What percentage of 50 year old's can run 5 miles under 50 minutes?

old’s?

Well, I race walked today 8k (5miles) easily in 44:56 today and I am 56, so ...go figure.

100% in my household.

If you're yanking 50 yr. "old's" off the street and putting them in a time trial; 2%.

A more realistic question would be what percentage of 50-year-olds can even run at all.

Since you lumped both sexes together in your silly random question, the answer is likely less than .001%.

Depends on how bad you need discounted insurance.

I think I could run maybe 5:20 ish? Leg speed has been on the rapid decline. I am fit, and can run, but every year it gets a little harder.

My advice to younger runners. 1. Stretch alot and 2. Keep up on the anaerobic work

Less than 1%

Worldwide, I think nearly ALL men and women born 1968-69, barring those suffering with injuries, illness, deformities or impairments like obesity or lost limbs or lack of aerobic training or poor nutrition, could self-propel, on foot, at 6 mph or faster for 50 minutes.

superoldfart wrote:

My advice to younger runners. 1. Stretch alot and 2. Keep up on the anaerobic work

Interesting, because I have stopped stretching altogether and I have never felt better. Seriously. I am 44 and have had 2 major calf issues in the last few years. Looking back I can say with 99.9% certainly that stretching caused the issues. Basically, when I run speed workouts in spikes, my calves tighten up, almost like a cramp. In my younger days I would just drop them over a curb and stretch them out. But the last two times I have had issues, I ended up ripping my calfs and being out 6-8 weeks.

So, I have switched my approach to tight muscles. I got a portable electric stim machine (TENS unit) and use it whenever I feel tightness in my calves. The start like rocks and 30 minutes later they are soft as butter. No joke.

I have stopped stretching for the last year and have never felt better. I just make sure I warm up longer and slower. For reference, I have run a 5 min mile and 10:24 3k in the last year, so I'm not a LSD guy.

That's not a terribly helpful post in an admittedly silly thread. You might as well say 100% of the 50+ year olds who can do it would be able to do it. And I think you're way off. At 56 I was pleased to finish a recent progression run in 40:00 for 5 miles. Even adding 2:00/mile I look around at my almost slim, healthy, reasonably fit colleagues and know they wouldn't have a chance at cracking 50. Given them a year's training and many would, but nowhere near all of them.

Over 50 and know wrote:

Worldwide, I think nearly ALL men and women born 1968-69, barring those suffering with injuries, illness, deformities or impairments like obesity or lost limbs or lack of aerobic training or poor nutrition, could self-propel, on foot, at 6 mph or faster for 50 minutes.

Er... wrote:

That's not a terribly helpful post in an admittedly silly thread. You might as well say 100% of the 50+ year olds who can do it would be able to do it.

Yeah, that was my intent. Simply because, as you say, it's a silly thread. BTW, at 60, I am also happy to run a 5-mile progression in 40 minutes. Typically something like 9:30, 8:30, 8:00, 7:15, 6:45. Five-mile race, certainly sub-35:00, yes?

I do not think americans know how much fitter other nations folks are.

It's not rocket science wrote:

Less than 1%

+1

Exactly...we're talking 50 year olds not 20 year olds.

Thanks for posting this. It's very interesting.

US: Less than 1 percent.

World: 3 percent.

0.3%