Below you will find the average mile time by age and gender, what counts as a “good” mile, and how the world record compares. The men’s record changed in July 2026.
Average mile time at a glance
| Group | Average pace per mile | Same pace per km | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| All US 5K runners | 12:34 | 7:48 | RunRepeat, 2018 |
| Men (US 5K) | 11:23 | 7:04 | RunRepeat, 2018 |
| Women (US 5K) | 13:19 | 8:16 | RunRepeat, 2018 |
| UK parkrun | 9:30 | 5:54 | The Running Channel, Aug 2025 |
| Australia parkrun | 10:45 | 6:41 | The Running Channel, Aug 2025 |
| USA parkrun | 11:02 | 6:51 | The Running Channel, Aug 2025 |
How we got these numbers: nobody publishes a big data set of one-mile race times for regular people. So we took real average 5K finish times and turned them into pace per mile (a 5K is 3.107 miles). These are paces held for a whole 5K, so a single all-out mile would usually be a bit faster.
Average mile time by age: men
| Age group | Average 5K time | Average pace per mile | Pace per km |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 20 | 31:28 | 10:08 | 6:18 |
| 20–29 | 33:19 | 10:43 | 6:40 |
| 30–39 | 34:36 | 11:08 | 6:55 |
| 40–49 | 35:24 | 11:24 | 7:05 |
| 50–59 | 36:34 | 11:46 | 7:19 |
| 60+ | 40:42 | 13:06 | 8:08 |
Average mile time by age: women
| Age group | Average 5K time | Average pace per mile | Pace per km |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 20 | 38:38 | 12:26 | 7:44 |
| 20–29 | 38:44 | 12:28 | 7:45 |
| 30–39 | 40:13 | 12:57 | 8:03 |
| 40–49 | 41:40 | 13:25 | 8:20 |
| 50–59 | 43:57 | 14:09 | 8:47 |
| 60+ | 48:41 | 15:40 | 9:44 |
Source: RunRepeat’s US 5K stats page (2018 race results, about 2.6 million US 5K finishers that year; parkrun not included). Paces calculated by Run&Grow.
What the tables show: pace slows only a little each decade. A man in his 50s averages about one minute per mile slower than a man in his 20s. Women under 20 and women in their 20s are almost the same. Want the full 5K picture? See our average 5K time by age page.
A slow mile still counts
Run&Grow is a free iPhone run tracker. Every run grows a plant in your garden, whatever your pace. Skip a week? Your garden waits.
Get the free appFree on iPhone · Also on Android
How long does it take to run a mile?
It depends on where you are starting from:
- Brand-new runner, mixing running and walking: often slower than the averages above, and that is fine. The US 5K averages already include lots of walkers and first-timers.
- Regular, casual runner: about 10 to 13 minutes per mile, in line with the race averages.
- Keen club or parkrun regular: often under 10 minutes per mile. The average UK parkrun pace is 9:30.
- World record: 3:42.66 (see below).
Can’t run a full mile without stopping yet? A run-walk plan like our Couch to 5K plan gets most people there in a few weeks. Brand new? Start with how to start running.
What is a good mile time?
There is no official “good” time, but here is a simple way to read your mile using the data above:
| Your mile time | What it means |
|---|---|
| Under 8:00 | Faster than every age-group average on this page |
| 8:00–10:00 | Faster than the US average; about UK parkrun level |
| 10:00–13:00 | Right around the average for most ages |
| 13:00–16:00 | Normal for beginners and run-walkers |
| Over 16:00 | You are moving, and that is what counts |
A good mile time is one that is a bit faster than your last one, or simply one more mile than last week.
Mile world records (as of October 2026)
- Men: 3:42.66 (about 2:18 per km). Josh Kerr (Great Britain), London Diamond League, 18 July 2026. It broke Hicham El Guerrouj’s 3:43.13, which had stood since 7 July 1999 in Rome.
- Women: 4:07.64 (about 2:34 per km). Faith Kipyegon (Kenya), Monaco, 21 July 2023.
The average runner’s mile (12:34) is a bit more than three times slower than the men’s record.
Average mile time in the US, UK and Australia
- US: 12:34 per mile across 5K road races (RunRepeat). USA parkrun runners average 11:02 per mile.
- UK: UK parkrunners average 29:30 for 5K, about 9:30 per mile or 5:54 per km.
- Australia: Aussie parkrunners average 33:25 for 5K, about 10:45 per mile or 6:41 per km. Most Australians think in km, so a “6:40 pace” is very normal.
parkrun averages: The Running Channel (August 2025).
Tip: if your watch shows km, multiply your km pace by 1.609 to get your mile pace. Our pace calculator does it for you, and the race time predictor turns a mile into a 5K or 10K estimate.
How to get your mile time down
- Run more often, mostly easy. Three short easy runs a week beat one hard run.
- Add one faster bit a week. For example 4 to 6 × 1 minute quick, 2 minutes easy.
- Time a mile once a month, not every day. On a track, a mile is about 4 laps (1,609 m).
- Keep showing up. Fitness comes from weeks and months of steady running, not one perfect workout.
That last one is where an app helps. In Run&Grow, every GPS run grows a plant in your garden, so a slow mile counts just as much as a fast one. It reads runs from Apple Health, so runs saved from your Apple Watch or other apps count too. There is no public feed and no pace shaming, and if you skip a week, your garden waits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the average mile time?
- About 12:34 per mile across US 5K races (RunRepeat, 2018 data): 11:23 for men and 13:19 for women. UK parkrun runners average about 9:30 per mile.
- What is the average mile time for a woman?
- 13:19 per mile in US 5K races. By age it ranges from 12:26 (under 20) to 15:40 (60 and over).
- What is the average mile time for a man?
- 11:23 per mile in US 5K races. By age it ranges from 10:08 (under 20) to 13:06 (60 and over).
- Is a 10 minute mile good?
- Yes. A 10:00 mile is faster than the average pace of every age group of US 5K runners, men and women. It is about 6:13 per km.
- What is the fastest mile ever run?
- 3:42.66 by Josh Kerr at the London Diamond League on 18 July 2026 for men, and 4:07.64 by Faith Kipyegon in Monaco on 21 July 2023 for women.
More running stats: average 10K time by age · average half marathon time by age · average marathon time
Keep running, keep growing
Run&Grow turns every run into a plant, so you can see your consistency grow. Free on iPhone, and it reads your runs from Apple Health.
Get the free appFree on iPhone · Also on Android