icon-account icon-glass

Join the community!

We'll keep you up to date with interesting news, product information and offers so you never miss out.

No boring newsletters and we'll never share your address. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Popular Searches

Popular Products

The Lean Protein
Whey protein powder for weight-loss.
The Energy Booster
Pre/intra-workout powder with BCAAs.
The Glow Booster
Collagen supplement for skin.

CATEGORIES

The Average 5K Time - And How To Get Faster

21st December 2020

Fitness

21st December 2020

By Shivraj Bassi

Running 5K is an important achievement for new runners. The distance is manageable yet challenging, and 5K races are popular with runners of all ages and abilities. 

Knowing the average 5K run time allows you to compare your speed with other runners, and puts you on the path to running faster, setting yourself goals and planning your next (or first!) race. 

What’s the average 5K time?

The average time it takes to run a 5K, whether you’re racing or simply jogging by yourself, depends on factors including your age, your gender and how long you’ve been running for. 

A 5K average pace per mile for women is around 13 minutes, and for men it’s 11 minutes. This means the average time to run a 5K for women is around 42 minutes, and for men it’s 35 minutes. 

Runners with more experience may be able to achieve a pace of eight minutes a mile, resulting in a 5K run average time of 26 minutes. If you’re walking a 5K race, you can expect to get from start to finish in around an hour. 

 

Whatever the time you achieve, completing a 5K race is still a great accomplishment - and now you’ve done it once, you can work on becoming faster and stronger. 

The current world records for a 5K, as provided by the International Amateur Athletic Federation IAAF) were both set in 2019. For the women’s race, Sifan Hassan achieved a time of 13 minutes and 44 seconds. For the men’s, Julien Wanders hit a time of 13 minutes 29 seconds. 

Preparing for your first 5K

3.1 miles may appear at first glance like it’s a walk in the park, but for new runners, it’s important to properly prep to achieve the best possible average 5K time. 

Interval training is the best way to prepare. Start with runs of around 25 minutes, divided into internals of running and walking. For example, you could run for two minutes, then walk for one minute, and repeat. By slowly increasing the amount of time you run each time you train, you’ll increase your running distance slowly but surely every week. 

It’s important to support your body while you’re training. Innermost’s The Fit Protein has been formulated exactly for training such as this, and will rehydrate your body and restore energy as well as supporting muscle growth and repair. To go that extra mile, The Energy Booster will help to raise your energy levels, improve your stamina and enable you to push yourself further, all crucial attributes when you’re working on improving your average 5K run time. 

Nootropics can also be a great choice for helping you to focus your mind on the task at hand, and stay honed in on what you want to achieve. Our The Focus Capsules contain research-backed ingredients that help you increase your focus and concentration even when you’re under stress.

Improving your 5K run time

Interval training, mixing up the types of running workouts that you do and incorporating strength and flexibility training to your regime will help you to shave minutes off your average 5K time. 

When you’re out on a run, try switching between the pace and type of running you’re doing. A mix of low-effort jogging, comfortably challenging running and sprinting will keep your body on its toes. 

It’s also crucial to stretch and to properly warm up for your runs, to improve your running efficiency and avoid injuries. 

< Older post Newer post >

Need Expert Advice?

Take the quiz

Take the quiz

If you're not sure where to start, take our 5 minute health consultation to get product recommendations tailored to your goals.
Read more

Other Insights

From the Bedroom to the Gym: Is Your Sex Life Affecting Your Workout Performance?

From the Bedroom to the Gym: Is Your Sex Life Affecting Your Workout Performance?

The relationship between sex and workout performance is one that’s long been debated by scientists and fitness fanatics alike. It’s complicated and multifaceted, so answering the question of whether your sex life is affecting your training is difficult. That said, today we’re going to take a look at a variety of evidence, both academic and anecdotal, as well as several different scenarios and at least try to reduce some of the mystery around the subject. First, it helps to understand what’s actually happening to the body, both physically and psychologically, during both activities.   The Effects of Sex on the Body Sexual activity causes several changes to occur in the body:   Physical Changes That Occur During Sex During sexual activity and the lead up to it, the human body undergoes a process known as the sexual response cycle. This is the case for both males and females, though the cycle can be highly individual and may not be the same each time for each person. Describing the full sexual response cycle is beyond the scope of this article, however it consists of 4 phases: Desire Arousal Orgasm Resolution Factors such as elevated heart rate, increased blood flow and pressure and heightened muscle tension all come into play. If you’d like to read about the sexual response cycle in more detail, check out this great article from Cleveland Clinic.   Psychological Changes That Occur During Sex Several psychological changes occur both during and after sex. Most notable are the release of endorphins and oxytocin, which are associated with improved mood and a better sense of wellbeing. These are also responsible for reduced stress levels, which brings a multitude of additional benefits that are of particular interest to those of us participating in regular training and exercise. Cortisol, the hormone responsible for stress, is catabolic in high levels, meaning it can cause the breakdown of lean tissue. So, whilst it is unclear whether sex itself affects workout performance, the reduction in stress levels it may bring is definitely beneficial for preserving our results!   The Effects of Exercise and Training on the Body Exercise and training also cause the body to undergo a number of changes. These occur both during and after the physical activity. There are in fact a number of similarities in changes that happen during exercise and sex:   Physical Changes That Occur During Exercise The physical changes that happen in the body vary based on the type of exercise being undertaken, however, there are some that are common to exercise in general: Increased heart rate Increased blood flow, especially to the muscles Faster, deeper breathing due to additional oxygen needs Heightened activity within the circulatory, respiratory, musculoskeletal and endocrine systems A full summary of the changes that occur within these systems can be found here. More aerobically demanding exercise will, of course, place greater emphasis on the circulatory and respiratory systems as well as causing fat to be metabolised as an energy source. Resistance training, which often relies more heavily on the lactate and creatine phosphate energy systems, instead promotes greater muscular and endocrine (hormone) activity. Note the common physical changes between sex and exercise here, as they do crossover!   Psychological Changes That Occur During Exercise The psychological changes that occur during exercise are similar to those experienced during sexual activity and are mostly related to the release of endorphins and other ‘feelgood’ hormones. These help to regulate mood, and it is common knowledge that frequent exercise and leading an active, healthy lifestyle promotes a feeling of wellbeing.   Does Sex Affect Our Workouts? This is where things become complicated. Though extensive studies have been done on the subject, the results of these have varied massively. We must also take into account the experience of individuals, and this anecdotal evidence again has huge variance. Let’s look at both:   Sex and Training: What the Science Says Scientific studies on the relationship between sex and training are contradictory at best. There’s no denying the positive benefits of both activities, particularly from a psychological perspective, but as for the effect of sex on actual performance in the gym the results are inconclusive. A study, published in April 2021, by Kirecci, Albayrak and co. examined the effects of sexual activity of 50 men in the 24 hours prior to training on lower body strength. The study measured effects by having the men perform 3 separate squat sessions, each at the same time of day. Each of these sessions occurred after participating in or abstaining from sexual activity the night before. The men performed 5 sets of 5 repetitions of their maximum squat weight during these sessions and the difference in weight lifted was observed. The study concluded that ‘sexual intercourse within 24 hours before exercise [has a] detrimental effect on lower extremity muscle force, which suggests that restricting sexual activity before a short-term activity may be necessary.’ Aside from this study, most others found either no notable relationship between sex and athletic performance. A meta-analysis of 9 crossover studies, conducted by Zavorsky and Brooks and published on 16 September 2022, confirms this. The analysis concluded that ‘The results demonstrate that sexual activity within 30 min to 24 h before exercise does not appear to affect aerobic fitness, musculoskeletal endurance, or strength/power.’ This is perhaps more notable, because these studies incorporated different types of exercise and were not restricted purely to a strength/power based activity like squats.   Anecdotal Evidence: What About the Experiences of Real Gym Goers? The anecdotal evidence is, as expected, highly individualised. However, there tends to be a bias against the results of most studies, particularly in those participating in sports involving strength and aggression. For example, many fighters claim that they perform better when they abstain from sex in the days leading up to a contest. Similarly, bodybuilding forums are full of debate on this topic and many claim they note a significant decrease in motivation to train at maximum intensity after sexual activity. It has been hypothesised that this may be due to a downregulation in testosterone production after sex; during orgasm the mineral zinc is released in the body and this is also a precursor for natural testosterone production in the body and may, therefore, provide some reasoning as to the experience of many trainees.   Key Takeaways The relationship between sex and workout performance will always be a complicated one. The effects of one on the other in terms of physical fitness and, in particular, mental wellbeing, are clear, but when it comes to actual performance this appears to be highly individual. We’d advise doing what feels best for you but not worrying too much about it. Instead, prioritise your nutrition and make sure you’re fuelling your workouts properly. While you’re here, why not take a look at the Innermost range? We’re proud to be completely transparent about the ingredients in our products and we always ensure they’re of the highest quality. Check us out, and be sure to get in touch if you have any questions!
Read more
The Science of Post Workout Recovery: How to Maximise Muscle Growth and Repair

The Science of Post Workout Recovery: How to Maximise Muscle Growth and Repair

Training hard and challenging yourself during your workouts is key to progressing and building muscle, but did you know the true growth happens outside of the gym? To build new muscle effectively, it’s vital to optimise your recovery process, restoring energy and providing your body with the nutrients it needs to grow. Today, we’ll look into what happens to your body post workout and what you can do to maximise your results, leading to faster recovery and better gains.
Read more