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What Is A Good 5K Time?

Last Updated on October 2, 2023 by Amanda Bowden

Exploring What Makes A Good 5K Time, With An Insight Into Average 5K Times Worldwide

Have you run a few 5K’s now, but don’t know if your times are any good? Well, read on, for in this article we will address the question: What is a good 5K time?

Related: How Far Is 5K In Miles?

We’re going to dive into the fascinating world of 5K running and unveil what qualifies as an impressive 5K time. We will also give you some insights into the hugely varied average 5K race times across the world.

We Answer These Frequently Asked Questions:

What Are The Average 5K Times For Different Countries?

This woman is running fast, surely achieving a good 5K time!
Image from Unsplash. Credit: Leah Hetteberg

5K races are held in many countries across the world, and getting an insight into what is an average 5K time may help you decide if your times are any good.

The average 5K times vary majorly from one country to another. Let’s dive into the data of global 5K trends and explore the insights drawn from international runners.

Charting 5K Times Around the World

The chart below presents a snapshot of average 5K times in selected countries. It allows us to visualize how these times compare and offers insights into the competitive landscape of 5K running worldwide.

The data in this chart comes from The State of Running 2019. These averages are for recreational runners – elite running data is excluded.

CountryAverage Female 5K Finish TimesAverage Male 5K Finish Times
Ukraine29 mins25 mins
Hungary29 mins25 mins
Austria 31 mins26 mins
Switzerland32 mins25 mins
France36 mins27 mins
United Kingdom38 mins29 mins
United States41 mins35 mins
Australia45 mins41 mins
India47 mins41 mins
Spain50 mins25 mins
Average 5K race times for women and men in 10 different countries

What Can We Learn From This Chart About 5K Times?

This data provides a fascinating glimpse into different running cultures. There is such a vast difference in 5K times between different countries!

Ukraine and Hungary have the fastest 5K racers. Both have average finish times for women of 29 minutes, and 25 minutes for men. Men in Spain are also pretty speedy, but the women there finish in a gentler time of 50 minutes average.

Next come in the women and men of Austria, Switzerland and France.

Runners in The United Kingdom and The United States are quite a bit slower. On average men in the UK run a 5K race in 29 minutes, and men in the US run it in 35 minutes. Women in the UK take about 38 minutes to finish their 5K races, while in the US the women normally take around 41 minutes.

5 runners running away on the sand.
Image from Unsplash. Credit: Jed Villejo

In Australia and India men make it across the finish line in a 41 minute average, while women in Australia take 45 minutes, and women in India take 47 minutes.

These differences may come as a surprise, but they do not necessarily reflect an overall difference in running abilities between different countries. Other factors may also be at work here, like how inclusive the races are in different countries. In general, the more inclusive the race, the wider the selection of people joining in, and the slower the times.

Temperature also plays a role in how fast people run, as it’s hard to pull off a fast 5K when baking in the sun. Other factors which may influence the average are the cultural attitudes to fitness, access to running facilities and gear, and the average age of the runners.

So, What Is A Good 5K Time For A Woman?

What’s a good 5K time for you will depend on your running level, amongst other factors. Have a look below at the different sections for beginner, intermediate, advanced and elite runners.

1. What’s A Good 5K Time For Female Beginners?

If you’re a relatively new runner just running for 5K without stopping is a pretty good achievement! A good time for you may be getting a personal best, whatever that time is.

If you want an actual time to compare yourself to, how about the average times for different countries? If you can run a 5K faster than the average time for your country, then you’re running faster than 50% of other 5K racers. I’d say that’s pretty good!

If you live in the UK that would mean running a 5K faster than 38 minutes. In the US you’d need to be able to run a 5K in less than 41 minutes.

2. What’s A Good 5K Time For Female Intermediate Runners?

So, you’ve been running for a while now and not sure if you’re any good? Beating the sub-30-minute barrier for running a 5K is generally considered a good achievement. It shows you’ve got good levels of fitness and are an established runner. If you can run a 5K in less than 30 minutes you will probably feel quite proud of yourself!

3. What’s A Good 5K Time For Female Advanced Runners?

If you have been running for some time, train very hard, cover a high mileage and strength train each week, you will likely have a higher expectation of yourself, and want to achieve a faster time.

If you can run a 5K in under 25 minutes, that’s pretty good, but breaking the 20-minute mark will be remarkable, and you will frequently have a chance of winning races (non-elite) and parkruns.

4. How About If You’re An Elite Female Runner?

Elite female runners who compete at a professional level often achieve times well below 17 minutes, sometimes even closer to 15 minutes, depending on their age and the level of competition. They are crazy fast!

What’s A Good 5K Time For A Man?

This image from 'What Is A Good 5K Time?' is a group of men running a 5K race.
Image from Unsplash. Credit: Quino Al

For men what makes a good 5K time depends on your fitness, any limitations, how long you’ve been running, your age and aspirations. Have a look at the following questions for your running level to get an idea about what’s a good time for you.

1. What’s A Good 5K Time For Male Beginners?

As with women, if you’re a beginner runner just completing a 5K is awesome! You are now most definitely a runner.

If you’d like a more specific time to say is ‘good’ then you will probably be pretty pleased with your time if you can beat the average for your country. In the UK this would mean running a 5K in less than 29 minutes, and in the US it would mean running it in less than 35 minutes. Quite an achievement for a beginner!

2. What’s A Good 5K Time For Male Intermediate Runners?

Once you’ve got some running experience and your fitness has increased your times are probably getting faster. If you can run a 5K in less than 25 minutes that will generally be considered pretty good.

Don’t worry if you’re not hitting these times though, remember everyone is different and the most important thing is that you are running, no matter what your pace! However, if you’re determined you’d like to run faster try reading How To Become A Faster Runner for some tips.

3. What’s A Good 5K Time For Male Advanced Runners?

Once you’ve got some power in your legs and lots of running experience you may even be able to run a sub-20-minute 5K. If you can run a 5K time in around 17 to 20 minutes that is definitely impressive!

4. What About If You’re An Elite Male Runner?

Elite male runners who compete at a professional level can achieve times well below 15 minutes, with some even breaking the 14-minute mark when races get highly competitive. Elite men are incredibly fast!

Not Ran A Good 5K Time Yet?

If you’re not hitting any of these ‘good’ times, try not to worry – after all, about 50% of runners are not achieving these times! Everyone is different, and has different strengths and limitations. If you’d like to try and run a faster 5K have a read of this article: How To Run A Faster 5K

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