Yeah, as others have said, it depends where. In many cities in CA, and probably larger "markets" generally (Chicago, NYC, etc.), for males you need to be sub-16 to win your age group for 5k (age 40-50).
I ran in the low 17s as a 40+ old and got my butt handed to me regularly in the S.F. Bay Area in the 70s. Some 45+ guys! Have standards gone down?
Most of the strongest endurance athletes in California pivoted to cycling. As a runner, I went from schlub to godly simply by moving from Boston to SF (now I've drifted back toward schlubliness, unfortunately)
To each his own, but a serious, fit and competitive runner that is 40-45 years old is not thinking about finishing in the top 1% of those over 40 when they race in most road races in the US, They are thinking about finishing in the top 1% overall.
Otherwise, when you consider all Masters runners over 40 years old (that includes the 50+, 60+ runners too) that finished a 5k race, a sub 20 time is in the top 1%.
Seems like just about all the 5k's in my area have winning masters times in the 18's or 19's. Would a sub 20 5k for a 40 year old put you in the top 1 percent of masters runners?
I don’t think so. In my area lots of guys in their 40’s (even 50’s) running well under 20 minutes. I ran under 15 mins in my early 40’s and still not sure I was even in the top 1 percent.
The question is, 99th of what population? The world’s population? It’s probably 21 minutes, because most 40 year olds aren’t even runners! Slightly more than half are women.
Of those that are runners, few care to race.
Among runners, maybe 19-something.
Among runners who actually care enough to race 5ks, probably 18-something.
Among people who travel to race at Carlsbad, sub-16.
Seems like just about all the 5k's in my area have winning masters times in the 18's or 19's. Would a sub 20 5k for a 40 year old put you in the top 1 percent of masters runners?
I don’t think so. In my area lots of guys in their 40’s (even 50’s) running well under 20 minutes. I ran under 15 mins in my early 40’s and still not sure I was even in the top 1 percent.
Brilliant, how can a running forum have so many people who have no idea about running on it?
Obviously depends on what you are comparing, but I'm over 40 and recently raced in a highly-competitive 10k road race. I finished well under 33:00, but was only the forth master, and third place was almost a full minute ahead of me. So there are definitely some fast 40-year olds out there, and a 19:XX 5k equivalent wouldn't have been remotely close to the top 1% in that field -- I think five masters in my running club went sub-35:00 in that race!
Top 1% of all 40-year-old men who race competitively? Probably somewhere in the mid 16:00 range. Top 1% of all living humans aged 40 and older (i.e., regardless of age, sex, or involvement in athletics, all living humans not younger than 40)? My wild @ss guess would be about a half hour. (More than half of all living humans aged 40 and older are women; about half of them are well over 60 ears old, and the vast majority do not run.)
obviously not a comprehensive list but shows rankings based on registered masters. Track 5k i believe. if i was a sub 15 guy right now i would register. As is I would be in the 100-150 range for my age.
Sub 20 LOL. In Manchester alone I can think of 50+ 40 year olds who are still running 14 minute 5Ks.
Manchester, England? There aren't 50+ 40 year olds running 14-minute 5ks in the entire UK. Nor in the entire USA. Probably not in both countries combined for that matter.
But if you want to stubbornly stick with this absurdity, go ahead and list all the ones you can think of.
Bekele is 40, Farah 39, even Kipchoge already 37. And you talk about sub20 5k...?
In 2018, a net worth of $872,000 would put someone in the top 1% globally. If at that time, Bezos had another $10 billion and Musk another $20 billion, the amount needed for a person to be in the top 1% globally would have been ... $872,000.
If the world masters record in 5K gets smashed by 45 seconds tomorrow, everyone currently in the top 1% will still be in the top 1%, regardless what the time threshold is for that (assuming, reasonably, that the new WR holder is not running his first race or making the phenomenal leap from outside the top 1%).
world population is 7.7 billion. say 30% are 40 plus so 2.3 billion. half male so 1.15 Billion. 1% try to stay active so 11.55 million runners age 40 +
top 1 % of those runners would be 115,000
so even halving that what time would put you in top 57,000 guys over 40?
As is 57k is top 1/2% of the top 1% of the general population of men over 40. now what does that mean in terms of time? Idk. there certainly not 57k running under 15 or even 16. Sub 17 i think perhaps.
Sub 20 LOL. In Manchester alone I can think of 50+ 40 year olds who are still running 14 minute 5Ks.
Manchester, England? There aren't 50+ 40 year olds running 14-minute 5ks in the entire UK. Nor in the entire USA. Probably not in both countries combined for that matter.
But if you want to stubbornly stick with this absurdity, go ahead and list all the ones you can think of.
In 2021...
for 40-44, only 10 people recorded sub 15 road 5k for 45-49, only 2 people recorded sub 15 road 5k for 50-54, zero people recorded sub 15 road 5k
Manchester, England? There aren't 50+ 40 year olds running 14-minute 5ks in the entire UK. Nor in the entire USA. Probably not in both countries combined for that matter.
But if you want to stubbornly stick with this absurdity, go ahead and list all the ones you can think of.
In 2021...
for 40-44, only 10 people recorded sub 15 road 5k for 45-49, only 2 people recorded sub 15 road 5k for 50-54, zero people recorded sub 15 road 5k