What 5k times are needed to impress Hobby Joggers in your area?

top 5% easy, we might get 10-20 in a field of 2-300 to break 20 in my area [outside USATF events/elite things/sub-elite/sub-sub-elite]

example: in our turkey trot

Our recent shamrock race had a 16:26 winner ugh....

A few years back I was top 5 with a 20:27.

I'm garbage though said every runner below 20:26

I never had the luxury of racing in my 20's....but...in my 30's:

Anything less that 17 minutes is considered really fast in my area.

People called me "the fast guy" when I was mid-17's runner.

I was ignored by everyone when I ran in the 19's....nobody knew my name until I was in 16/17 minute zone after about a year of 50-60mpw.

We do have a large turnout in our area for our Turkey Trot (which is usually 35 degrees). The record is 14:45.

Skinnyfat wrote:

I never had the luxury of racing in my 20's....but...in my 30's:

Anything less that 17 minutes is considered really fast in my area.

People called me "the fast guy" when I was mid-17's runner.

I was ignored by everyone when I ran in the 19's....nobody knew my name until I was in 16/17 minute zone after about a year of 50-60mpw.

We do have a large turnout in our area for our Turkey Trot (which is usually 35 degrees). The record is 14:45.

Since youre a late runner care to share your training ideas and thoughts?

I'm a late bloomer too and always curious to see how people tapped into their talent.

Low 14s here (low 15 for masters).

They will be impressed by a sub 10 minute 5k, if:

1) They see you running at that pace (otherwise they will remember when they broke 5 minutes for the 5k in elementary school, and they won’t be impressed).

2) You are not “skinny fat” (nothing proves an inherent lack of athleticism as much as a lack of muscle fat).

“Who cares if you are fast if you are less than 30% body muscle fat.”

13:00

...but I live in Iten

Hobbyjoggers aren't impressed by 5k times, because 5k is too easy.

Hobbyjoggers don't understand times. Only place impresses. 1st place in 18 minutes? Wow, you're so fast! 3rd place in 15:45? Wow you suck!

Probably sub 16. I live in an active city where there are races pretty much every weekend and the winning 5k times are usually around 16 flat

Hobby Joggers don't care and are not impressed. You're just not that good.

The sad thing is that you wanna be elites are all Jamins, but you just don't know it.

Remember, YOU are a hobbyjogger too. 99.99% of people on this site are hobby joggers.

Back in the day they considered me the best at the 5k in my area. I use to be very quick especially in the 100m. In the 100m I was able to run a 13.62 with spikes.

But that's not the point. What I wanted to say is in order to be the quickest in the 5k you have to know how to do long runs. I use to do long runs all the time and I can tell you I know how to do them. After every long run I use to have a 1hr pegging session to straighten out the back. Because one of my good old friends named henry use to tell me without a straight back and good posture you won't be able to breathe properly.

Now they call me the king of the 5k in my area. But I could not have done it with the support of my good old friend Henry. I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me it means a lot.

Any 5k time that is a BQ is impressive.

I ran 4 consecutive 20 minute 5ks in my half marathon Sunday.

Bobley hit it. Times mean nothing. I had a guy telling me he ran 24 minutes in an 8k that I competed in so I knew that nobody ran that fast. I looked it up to show him the results. He ran 34 minutes but was completely confused and unfazed.

I have a son who is 20 seconds faster than my nephew in the 1600. My jogger brother in law doesn’t pay any attention to times. He is way more impressed when his son wins his small school meet in 4:45 compared to my son finishing 3rd in 4:22 in a large meet.

Saywhat2 wrote:

Skinnyfat wrote:

I never had the luxury of racing in my 20's....but...in my 30's:

Anything less that 17 minutes is considered really fast in my area.

People called me "the fast guy" when I was mid-17's runner.

I was ignored by everyone when I ran in the 19's....nobody knew my name until I was in 16/17 minute zone after about a year of 50-60mpw.

We do have a large turnout in our area for our Turkey Trot (which is usually 35 degrees). The record is 14:45.

Since youre a late runner care to share your training ideas and thoughts?

I'm a late bloomer too and always curious to see how people tapped into their talent.

I think I always had a little bit of endurance. I remember casually going out for an 8 mile run a few times and not having any sort of trouble finishing it. As a teen, I was able to dunk and kick a soccer ball pretty far. Not a world class athlete by any standards but not a sedentary person with bad genetics.

I have found that higher mileage is the way to go and unlike high schoolers and 21-25 year olds, we can't run 40mpw and expect to run low 16's.

I do lots of easy miles at 7:50-8:20 pace and doubles whenever I can cram them in. I did the Summer of Malmo a few times and would highly recommend that. Just going out without a watch and knowing that the distance is prior to and just getting it done and not giving a crap about pace.

I'm also big on combining workouts. Something like 4x1000 at 5K pace with 400m jogs + 4x400 at mile pace with 400m jogs. A while back, I had an elite look at my running log and tell me to do a few 13 mile runs with the last 3 miles at tempo. Results will always vary but just do it by effort.

Unless you're sub 13 then no one cares. I don't know why you think hobby joggers are going to be impressed with your 15 minute 5k and you shouldn't care about what they think anyways.

If I can run 16 minute 5k but all I need is 18 to win why exert myself more when a W is a W?