Which is more common, having a mile PR under 5:00, or having a marathon PR under 3:00?

I no longer run (hip replacement), but I was a decent runner as part of the Ann Arbor Track Club years ago. One data point is my own experience. I ran several miles under 5 minutes, with the best at 4:42 (indoors at Track & Tennis building). I ran a single marathon in 3:03:33. My best 10K was 34:33, so I should have been able to beat 3 hours in the marathon but never did.

Sounds spot on. 3 hrs is literally slower than the marathon walking record.

Very few people run the mile outside the US, so that's easily the marathon

Both are not impressive. Sub 5 mile is less not impressive.

Wow, for once it's an interesting thread, not the usual mid-d track vs road hobbyjogging crap.

I guess it could be possible to know the total amount of HS students who do track running. sub-5 mile would probably be prevalent between males unless they totally half-ass that one or completely lack any sort of running 'talent'. Let's guess 60%

It could be also possible to learn the number of sub-3 marathoners from public online sources but unfortunately I don't think there's one system to hold all results. Total number of people who run marathons wouldn't make sense too, as sub-3 is only common for males under 50 or so who train somewhat seriously. 'Somewhat seriously' is next to impossible to define strictly.

However if we think globally, I'd bet some money on sub-3. Just because of a technicality really: decent HS runners in so many countries won't run an imperial mile through all of their running days.

In the US, sub-5 has to be more common. As others have mentioned, one demographic is younger than the other and there are more young people are involved in athletics than people who run marathons. Think about all the soccer players who don't run track that probably broke 5 in gym class.

As a case study of 1, I've ran 4:57 and a 1:24:xx half around the same time but haven't ran a marathon. I played soccer and basketball in school and never ran track or xc. I'd give it a 50/50 chance that I run a sub 3 marathon at some point in my life. As of now I've got 1 but not the other.

60%? I bet it's way lower than that even among the guys who show up for the track team. There are a whole bunch of big-boned, fast-twitch sprinters and throwers out there who would have zero chance of ever running sub 5.