For an intermediate runner, the average time to run 3k is 12:31 for men and 15:02 for women.
A good 3k time is 12:31 for men and 15:02 for women. This is the average 3k time across all ages. Compare your 3k time by age and ability below.
For an intermediate runner, the average time to run 3k is 12:31 for men and 15:02 for women.
| Running Level | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 17:20 | 20:52 |
| Novice | 14:37 | 17:36 |
| Intermediate | 12:31 | 15:02 |
| Advanced | 10:54 | 13:02 |
| Elite | 09:40 | 11:30 |
| Best | 07:17.55 | 08:06.11 |
Time: Finish time for the full distance (seconds below a minute, otherwise mm:ss or hh:mm:ss).
| Running Level | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 05:47 | 06:57 |
| Novice | 04:52 | 05:52 |
| Intermediate | 04:10 | 05:01 |
| Advanced | 03:38 | 04:21 |
| Elite | 03:13 | 03:50 |
| Best | 02:26 | 02:42 |
min/km: Average pace per kilometre, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss).
| Running Level | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 09:18 | 11:12 |
| Novice | 07:50 | 09:27 |
| Intermediate | 06:43 | 08:04 |
| Advanced | 05:51 | 06:59 |
| Elite | 05:11 | 06:10 |
| Best | 03:55 | 04:21 |
min/mile: Average pace per mile, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss).
A good 3k time is 12:31 for men. This is the average time across all ages. The fastest 3k time is 07:17.55 for men.
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 22:20 | 18:50 | 16:07 | 14:02 | 12:28 | - |
| 15 | 18:18 | 15:26 | 13:13 | 11:30 | 10:13 | 07:26.64 |
| 20 | 17:20 | 14:37 | 12:31 | 10:54 | 09:40 | 07:17.55 |
| 25 | 17:20 | 14:37 | 12:31 | 10:54 | 09:40 | 07:23.64 |
| 30 | 17:24 | 14:40 | 12:33 | 10:56 | 09:42 | 07:26.48 |
| 35 | 17:50 | 15:02 | 12:52 | 11:12 | 09:57 | 07:29.00 |
| 40 | 18:24 | 15:31 | 13:17 | 11:34 | 10:16 | 07:42.75 |
| 45 | 19:06 | 16:06 | 13:47 | 12:00 | 10:39 | 08:15.58 |
| 50 | 19:51 | 16:44 | 14:19 | 12:28 | 11:04 | 08:37.94 |
| 55 | 20:39 | 17:25 | 14:54 | 12:59 | 11:31 | 08:55.93 |
| 60 | 21:31 | 18:09 | 15:32 | 13:32 | 12:00 | 09:21.38 |
| 65 | 22:33 | 19:01 | 16:17 | 14:11 | 12:35 | 09:47.40 |
| 70 | 23:53 | 20:09 | 17:15 | 15:01 | 13:20 | 10:38.98 |
| 75 | 25:45 | 21:43 | 18:35 | 16:11 | 14:22 | 10:58.70 |
| 80 | 28:30 | 24:02 | 20:34 | 17:55 | 15:54 | 11:56.25 |
| 85 | 33:00 | 27:50 | 23:49 | 20:45 | 18:25 | 14:09.66 |
| 90 | 40:16 | 33:58 | 29:04 | 25:19 | 22:28 | 16:20.96 |
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 | 07:27 | 06:17 | 05:22 | 04:41 | 04:09 | - |
| 15 | 06:06 | 05:09 | 04:24 | 03:50 | 03:24 | 02:29 |
| 20 | 05:47 | 04:52 | 04:10 | 03:38 | 03:13 | 02:26 |
| 25 | 05:47 | 04:52 | 04:10 | 03:38 | 03:13 | 02:28 |
| 30 | 05:48 | 04:53 | 04:11 | 03:39 | 03:14 | 02:29 |
| 35 | 05:57 | 05:01 | 04:17 | 03:44 | 03:19 | 02:30 |
| 40 | 06:08 | 05:10 | 04:26 | 03:51 | 03:25 | 02:34 |
| 45 | 06:22 | 05:22 | 04:36 | 04:00 | 03:33 | 02:45 |
| 50 | 06:37 | 05:35 | 04:46 | 04:09 | 03:41 | 02:53 |
| 55 | 06:53 | 05:48 | 04:58 | 04:20 | 03:50 | 02:59 |
| 60 | 07:10 | 06:03 | 05:11 | 04:31 | 04:00 | 03:07 |
| 65 | 07:31 | 06:20 | 05:26 | 04:44 | 04:12 | 03:16 |
| 70 | 07:58 | 06:43 | 05:45 | 05:00 | 04:27 | 03:33 |
| 75 | 08:35 | 07:14 | 06:12 | 05:24 | 04:47 | 03:40 |
| 80 | 09:30 | 08:01 | 06:51 | 05:58 | 05:18 | 03:59 |
| 85 | 11:00 | 09:17 | 07:56 | 06:55 | 06:08 | 04:43 |
| 90 | 13:25 | 11:19 | 09:41 | 08:26 | 07:29 | 05:27 |
min/km: Average pace per kilometre, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss).
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 11:59 | 10:06 | 08:39 | 07:32 | 06:41 | - |
| 15 | 09:49 | 08:17 | 07:05 | 06:10 | 05:29 | 04:00 |
| 20 | 09:18 | 07:50 | 06:43 | 05:51 | 05:11 | 03:55 |
| 25 | 09:18 | 07:50 | 06:43 | 05:51 | 05:11 | 03:58 |
| 30 | 09:20 | 07:52 | 06:44 | 05:52 | 05:12 | 04:00 |
| 35 | 09:34 | 08:04 | 06:54 | 06:01 | 05:20 | 04:01 |
| 40 | 09:53 | 08:20 | 07:08 | 06:12 | 05:31 | 04:08 |
| 45 | 10:15 | 08:38 | 07:24 | 06:26 | 05:43 | 04:26 |
| 50 | 10:39 | 08:59 | 07:41 | 06:41 | 05:56 | 04:38 |
| 55 | 11:04 | 09:20 | 08:00 | 06:58 | 06:11 | 04:47 |
| 60 | 11:33 | 09:44 | 08:20 | 07:15 | 06:26 | 05:01 |
| 65 | 12:06 | 10:12 | 08:44 | 07:36 | 06:45 | 05:15 |
| 70 | 12:49 | 10:48 | 09:15 | 08:03 | 07:09 | 05:43 |
| 75 | 13:49 | 11:39 | 09:58 | 08:41 | 07:42 | 05:53 |
| 80 | 15:17 | 12:54 | 11:02 | 09:37 | 08:32 | 06:24 |
| 85 | 17:42 | 14:56 | 12:47 | 11:08 | 09:53 | 07:36 |
| 90 | 21:36 | 18:13 | 15:36 | 13:35 | 12:03 | 08:46 |
min/mile: Average pace per mile, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss).
A good 3k time is 15:02 for women. This is the average time across all ages. The fastest 3k time is 08:06.11 for women.
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 25:27 | 21:28 | 18:20 | 15:54 | 14:02 | - |
| 15 | 22:25 | 18:54 | 16:09 | 14:00 | 12:21 | 08:28.83 |
| 20 | 20:52 | 17:36 | 15:02 | 13:02 | 11:30 | 08:06.11 |
| 25 | 20:52 | 17:37 | 15:02 | 13:02 | 11:30 | 08:08.95 |
| 30 | 21:19 | 17:59 | 15:22 | 13:19 | 11:45 | 08:07.04 |
| 35 | 22:02 | 18:36 | 15:52 | 13:46 | 12:09 | 08:23.23 |
| 40 | 22:48 | 19:14 | 16:25 | 14:14 | 12:34 | 09:01.10 |
| 45 | 23:37 | 19:56 | 17:01 | 14:45 | 13:01 | 09:17.27 |
| 50 | 24:30 | 20:40 | 17:39 | 15:18 | 13:30 | 09:47.20 |
| 55 | 25:24 | 21:26 | 18:18 | 15:52 | 14:00 | 10:03.90 |
| 60 | 26:22 | 22:15 | 19:00 | 16:28 | 14:32 | 10:28.76 |
| 65 | 27:43 | 23:23 | 19:58 | 17:19 | 15:17 | 11:19.82 |
| 70 | 29:26 | 24:50 | 21:12 | 18:23 | 16:13 | 12:13.12 |
| 75 | 31:53 | 26:54 | 22:58 | 19:55 | 17:34 | 12:38.84 |
| 80 | 35:52 | 30:16 | 25:50 | 22:24 | 19:46 | 14:27.49 |
| 85 | 42:30 | 35:52 | 30:37 | 26:33 | 23:25 | 16:39.15 |
| 90 | 52:40 | 44:26 | 37:56 | 32:53 | 29:01 | 19:28.87 |
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 | 08:29 | 07:09 | 06:07 | 05:18 | 04:41 | - |
| 15 | 07:28 | 06:18 | 05:23 | 04:40 | 04:07 | 02:50 |
| 20 | 06:57 | 05:52 | 05:01 | 04:21 | 03:50 | 02:42 |
| 25 | 06:57 | 05:52 | 05:01 | 04:21 | 03:50 | 02:43 |
| 30 | 07:06 | 06:00 | 05:07 | 04:26 | 03:55 | 02:42 |
| 35 | 07:21 | 06:12 | 05:17 | 04:35 | 04:03 | 02:48 |
| 40 | 07:36 | 06:25 | 05:28 | 04:45 | 04:11 | 03:00 |
| 45 | 07:52 | 06:39 | 05:40 | 04:55 | 04:20 | 03:06 |
| 50 | 08:10 | 06:53 | 05:53 | 05:06 | 04:30 | 03:16 |
| 55 | 08:28 | 07:09 | 06:06 | 05:17 | 04:40 | 03:21 |
| 60 | 08:47 | 07:25 | 06:20 | 05:29 | 04:51 | 03:30 |
| 65 | 09:14 | 07:48 | 06:39 | 05:46 | 05:06 | 03:47 |
| 70 | 09:49 | 08:17 | 07:04 | 06:08 | 05:24 | 04:04 |
| 75 | 10:38 | 08:58 | 07:39 | 06:38 | 05:51 | 04:13 |
| 80 | 11:57 | 10:05 | 08:37 | 07:28 | 06:35 | 04:49 |
| 85 | 14:10 | 11:57 | 10:12 | 08:51 | 07:48 | 05:33 |
| 90 | 17:33 | 14:49 | 12:39 | 10:58 | 09:40 | 06:30 |
min/km: Average pace per kilometre, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss).
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 13:39 | 11:31 | 09:50 | 08:32 | 07:31 | - |
| 15 | 12:01 | 10:09 | 08:40 | 07:30 | 06:38 | 04:33 |
| 20 | 11:12 | 09:27 | 08:04 | 06:59 | 06:10 | 04:21 |
| 25 | 11:12 | 09:27 | 08:04 | 07:00 | 06:10 | 04:22 |
| 30 | 11:26 | 09:39 | 08:14 | 07:09 | 06:18 | 04:21 |
| 35 | 11:49 | 09:58 | 08:31 | 07:23 | 06:31 | 04:30 |
| 40 | 12:14 | 10:19 | 08:49 | 07:38 | 06:44 | 04:50 |
| 45 | 12:40 | 10:41 | 09:08 | 07:55 | 06:59 | 04:59 |
| 50 | 13:08 | 11:05 | 09:28 | 08:12 | 07:14 | 05:15 |
| 55 | 13:38 | 11:30 | 09:49 | 08:31 | 07:31 | 05:24 |
| 60 | 14:09 | 11:56 | 10:11 | 08:50 | 07:48 | 05:37 |
| 65 | 14:52 | 12:33 | 10:43 | 09:17 | 08:12 | 06:05 |
| 70 | 15:47 | 13:19 | 11:22 | 09:52 | 08:42 | 06:33 |
| 75 | 17:06 | 14:26 | 12:19 | 10:41 | 09:26 | 06:47 |
| 80 | 19:14 | 16:14 | 13:52 | 12:01 | 10:36 | 07:45 |
| 85 | 22:48 | 19:14 | 16:25 | 14:14 | 12:34 | 08:56 |
| 90 | 28:15 | 23:50 | 20:21 | 17:39 | 15:34 | 10:27 |
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 15,482 qualifying results from 103,082 community results submitted by 55,405 Running Level users from 2020 to 2026 to produce our 3k run time standards. We will continue to update them as more community data becomes available. See our standards timeline.
| Community results | 103,082 |
|---|---|
| Community users | 55,405 |
| Qualifying results | 15,482 |
| Male results | 12,112 |
| Female results | 3,370 |
| 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 3k was 13:57 across all ages and genders, 13:05 for men (now 4.6% faster) and 15:13 for women (now 1.3% faster).
| Level | Previous | Current | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 18:24 | 17:20 | -5.8% |
| Novice | 15:21 | 14:37 | -4.8% |
| Intermediate | 13:05 | 12:31 | -4.4% |
| Advanced | 11:25 | 10:54 | -4.6% |
| Elite | 10:12 | 09:40 | -5.2% |
| Level | Previous | Current | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 20:44 | 20:52 | +0.6% |
| Novice | 17:37 | 17:36 | 0.0% |
| Intermediate | 15:13 | 15:02 | -1.3% |
| Advanced | 13:25 | 13:02 | -2.9% |
| Elite | 12:03 | 11:30 | -4.6% |
We created these previous standards on and last updated them (see archive.org).
| Record | Age Category | Name | Time | Date | Age | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best | 15-19 | Jacob Kiplimo | 07:26.64 | 17 Sep 2020 | 19 | WA |
| Best | 20-24 | Jakob Ingebrigtsen | 07:17.55 | 25 Aug 2024 | 23 | WA |
| Best | 25-29 | Yomif Kejelcha | 07:23.64 | 17 Sep 2023 | 26 | WA |
| Best | 30-34 | Andreas Almgren | 07:26.48 | 16 May 2026 | 30 | WA |
| WR | 35-39 | Bernard Lagat | 07:29.00 | 29 Aug 2010 | 35 | W1 |
| WR | 40-44 | Bernard Lagat | 07:42.75 | 14 Jul 2015 | 40 | W1 |
| WR | 45-49 | Vyacheslav Shabunin | 08:15.58 | 15 Jul 2015 | 45 | W1 |
| WR | 50-54 | Antoni Bernadó | 08:37.94 | 14 Jul 2018 | 51 | W1 |
| WR | 55-59 | Peter van der Velden | 08:55.93 | 27 Jul 2024 | 55 | W1 |
| WR | 60-64 | Yoshitsugu Iwanaga | 09:21.38 | 26 Sep 2020 | 60 | W1 |
| WR | 65-69 | Derek Turnbull | 09:47.40 | 8 Feb 1992 | 65 | W1 |
| WR | 70-74 | Eddy Vierendeels | 10:38.98 | 28 Jun 2023 | 70 | W1 |
| WR | 75-79 | Cees Stolwijk | 10:58.70 | 28 Aug 2025 | 75 | W1 |
| WR | 80-84 | Jose Vicente Rioseco Lopez | 11:56.25 | 4 Sep 2021 | 80 | W1 |
| WR | 85-89 | Jean-Louis Esnault | 14:09.66 | 9 Jul 2025 | 85 | W1 |
| WR | 90-94 | David Carr | 16:20.96 | 23 Jun 2022 | 90 | W1 |
| WR | - | Jakob Ingebrigtsen | 07:17.55 | 25 Aug 2024 | - | W2 |
| Record | Age Category | Name | Time | Date | Age | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 15-19 | Zola Budd | 08:28.83 | 7 Sep 1985 | 19 | W3 |
| Best | 20-24 | Junxia Wang | 08:06.11 | 13 Sep 1993 | 20 | WA |
| Best | 25-29 | Agnes Jebet Ngetich | 08:08.95 | 10 Jul 2026 | 25 | WA |
| Best | 30-34 | Faith Kipyegon | 08:07.04 | 16 Aug 2025 | 31 | WA |
| Best | 35-39 | Edith Masai | 08:23.23 | 19 Jul 2002 | 35 | WA |
| WR | 40-44 | Joanne Pavey | 09:01.10 | 4 Jun 2014 | 40 | W1 |
| WR | 45-49 | Yekaterina Podkopayeva | 09:17.27 | 22 Jun 1997 | 45 | W1 |
| WR | 50-54 | Gitte Karlshøj | 09:47.20 | 19 May 2009 | 50 | W1 |
| WR | 55-59 | Silke Schmidt | 10:03.90 | 10 Jul 2015 | 55 | W1 |
| WR | 60-64 | Clare Elms | 10:28.76 | 5 Jul 2026 | 62 | W1 |
| WR | 65-69 | Maryse Le Gallo | 11:19.82 | 4 May 2025 | 65 | W1 |
| WR | 70-74 | Angela Copson | 12:13.12 | 1 Sep 2018 | 70 | W1 |
| WR | 75-79 | Sarah Roberts | 12:38.84 | 13 Jul 2025 | 75 | W1 |
| WR | 80-84 | Yoko Nakano | 14:27.49 | 27 Oct 2017 | 81 | W1 |
| WR | 85-89 | Yoko Nakano | 16:39.15 | 23 Oct 2021 | 85 | W1 |
| WR | 90-94 | Yoko Nakano | 19:28.87 | 28 Jun 2026 | 90 | W1 |
| WR | - | Wang Junxia | 08:06.11 | 13 Sep 1993 | - | W2 |
The Running Level Calculator can show your exact level of running performance at any age.