Letsrunners:
I am not including "elite" here because elite is a class that is so well-defined that is provides a definition for itself in most races--unless we know we are elite, we aren't elite.
Having said this, there are other categories of runners who seem to be referred to regularly on letsrun, namely hobby jogger, runner, and athlete.
According to some sites, anything sub-20 is at least pretty freaking fast and respectful.
However, here, it seems that the breakdown of difference is this:
Hobbyjogger:
Time range: 18:00 to infinity for a 5K, or 7:00 mile or slower
Runner:
Mid-pack former XC runner (see: 16:45 for men) or former DIII or DII XC runner. School running can be supplanted by legacy or news article chronicling running.
Athlete:
Won numerous HS XC races. Raced in college. Still races now at the front of the pack. Wins all non-elite divisions.
The reason I ask this question is that, for the last 10 years, I have done over 50 races ranging from 10K to marathon. I, and others in my time range (19:35 5K PR [2015] and 1:41:10 1/2M PR [2016]) seem to not really have anything we do or say respected because we are considered hobby joggers by the mainstay of this site. So, let's find some clarity. What are the actual breaking points of each distinction?