious competition? I was obsessed with ‘speed’ and PB until the point when l just relaxed and simply ran. The moment of realisation came when a guy ran past me in the park while l was pushing myself to 5min per km, barely holding my guts inside, and he simply wizzed by effortlessly, with power and elegance. 😅

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to mrrun]

..and me...well you know...snail pace...but with style!!🤣

[mrrun Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

👍👍👍

[Over60sRunner Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

Haha....me too Oldfloss Apparently I make up for the torpor by having my bottom-length dreadlocks swinging behind me which, apparently, the gym bunnies find fascinating 😅😅😅 Oh, that and the singing I am often unaware I am doing out loud - maybe I'm turning into Wyn Jones 😂😂😂

[Curlygurly2 Graduate in reply to mrrun]

I thi k he said 9 KM per hour...not 9 mins per KM...

[SkiMonday Graduate in reply to Curlygurly2]

9k/hr is equal to (about) 6.7 min/km

[mrrun Graduate in reply to SkiMonday]

Very true, but I still maintain my philosophical musings - what is ‘speed’

😉

[SkiMonday Graduate in reply to mrrun]

I think variety helps.

It feels great to achieve a PB (especially if it’s something that’s taken some work).

It’s also great to head out for a run and make up the route as you go.

There can be a great feeling of exhilaration doing fartleks (provided they don’t go on too long!)

It can also be good running as part of a group.

Or running in time to the music.

Or just being able to head out and run to (wherever).

So, maybe, “speed” is just part of the mix?

[mrrun Graduate in reply to SkiMonday]

‘Speed’ can definitely be part of the mix but that then triggers some existential questions: 🙄what exactly is the meaning of speed, what is its greater purpose and what is the meaning of its existence? Of course, we may add - is the happiness through running at faster ‘speed’ just chemicals circulating through our bodies and can we as humans fathom the true depths of speed’s reality and existence? Or not? (My wife just looked at me and rolled her eyes) 🤣

[runningforfree in reply to mrrun]

Oh dear! Didnt expect the thread to become philosophical instead of numbers and stats.

[Cmoi Graduate in reply to runningforfree]

I'm glad it has. I run for enjoyment and nothing that my Garmin tells me can ever measure that. I'm fortunate to live somewhere beautiful in the back of beyond, and I'd much look at the scenery than my watch!

[SkiMonday Graduate in reply to mrrun]

Hmm.

I might try and reply to your comment in a while mrrun but I think I need to give my brain a rest first.

Maybe I should go for a run!

[mrrun Graduate in reply to SkiMonday]

👍😉

[SkiMonday Graduate in reply to mrrun]

OK

For me, putting on the occasional burst of speed feels good. I’ve also found that, on a group run, if my training gives me the ability to run faster than the group pace, that makes the run comfortable / easy to do.

I guess that this “good” feeling that I experience is mostly brain chemicals but it works in my experience of reality so that will do for me. What’s that red pill doing there?

[mrrun Graduate in reply to Curlygurly2]

I stand corrected! 😀

[SkiMonday Graduate]

At my local Parkrun, the majority of runners finish in around 30 minutes. That’s a pace of 6mins/km which is a typical pace for me. Note: most runners use mins/km (or mins/mile).

That said, speed is affected by loads of factors (e.g. age, sex, physique, quality of sleep, hydration, training, effort, duration, weather conditions, course profile, running surface) so it’s gonna vary.

For pretty much all of us, there will be some local runners who are faster than us. So, if aiming for speed, it’s much better for your sanity to focus on beating your own personal records (personal best or PB). One idea is to try and beat your PB for the year (because someone who’s, say, 60 isn’t realistically going to beat a PB set when they were 20).

[runningforfree in reply to SkiMonday]

I do not intend to compare my speed. I was just curious. I understand my limitations and fully cherish it. Also, added mins/km to mail post.

[Cmoi Graduate in reply to SkiMonday]

someone who’s, say, 60 isn’t realistically going to beat a PB set when they were 20

Oh I dunno, I'm pretty sure that I can run faster now that I could forty years ago!

[SkiMonday Graduate in reply to Cmoi]

Good point Cmoi 😎.

Although, do you still have a note of that PB you set 40 years ago?

[Cmoi Graduate in reply to SkiMonday]

I hate to disappoint you SkiMonday , but no formal record of that PB. Nonetheless I'm confident it would've been a fabulous speed of zero mph over a distance of zero miles. Couldn't possibly quote you the pace in min/km. 🙃

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate]

There's no single average pace. It depends on your age, gender, height, fitness etc etcI'm a 65 year old woman, just under 5'4" and short legged. If I manage a pace of 7:30 mins/km I'm very pleased with myself. If it's 8:30 I'm equally pleased as it means I'm probably feeling much better at the end of my run.

5k in 30 minutes would take so much training I think it'd sap the fun out of running for me.

[limberlou Graduate in reply to Yesletsgo]

I know what you mean there. I used to be about 7:30 mins/km the first year or so of my running. Then an ankle injury set me back for 3-4 months and I eventually got back to averaging 8 mins/km, but built up to longer distances. Then a couple of bouts of Covid and a niggly hip has slowed me down to 8:30-9mins/km and sometimes I get really hacked off about it. But I am 70 now so I just thank god I can actually run!!

Although at present Ive been on the IC for 5 weeks after an op and not allowed to run for another 7 weeks!!!! Or do my Pilates or lift anything much heavier than a kettle!! So any run at all sounds great to me 😭 while I’m gradually going stir crazy. Making do with walks

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate in reply to limberlou]

Hope the time passes quickly until you're allowed to run again, it'll be so liberating when you do.Pretty amazing we can run at our age isn't it? So you remember when everyone over 50 was really old???? 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[limberlou Graduate in reply to Yesletsgo]

Haha yeah!!

[Cmoi Graduate]

Average running speed? On my most recent run it was 7.30kph, or 8:13/km.

That was for 8.26km on a mix of road, tracks and trails, with 260m vertical. My fastest speed (or pace) was almost four times quicker than my slowest. Gentle downhills on decent surfaces = faster. Double figure gradients on dodgy surfaces so overgrown that you can't see your own feet = slower.

I just don't do running at a nice consistent pace in sensible places!

[John_W Graduate]

How good's your maths?

Here's a poll from 5 years ago, asking what distance people achieved in 30 mins inn Week 9.

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

You can workout what speed/pace people are doing from that 😎

[runningforfree in reply to John_W]

I didnt even know that I could create polls here. That post is more sensible and convenient than what I did! Thanks for this.

[Cmoi Graduate in reply to runningforfree]

You can't actually create a poll yourself runningforfree , it's the admin team who do that. So posting your original question was the way to go about it! 😀

[MissUnderstanding Administrator On a break Graduate in reply to runningforfree]

Cmoi is right about only admins being able to create polls-if there’s anything you want to make a poll about, send us a message and we’ll see what we can do! Everyone loves a poll!

[Petem56 Graduate]

Hi, my average parkrun speed is between 7.2kph and 7.9kph, don't forget that speed/pace is affected by ground conditions, weather, age and many other factors.

[Madwife60 Graduate]

I’m proper slow and steady. I run round the park and beach and in the recent heat I toddle at about 5.3 per km but on a slightly less hot day around 6.2-6.6. I’m not too bothered about speed at my age more that I keep going for 30 minutes

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Madwife60]

That is certainly not slow! 5 minutes per kilometer ! Blimey! x

[Cmoi Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

I agree Oldfloss , but do wonder if the OP is confusing min/km and kph, given what they say about doing 5.3 when it's hotter and 6.2-6.6 when it's cooler.

[Madwife60 Graduate in reply to Cmoi]

Absolutely- blame the declining brain cells!

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Madwife60]

Phew!

[Cmoi Graduate in reply to Madwife60]

You're not the first and won't be the last inadvertently to have mixed up pace and speed. Treadmill runners mostly seem to refer to speed and road runners to pace. If you're me you just try to ignore both!

[Cmoi Graduate in reply to Madwife60]

5:30/km pace is definitely not slow and steady Madwife60 ! Or maybe, given that you say you can do 6.2 - 6.6 on a cooler day, you mean 5.3kph? It's not the same thing.

A pace of 5:30/km means it takes you 5 minutes 30 seconds to cover one kilometer. So your speed is 10.9 kph and you'll cover 5.45 km in 30 minutes.

A speed of 5.3 kph means you cover 5.3 km in one hour, so 2.65 km in 30 minutes. It's the same as a pace of 11:20/km.

[Madwife60 Graduate in reply to Cmoi]

😂it’s my age! Of course I run slower in the heat. My brain is fried!

[Cmoi Graduate in reply to Madwife60]

Oh my brain's fried too! 🙃

[Penwithpink Graduate]

Hi Lightning McQueen ! Mine was 7:17 this morning x

[Hidden]

Hi - my normal jogging speed is a slow 10 mins per kilometre...and that's been more or less the same from the day I started C25K (I graduated last month.) While I've been tempted to try to pick up speed, everyone in this lovely community has advised that I increase time instead, rather than speed or distance. So I'm following their advice and am now jogging every other day - currently for 35 mins each time. In a week or so, I'll increase that to 40 mins. I'll only concentrate on increasing speed once I reach 5k/50 mins. I'm booked to do a 5k run in Greenwich Park with my DiL towards the end of November and it would be lovely (but not vital!) if I can keep up with her.

[MissUnderstanding Administrator On a break Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Hi Hidden ,

You’re best only increasing the duration of one run per week, not all of them. It’s good to mix up the lengths of your runs so you could also shorten one if you like.

There’s a helpful post here that you might like to have a look at…

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

[Hidden in reply to MissUnderstanding]

That's really helpful - thanks so much!

[runningforfree in reply to Hidden]

I too think running longer is better than runnng faster, but then I am no athlete. All the best for the 5K.

[Han99m Graduate]

Depending on how far I’m going, where I’m running, and how hot I feel it’s between 8-9min per km. Although the other day I did a 12 minute mile which to me is fast and I was super proud 😅 I must say I was only running a mile and no further otherwise that would have been slower. When I started couch to 5k and even near the end I was closer to 10 min per km!

[runningforfree in reply to Han99m]

Getting to 8min from 10min is some improvement! Congrats.

[LuvlyGal Graduate]

I love embracing the snail team an average if 6 km/hr or 10 min / km. I just graduated from couch to 5k, but at that pace I feel like I could go for 3 more km if I wanted to. That is the best part for me. My husband just asked if I am out of breath or if my legs felt heavy or tired. Nope. But boy do I sweat. Running slow has opened doors to keep learning and safely keep running for longer distances. One day I took a route that I did not realize was so long. And the next day I did feel it. So I know I am where I need to be at my pace. Do I want to eventually want to improve speed/distance and strength. Sure, but without injury. I have found it just takes small increments, practice and time. For now I am loving that I am running feeling good during and after. Happy Running!

[Belushi Graduate]

I do about the same as you, a little slower right now after a summer of over indulgence

[SueAppleRun Graduate]

My average pace at a 10k yesterday was 10:15 per kilometre, my average short run on a crisp winters morning is way faster than that, so I'm not sure my averages mean anything

[Jools2020 Graduate]

I’m just interested to read on this thread people’s perception of what ‘slow’ is!

I can show you slow! 🤣

I even run slowly on the flat! Roads, grass, hills, by the lake, in the woods - all sorts of varying degrees of slow!

Once, I went out to see how fast I could be over a km if I Really Tried on a 2K run. It was fun. Pulled out all the stops and almost took off. I managed 6.20/km. Never been able to do it again. 🤣

But I have run a half marathon and I enjoyed every single slow step 😊

[Carners1 Graduate]

I only really started really enjoying running when I stopped looking at my watch and just started running in the moment.

[hoyden]

The Nike app tells me my average pace is 7'07" over the four runs I've done this month. But I'm not sure how they calculate it because when I do a guided run with intervals, I don't think they include the intervals in the count! But I'm not sure. Anyway I do 5k in about 35min. That's ok for me and if I find after a run of whatever length I've gone faster, it's a pleasant surprise! 🙂

[XenaZelda Graduate]

On average i run at a pace of 7 to 7.30 Min/Km, some days i have run a pace of 6.45 Min/KM....i would be happy with 6-6.30 Min/KM, i am 60 and with a few health issues so i am proud to be able to run at those paces.