Can any average runner run sub 2 40 marathon?

No. The Average is derived at by adding up the times of all participants and dividing by the number of participants. Is is likely over 4 hours.

sub 2 40 wrote:

If so how?

Been stuck at sub 2 55 for two years following pfitz and hansons.

Not sure how I lower it.

Age 38, 68 kg and 178cm tall.

You mean: Can the average 2:55 runner run sub 2:40?

I would say, probably no. It really depends on your 10k speed.

And as far as the "average runner" goes, you are already way better than that already.

You need sub 17 min 5K speed at minimum. So no.

An average young healthy male runner can run one mile at that pace but only with a decent amount of training.

Moo G wrote:

You need sub 17 min 5K speed at minimum. So no.

My 5k time is 18:20. I set it during a marathon training cycle.

How can I go from 18:20;to sub 17?

i'm impressed you ran 2:55 with only 18:20 5K speed honestly.

we need a bot or something that detects the word "average" in a post then demands you define that term for us. by any loose statistical definition of the term, hell no, your average runner cannot run 2:40. not even close. in the club i run with there are less than 10 guys who can break 2:40, and most of them have low 16 5K speed or better (off of mostly marathon-style training).

we can't really give you good advice on how to get better at 5K unless you tell us more about your training history.

I was sort of stuck at 2:54 for years. Got down to 2:47 by just doing (if anything) more bursts and hills runs. Kept at the 14 mi regular run but threw in the 1/2 to 1 mi fartleks.

However. I don't think I would ever have gotten under 2:40. But I was a fun runner and Addict not a serious competitor. You have the fire and the desire? Just stretch out those miles daily and hit the hills! I think you can do it!

The average runner is obese and eats donuts to carb load. They're happy breaking 4 hours. There's probably hundreds of threads asking how the "average runner" can break 3. And now you just took another 20 minutes off that? How are we supposed to help you when you don't understand numbers or the basic arithmetic of averages?

CarlyRaeJepsensMalort wrote:

we need a bot or something that detects the word "average" in a post then demands you define that term for us.

On this message board, "average" means "not in the top 1%." So $250K annual income, $5M net worth, 1400 SAT are all "average."

It's unlikely you'll ever get to 2:40. Sorry.

Take a look at Matt Fitzgerald's Living the Dream. He trained like a pro for a summer to break 2:40, but he was coming in with a faster time to begin with. His experience suggests that 2:45 is around what you can hope for under absolute best conditions, and it would be a tremendous accomplishment by itself.

good news for ya wrote:

The average runner is obese and eats donuts to carb load. They're happy breaking 4 hours. There's probably hundreds of threads asking how the "average runner" can break 3. And now you just took another 20 minutes off that? How are we supposed to help you when you don't understand numbers or the basic arithmetic of averages?

A truly obese person certainly won´t run anything near 4 hours.

The average male runner should be able to go 2:40 or faster. It’s just a touch over 6:00/mile. Any runner who is “committed” to running fast and not just finishing a marathon should be able to get there after a couple years of training.

Average Guy wrote:

The average male runner should be able to go 2:40 or faster. It’s just a touch over 6:00/mile. Any runner who is “committed” to running fast and not just finishing a marathon should be able to get there after a couple years of training.

Peter Snell ran 2.40. I guess he was just another average runner.

Average Guy wrote:

The average male runner should be able to go 2:40 or faster. It’s just a touch over 6:00/mile. Any runner who is “committed” to running fast and not just finishing a marathon should be able to get there after a couple years of training.

Another Letsrunner who is out of touch with reality.

Average Guy wrote:

The average male runner should be able to go 2:40 or faster. It’s just a touch over 6:00/mile. Any runner who is “committed” to running fast and not just finishing a marathon should be able to get there after a couple years of training.

The Average Guy on letsrun is a high school or college kid with some decent track times.

They have no idea how Marathon running works.

My first marathon was 3:15 at age 22. A month later I ran 2:52. Took the winter off, and only managed 3:02 in the spring. Decided to train seriously through the summer, averaging over 40 miles per week, even hit 70 miles one week. Ran 2:47 in September, 2:45 in October, 2:40:30 in November. Couldn't break 2:40, even after getting super serious for months! Just not possible for me.

I feel like sub-2:50, but not sub-2:40, is attainable for anyone willing to run a bunch of miles. After mid-2:40s, genetics prolly factor in for most because someone with great genes would be running 2:30 or better off of 100mpw.

If you're stuck at 2:55, take a year off from the marathon. Did you come to running later in life & just start with the longer stuff? Spend a year training for the mile up to the half. You should be closer to 16:00 than 17:00 for 5k to feel good about breaking 2:40. You need some leg speed to make 6:00 pace feel comfortable. I would see how fast you can get at the mile through the 10k. Probably need 4:40s/16-mid/34-flat to have a shot at 2:39. All approximates, of course.

Definition of average on letsrun: "The time I can run."

CarlyRaeJepsensMalort wrote:

i'm impressed you ran 2:55 with only 18:20 5K speed honestly.

Tinman calculator has 18:20 and 2:56 being equivalent speeds, so makes sense to me. He's probably slightly slow-twitch.