Can any avrage shmo can get to 15 min- 5k

I don't think an average schmo can be gairunteed run 1k in 3 mins or even 500 meters at that pace probably

I believe I can. Need to cut two minutes, or 40 sec a mile. Yikes.

pablo wrote:

These types of threads pop up every so often. It proves how out of touch with reality this message board really is. No average guy can run a 15:00 5k, it takes a combination of talent and hard work. Neither talent, nor hard work is really quantifiable, so the ratios of talent and hard work will differ greatly from person to person. Make no mistake though, to run back-to-back-to-back sub 4:50 miles takes talent. No question about it.

I understand that everyone wants to believe that their sub-15 5k was the result of years (months?) of hard work, and talent had nothing to do with it, but it's so blatantly incorrect.

Sub 15 5k? No, no 'average" schmo is gonna run that in their life. If the average schmo has a current pr of sub20 by the age of 20 years old they might get sub16 before they're 26 and maybe 15:29 by 30 years old but thats it. Talent would have to be there for the rest. Can't really see some random dude training and cranking a sub15 with no background, especially watching those with a solid running background still struggle to break 16 min.

shmo farah wrote:

If by 15 minute 5k you mean 15:xx, then yes I do believe that anyone trained correctly could achieve that. if you mean sub 15 that might be pushing it. Depends what age they're starting at.

You are joking. I wasn't terrible in high-school in England - ran for the county in the national x-country championships; won area schools x-country championship.

As a club runner, I ran 1:57 xx 800m; 4;20 mile; 8:40 3000m, and my best 5000m was 15:20, and that was training very hard.

Even to break 16:00 isn't messing about and seems to win most local 5ks over here, and I really doubt that if you started with a random bunch of (say) 20-year-olds, you would get many of them to stitch together three low 5 min miles, for sub 16:00, let alone 3 x 4:48 for a sub 15.

Yeah run 100mpw for 5 more years and you'll be sub 15 easy

Mileage, idiot wrote:

Yeah run 100mpw for 5 more years and you'll be sub 15 easy

What's Jurek's PR? Karnazes?

The average schmo could break 16 before having to train like a monk and giving up on anything else in life, and here's why.

I'm assuming an average American male because elite women struggle to break 15 and they're, more of often then not, taking something. Most recreational male runners peak at 4:30, give or take 7.5sec., for the Mile and barely under 10 for two miles after 5-7years of serious training, 5k being 15:5x. The biggest limiting factor being lifestyle constraints that don't allow for regular two-three runs a day plus the strength/conditioning, therapy, ice baths, etc.; basically literally working as hard as you possibly could regardless of your worldly life matters, like having a job or social life.

If you could train 'til the cows came home, you've two more years of improvement to look forward to after building that base. That being said, most recreational athletes can't safely run more than 45-60miles a week, maybe 70, even given all the faculties described above. Most rec. runners would get a serious overuse injury. Stringing together 12.5 laps of 4:49.68/mile pace is a tall order for someone who could barely do that for two miles.

Mileage, idiot wrote:

Yeah run 100mpw for 5 more years and you'll be sub 15 easy

Yeah, average guys can probably barely break 1:25 in a 400m but sure, doing 100 miles each weak will sort that out

trollcall wrote:

15min 5k equates to what... a 2:27 marathon......? You think an average schmuck can win just about any local smaller marathon? 15 5k 31 10k 1:12 half 2:27 full is no where near average times man, quit trolling you loser.

Only on LRC are we having this conversation & I'm waiting for 15 to be called slow anyways. I came to running later, cut some weight, and have run 16-low with very structured high mileage training at this point and for the last several years now. My first 5k was 24-high or something like that years ago. I don't think anyone can run 15 but I do think with a lot of hard work people can get somewhat close. It's definitely going to depend on body type/genetics. I think sub-17 is attainable if someone is really willing to put in the work & has no running background & knows they're in it for the long haul. An average person can get down to maybe 17ish & 2:50ish in the marathon if they're willing to put in the miles & respect the process for several years.

15 is a whole different thing. Basically means you could have run at a decent d3 college and have some skill. I don't know if I'll ever crack 16 but I'm going to try. But like others have pointed out once your in the 15s you're talking about a chance at breaking 2:30 in the marathon. 15-flat, maybe an outside shot at an OTQ if you have good endurance.

Canova once said he could train the average shmo to around 33:30 10k/1:15 half and 2:33 marathon if they really want to. So like 16:30 5k.

Canova has seen amazing things that are possible with good training on a much higher level, so it's safe to assume that he can get untalented people at least to a solid level. He believes in his methods and the ability for the human body to adapt to stress.

What people need to understand is that the difference of 16:30, 17:30, 18:30 etc is not really that big. It's like what used to be mile pace becomes 5k pace eventually with some training etc. 15:00 flat is a whole different level, and after any 30s, or even 15s off are a huge deal. It probably takes more work to get from 15:00 to 14:30 than from 19:00 to 16:00 for the same runner.

Cavorty wrote:

Even to break 16:00 isn't messing about and seems to win most local 5ks over here

I see this argument time and time again and can only laugh at it. Local 5k's can be won easily because good runners that train a lot usually don't participate in them. They go to real meets with tough competition. So a local 5k is usually only hobby joggers, most probably run an average of 10 mpw. The top finishers at one of these local 5k's probably average around 30-50 mpw.

After categories like M50 it changes a lot, then the road races are often very competitive, with the top guys posting amazing times for their age.

But most people who are good at running and in their peak performance years, say 16-35 don't have the time / motivation to take part in a random road race, which is why someone can win with a 16 flat 5k. If an actual D1 or D2 or even strong HS runner would show up in those races they wouldn't even be close, would be a one-man-show from start to finish.

Just find a long enough/just steep enough hill. One of my ultra thon bros ran 3:46 downhill mile, he could only do about a 5 minute mile on the track.

The set of all average shmos contains zero elements. Therefore it is true that every single average shmo could get to 15 minutes for 5k. It is equally true that not even one single average shmo could get to 15 minutes for 5k.

And that is relevant how exactly to the question concerning average shmos?

Oh wait, I see your logic. An actual D1 runner could show up at a local 5k and make mincemeat of the competition. Therefore the average shmo could run 15 minute for 5k if properly trained.

How did I miss such fool-proof logic the first read through?

easy weeks wrote:

Womack wrote:

Do you think that with the right training and diet etc, be it long as needed, any average shmo that doesn't have any special physical problems, can get to 15 minutes for 5K?

You are at least five minutes south of realistic. I don't even think the average schmo could run 20:00 even with training. I'd say around 21:00 - 22:00 would be a good time for a national average of all young males, with solid training.

Long term training is a big consideration. But could you take a 65 year old man who is 5-7 and 220 pounds and get him to run 22 minutes? Doubtful Pre, Doubtful. Someone who is 16-45 and has no interest in running would also have a problem even if he was slim.

Ultra thon bro wrote:

Just find a long enough/just steep enough hill. One of my ultra thon bros ran 3:46 downhill mile, he could only do about a 5 minute mile on the track.

That is believable but who saw it and who timed him?

Badmuhfuxker wrote:

I don't think an average schmo can be gairunteed run 1k in 3 mins or even 500 meters at that pace probably

That is a very good point. Some would have trouble running 15 minute 5K pace for 100 metres.

Just how the heck are you going to train that person for sub 15 minute pace!

Kickapoo wrote:

Ultra thon bro wrote:

Just find a long enough/just steep enough hill. One of my ultra thon bros ran 3:46 downhill mile, he could only do about a 5 minute mile on the track.

That is believable but who saw it and who timed him?

Here you go:

hale naw wrote:

I started running when I was 18, and all throughout my 20s, I raced 5ks. My personal best came out to be 17:50. Of course, this was on the roads, so who knows what I could have hit on the track. I am 5'11, and have always weighed right at 150. I am fairly muscular, can bench 180 lbs, and just dip under 60 seconds for the 400. I ran a 5:02 mile as well. I tried my darnedest to train hard and get my 5k down into the 15s. I always dreamed of running a sub 5 mile, let alone 3 of them back to back. Never ever gonna happen for me. I guess if I had an olympic program to get me there it's possible, but I don't think I could handle the training. That's part of the equation as well.

If you could break 1:00 for the quarter, but only a 5:02 mile, perhaps you would benefit from long slow miles, done well slower than anaerobic threshold.