For an intermediate runner, the average time to run 1k is 03:17 for men and 03:54 for women.
A good 1k time is 03:17 for men and 03:54 for women. This is the average 1k time across all ages. Compare your 1k time by age and ability below.
For an intermediate runner, the average time to run 1k is 03:17 for men and 03:54 for women.
| Running Level | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 04:38 | 05:36 |
| Novice | 03:50 | 04:36 |
| Intermediate | 03:17 | 03:54 |
| Advanced | 02:53 | 03:25 |
| Elite | 02:37 | 03:04 |
| WR | 02:11.83 | 02:28.98 |
Time: Finish time for the full distance (seconds below a minute, otherwise mm:ss or hh:mm:ss).
| Running Level | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 04:38 | 05:36 |
| Novice | 03:50 | 04:36 |
| Intermediate | 03:17 | 03:54 |
| Advanced | 02:53 | 03:25 |
| Elite | 02:37 | 03:04 |
| WR | 02:12 | 02:29 |
min/km: Average pace per kilometre, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss).
| Running Level | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 07:28 | 09:01 |
| Novice | 06:09 | 07:24 |
| Intermediate | 05:16 | 06:17 |
| Advanced | 04:39 | 05:30 |
| Elite | 04:12 | 04:56 |
| WR | 03:32 | 04:00 |
min/mile: Average pace per mile, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss).
A good 1k time is 03:17 for men. This is the average time across all ages. The fastest 1k time is 02:11.83 for men.
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 05:59 | 04:56 | 04:13 | 03:44 | 03:22 | - |
| 15 | 04:54 | 04:02 | 03:28 | 03:03 | 02:46 | 02:13.93 |
| 20 | 04:38 | 03:50 | 03:17 | 02:53 | 02:37 | 02:11.83 |
| 25 | 04:38 | 03:50 | 03:17 | 02:53 | 02:37 | 02:12.96 |
| 30 | 04:38 | 03:50 | 03:17 | 02:53 | 02:37 | 02:12.77 |
| 35 | 04:48 | 03:57 | 03:23 | 02:59 | 02:42 | - |
| 40 | 04:58 | 04:06 | 03:30 | 03:06 | 02:48 | - |
| 45 | 05:09 | 04:15 | 03:38 | 03:12 | 02:54 | - |
| 50 | 05:20 | 04:24 | 03:46 | 03:20 | 03:00 | - |
| 55 | 05:33 | 04:35 | 03:55 | 03:27 | 03:08 | - |
| 60 | 05:47 | 04:46 | 04:05 | 03:36 | 03:15 | - |
| 65 | 06:05 | 05:01 | 04:18 | 03:47 | 03:25 | - |
| 70 | 06:31 | 05:22 | 04:36 | 04:03 | 03:40 | - |
| 75 | 07:06 | 05:51 | 05:01 | 04:25 | 04:00 | - |
| 80 | 07:51 | 06:29 | 05:33 | 04:54 | 04:25 | - |
| 85 | 09:06 | 07:30 | 06:25 | 05:40 | 05:07 | - |
| 90 | 11:06 | 09:09 | 07:50 | 06:55 | 06:15 | - |
Time: Finish time for the full distance (seconds below a minute, otherwise mm:ss or hh:mm:ss).
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 05:59 | 04:56 | 04:13 | 03:44 | 03:22 | - |
| 15 | 04:54 | 04:02 | 03:28 | 03:03 | 02:46 | 02:14 |
| 20 | 04:38 | 03:50 | 03:17 | 02:53 | 02:37 | 02:12 |
| 25 | 04:38 | 03:50 | 03:17 | 02:53 | 02:37 | 02:13 |
| 30 | 04:38 | 03:50 | 03:17 | 02:53 | 02:37 | 02:13 |
| 35 | 04:48 | 03:57 | 03:23 | 02:59 | 02:42 | - |
| 40 | 04:58 | 04:06 | 03:30 | 03:06 | 02:48 | - |
| 45 | 05:09 | 04:15 | 03:38 | 03:12 | 02:54 | - |
| 50 | 05:20 | 04:24 | 03:46 | 03:20 | 03:00 | - |
| 55 | 05:33 | 04:35 | 03:55 | 03:27 | 03:08 | - |
| 60 | 05:47 | 04:46 | 04:05 | 03:36 | 03:15 | - |
| 65 | 06:05 | 05:01 | 04:18 | 03:47 | 03:25 | - |
| 70 | 06:31 | 05:22 | 04:36 | 04:03 | 03:40 | - |
| 75 | 07:06 | 05:51 | 05:01 | 04:25 | 04:00 | - |
| 80 | 07:51 | 06:29 | 05:33 | 04:54 | 04:25 | - |
| 85 | 09:06 | 07:30 | 06:25 | 05:40 | 05:07 | - |
| 90 | 11:06 | 09:09 | 07:50 | 06:55 | 06:15 | - |
min/km: Average pace per kilometre, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss).
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 09:37 | 07:56 | 06:48 | 06:00 | 05:25 | - |
| 15 | 07:53 | 06:30 | 05:34 | 04:55 | 04:26 | 03:36 |
| 20 | 07:28 | 06:09 | 05:16 | 04:39 | 04:12 | 03:32 |
| 25 | 07:28 | 06:09 | 05:16 | 04:39 | 04:12 | 03:34 |
| 30 | 07:28 | 06:09 | 05:16 | 04:39 | 04:12 | 03:34 |
| 35 | 07:43 | 06:22 | 05:27 | 04:48 | 04:21 | - |
| 40 | 07:59 | 06:35 | 05:38 | 04:59 | 04:30 | - |
| 45 | 08:17 | 06:50 | 05:51 | 05:09 | 04:40 | - |
| 50 | 08:36 | 07:05 | 06:04 | 05:21 | 04:50 | - |
| 55 | 08:56 | 07:22 | 06:19 | 05:34 | 05:02 | - |
| 60 | 09:18 | 07:40 | 06:34 | 05:48 | 05:14 | - |
| 65 | 09:47 | 08:04 | 06:55 | 06:06 | 05:31 | - |
| 70 | 10:29 | 08:38 | 07:24 | 06:32 | 05:54 | - |
| 75 | 11:26 | 09:25 | 08:04 | 07:07 | 06:26 | - |
| 80 | 12:39 | 10:26 | 08:56 | 07:53 | 07:07 | - |
| 85 | 14:38 | 12:04 | 10:20 | 09:07 | 08:15 | - |
| 90 | 17:52 | 14:44 | 12:37 | 11:08 | 10:04 | - |
min/mile: Average pace per mile, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss).
A good 1k time is 03:54 for women. This is the average time across all ages. The fastest 1k time is 02:28.98 for women.
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 06:50 | 05:36 | 04:46 | 04:10 | 03:45 | - |
| 15 | 06:01 | 04:56 | 04:12 | 03:40 | 03:18 | 02:34.89 |
| 20 | 05:36 | 04:36 | 03:54 | 03:25 | 03:04 | 02:29.34 |
| 25 | 05:36 | 04:36 | 03:54 | 03:25 | 03:04 | 02:28.98 |
| 30 | 05:43 | 04:41 | 03:59 | 03:29 | 03:08 | 02:29.21 |
| 35 | 05:55 | 04:51 | 04:08 | 03:37 | 03:15 | 02:31.50 |
| 40 | 06:09 | 05:02 | 04:17 | 03:45 | 03:22 | - |
| 45 | 06:23 | 05:14 | 04:27 | 03:53 | 03:30 | - |
| 50 | 06:38 | 05:26 | 04:37 | 04:03 | 03:38 | - |
| 55 | 06:53 | 05:39 | 04:48 | 04:12 | 03:46 | - |
| 60 | 07:09 | 05:52 | 04:59 | 04:22 | 03:55 | - |
| 65 | 07:31 | 06:10 | 05:14 | 04:35 | 04:07 | - |
| 70 | 07:54 | 06:29 | 05:30 | 04:49 | 04:20 | - |
| 75 | 08:28 | 06:56 | 05:54 | 05:10 | 04:38 | - |
| 80 | 09:31 | 07:48 | 06:38 | 05:48 | 05:13 | - |
| 85 | 11:29 | 09:25 | 08:00 | 07:00 | 06:17 | - |
| 90 | 14:17 | 11:42 | 09:57 | 08:43 | 07:49 | - |
Time: Finish time for the full distance (seconds below a minute, otherwise mm:ss or hh:mm:ss).
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 06:50 | 05:36 | 04:46 | 04:10 | 03:45 | - |
| 15 | 06:01 | 04:56 | 04:12 | 03:40 | 03:18 | 02:35 |
| 20 | 05:36 | 04:36 | 03:54 | 03:25 | 03:04 | 02:29 |
| 25 | 05:36 | 04:36 | 03:54 | 03:25 | 03:04 | 02:29 |
| 30 | 05:43 | 04:41 | 03:59 | 03:29 | 03:08 | 02:29 |
| 35 | 05:55 | 04:51 | 04:08 | 03:37 | 03:15 | 02:32 |
| 40 | 06:09 | 05:02 | 04:17 | 03:45 | 03:22 | - |
| 45 | 06:23 | 05:14 | 04:27 | 03:53 | 03:30 | - |
| 50 | 06:38 | 05:26 | 04:37 | 04:03 | 03:38 | - |
| 55 | 06:53 | 05:39 | 04:48 | 04:12 | 03:46 | - |
| 60 | 07:09 | 05:52 | 04:59 | 04:22 | 03:55 | - |
| 65 | 07:31 | 06:10 | 05:14 | 04:35 | 04:07 | - |
| 70 | 07:54 | 06:29 | 05:30 | 04:49 | 04:20 | - |
| 75 | 08:28 | 06:56 | 05:54 | 05:10 | 04:38 | - |
| 80 | 09:31 | 07:48 | 06:38 | 05:48 | 05:13 | - |
| 85 | 11:29 | 09:25 | 08:00 | 07:00 | 06:17 | - |
| 90 | 14:17 | 11:42 | 09:57 | 08:43 | 07:49 | - |
min/km: Average pace per kilometre, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss).
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 11:01 | 09:01 | 07:40 | 06:43 | 06:02 | - |
| 15 | 09:42 | 07:57 | 06:45 | 05:55 | 05:18 | 04:09 |
| 20 | 09:01 | 07:24 | 06:17 | 05:30 | 04:56 | 04:00 |
| 25 | 09:01 | 07:24 | 06:17 | 05:30 | 04:56 | 04:00 |
| 30 | 09:12 | 07:33 | 06:25 | 05:37 | 05:02 | 04:00 |
| 35 | 09:32 | 07:49 | 06:38 | 05:49 | 05:13 | 04:04 |
| 40 | 09:53 | 08:06 | 06:53 | 06:02 | 05:25 | - |
| 45 | 10:16 | 08:25 | 07:09 | 06:16 | 05:37 | - |
| 50 | 10:41 | 08:45 | 07:26 | 06:31 | 05:51 | - |
| 55 | 11:05 | 09:05 | 07:43 | 06:46 | 06:04 | - |
| 60 | 11:31 | 09:26 | 08:01 | 07:01 | 06:18 | - |
| 65 | 12:06 | 09:55 | 08:26 | 07:23 | 06:37 | - |
| 70 | 12:43 | 10:25 | 08:52 | 07:45 | 06:58 | - |
| 75 | 13:37 | 11:10 | 09:29 | 08:18 | 07:27 | - |
| 80 | 15:19 | 12:33 | 10:40 | 09:21 | 08:23 | - |
| 85 | 18:29 | 15:09 | 12:52 | 11:16 | 10:07 | - |
| 90 | 22:59 | 18:50 | 16:01 | 14:01 | 12:35 | - |
min/mile: Average pace per mile, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss).
| Beginner | Faster than 5% of runners. |
|---|---|
| Novice | Faster than 20% of runners. |
| Intermediate | Faster than 50% of runners. |
| Advanced | Faster than 80% of runners. |
| Elite | Faster than 95% of runners. |
Strength Level introduced these exact Beginner-to-Elite percentile boundaries in 2015. See how the standards evolved.
Running Level analysed 19,959 qualifying results from 123,303 community results submitted by 63,655 Running Level users from 2020 to 2026 to produce our 1k run time standards. We will continue to update them as more community data becomes available. See our standards timeline.
| Community results | 123,303 |
|---|---|
| Community users | 63,655 |
| Qualifying results | 19,959 |
| Male results | 16,277 |
| Female results | 3,682 |
| Data start | |
| Data cutoff | |
| Model generated |
Qualifying results are retained after checks for implausible data, duplicates, and unusual or automated submission patterns. Learn more about qualifying results.
The old average finish time for 1k was 04:11 across all ages and genders, 03:56 for men (now 19.9% faster) and 04:35 for women (now 17.4% faster).
| Level | Previous | Current | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 05:35 | 04:38 | -16.9% |
| Novice | 04:37 | 03:50 | -17.3% |
| Intermediate | 03:56 | 03:17 | -16.6% |
| Advanced | 03:26 | 02:53 | -15.6% |
| Elite | 03:04 | 02:37 | -14.6% |
| Level | Previous | Current | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 06:20 | 05:36 | -11.5% |
| Novice | 05:20 | 04:36 | -13.9% |
| Intermediate | 04:35 | 03:54 | -14.8% |
| Advanced | 04:02 | 03:25 | -15.1% |
| Elite | 03:37 | 03:04 | -15.1% |
We created these previous standards on and last updated them (see archive.org).
| Record | Age Category | Name | Time | Date | Age | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best | 15-19 | Abubaker Kaki | 02:13.93 | 22 Jul 2008 | 19 | WA |
| Best | 20-24 | Emmanuel Wanyonyi | 02:11.83 | 10 Jul 2026 | 21 | WA |
| Best | 25-29 | Festus Lagat | 02:12.96 | 2 Sep 2025 | 28 | WA |
| Best | 30-34 | Jake Wightman | 02:12.77 | 10 Jul 2026 | 31 | WA |
| WR | - | Emmanuel Wanyonyi | 02:11.83 | 10 Jul 2026 | - | W1 |
| Record | Age Category | Name | Time | Date | Age | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 15-19 | Audrey Werro | 02:34.89 | 17 Jun 2023 | 19 | W2 |
| Best | 20-24 | Maria de Lurdes Mutola | 02:29.34 | 25 Aug 1995 | 22 | WA |
| Best | 25-29 | Svetlana Masterkova | 02:28.98 | 23 Aug 1996 | 28 | WA |
| Best | 30-34 | Faith Kipyegon | 02:29.21 | 26 Apr 2025 | 31 | WA |
| Best | 35-39 | Maricica Puică | 02:31.50 | 1 Jun 1986 | 35 | WA |
| WR | - | Svetlana Masterkova | 02:28.98 | 23 Aug 1996 | - | W1 |
The Running Level Calculator can show your exact level of running performance at any age.