What is a respectable 10km run time on the track in competition?

Have been roped into something and I need to decide what’s doable.

A respectable time is under 40 minutes, however a good time for a beginner is under an hour.

I guess it depends on who your competing against as to what’s respectable, but about 35 minutes for a fast club runner to about 45 minutes for a not fast club runner.

I do a 10k in about 40’30” so faster than that is respectable LOL

A respectable time is under 40 minutes, however a good time for a beginner is under an hour.

Quite pleased with my first ever 10k on the road last year then at the age of 52 – 43:51

For me, about five or six hours. That includes a pub lunch though.

I did 42 last week, I’m training for my 2nd marathon…sounds ok then.

Hoping for under 3:15

I’ve done 35:30 on the road. Would be very disappointed if somebody of your undoubted talents couldn’t better that on a track.

Have a look at age grading too. The athletics bodies often use this and it normalises your performance over different ages:-

http://www.goodrunguide.co.uk/AgeGrading.asp

Track 10k’s are harder than road ones. They always feel more intense and they are often run by more serious athletes and given that its a track and not a road the number of runners will be very low which means you may not have a group to run with.
I have ran in a handful (lots of road ones) and they are quite rare and often only county level upwards.
Basically 30+ minutes of pain.

Enjoy 🙂

Under 40, call yourself fit.
Under 36, call yourself a runner
Under 32, call yourself an athlete
Under 30, call yourself whatever you like 😀

Extra points for doing it on a track, as most people can’t stand the mental side of it

According to you then my 32:20 doesnt qualify me as an “athlete” I beg to differ. Even 40 min runners are “athletes” if they are trying to be 39 min runners in my book.

I was quite pleased with my 48 minutes on the road this morning. I’m neither an athlete nor particularly fit, but it made be feel good – quickest I’ve run on my own. Jota180 – that’s outstanding.

the 40min mark for a 10k cross country is usually around the top 10%

The Swedish Chef – that would put some very very good runners out of the athlete category.

According to you then my 32:20 doesnt qualify me as an “athlete”

Nope, but it means you’re freaking excellent runner, who would likely place or top 10 in all but regional races upwards.

The Swedish Chef – that would put some very very good runners out of the athlete category.

It would, so let me explain.

I’ve had the privilege to meet a number of excellent runners, and also a fair few “athletes” from various sports, running, cycling, rowing, tri. If we’re talking gross generalizations, and we are ’cause this is an internet forum and not face to face, then I’d say the difference between an “athlete” and someone who is very good at their sport is their ability to excel at other sports. Unfortunately a fair few excellent runners can not lift their own body weight etc, and thus fail when attempting others sports. Athletes usually excel.

Where that border is I’ve no idea, but to go sub 32 for 10km, you normally need to train like an athlete rather than simply bang out miles day after day.

Not wanting to offend someone, just giving an opinion.

Reading that makes me feel so much better – laid up with a knacked Achilles after trying (repeatedly admittedly) to get under 52 minutes and failing – I think I should give up with the running!

Nah, 52’s still a good time.
I think to some extent this is the equivalent of looking at what’s a respectable time for a 25 mile cycling time trial. You’ll get answers that most cyclists won’t be able to achieve, but that doesn’t stop most people from carrying on riding. Though I guess part of the difference is that most cyclists don’t care what a good time for a 25 mile TT is. 🙂

I’ve had the privilege to meet a number of excellent runners, and also a fair few “athletes” from various sports, running, cycling, rowing, tri. If we’re talking gross generalizations, and we are ’cause this is an internet forum and not face to face, then I’d say the difference between an “athlete” and someone who is very good at their sport is their ability to excel at other sports. Unfortunately a fair few excellent runners can not lift their own body weight etc, and thus fail when attempting others sports. Athletes usually excel.

Where that border is I’ve no idea, but to go sub 32 for 10km, you normally need to train like an athlete rather than simply bang out miles day after day.

OTOH I know quite a lot of people who excel at multiple sports (at my best I wasn’t all that shabby myself), including several world champions, but I don’t think any of them has run sub 32 for a 10k. Of course these people would describe themselves as multi-sport athletes rather than runners.

If we’re going to get into the realms of who we know who has the fastest 10km PB, my former coach has a pretty good one of 28:16, but then he is Steve Ovett.

But I’ve beaten Steve Ovett in a race.
Fairford Duathlon, 9th May 1993.
Me 2 hr 6 min 35 sec ( for 5KM run, 40 Km bike 10 Km run
Steve 2:09:29

And I was 2 minutes faster in the last 10km run (but he did beat me in the 5km)

i know nothing about this track malarky but wouldnt mind knowing the following.

today i ran a 10k in 59min, yes a staggeringly slow 59 mins but it was off road and in wet, mud and with a total elevation of 168m and had to jump over 2 fences..

So for the average joe, how much slower does running hills make you than running on a track or flat road race?

for every 100 meter of elevation , you would gain 1 minute on a flat course .

hmm maybe for a hilly road run, but i can shave more than 1.6 mins for sure.
so how much slower is running off road (singletrack stuff with mud and branches) that on road? approximately?

for every 100 meter of elevation , you would gain 1 minute on a flat course .

That’s bollox.

There is no comparison.

Off road courses have so many variables there’s no point even comparing times from one course to another.

so how much slower is running off road (singletrack stuff with mud and branches) that on road? approximately?

15.23%

I meant for a 10k run , not comparing road and off road .

What’s doable? If you’ve got a GPS with speed on it try this:

Start running, warm up and then very slowly accelerate increasing your speed by about 0.5kmh every minute or so. When you can’t go any faster note the speed. Knock off 2 or 3kmh and you should be able to run a 10km at that speed.

Edit: Max aerobic speed minus a bit for 10km

@swedish chef. What does “being able to excel at other sports” mean? I dont think you know what you are talking about.
By definition serious sports people are not interested in “other sports” (multi eventers excepted) you determine performance by well …. Err…. Performance in your chosen sport. Many runners can lift their own weight but that is largely a function of their low body weight. I also ran with a 28:15 10k runner in the 90’s and I am sure he couldn’t lift his body weight.

@SBZ I wasn’t aware Ovett coached.

I’d say the difference between an “athlete” and someone who is very good at their sport is their ability to excel at other sports.

On that basis I’d better inform my running coach that despite competing at the olympics, he’s not actually an athlete. 🙄

On the basis of running a gentle 10k in 43:51 this morning, I’m clearly not fit 🙁

However I did cycle 25km first and this was only my 3rd run of the year, so I’m not too upset.

Cheers, Rich

The question remains.

After receiving all of this wisdom, what will SBZ’s stated goal be? My guess is sub 34:00.

Matt

I have done 35:57 on (an undulating) road.
However, I occasionally train with guys who can do 29mins and I feel quite slow…

After receiving all of this wisdom, what will SBZ’s stated goal be?

trolling is being remarkably coy about his personal target

I believe TZF’s been banned for inciting racism

I’ve just been working out shift rota’s with my 52 yo female boss, who is a regular club runner. One of the shifts clashed with her doing the Derby 10k road run, and during the conversation she told me she had done last years in 41 mins 😯

Pick the right events and you’d be top 10-ish at 35 mins on the road, so I’d say that’s not too shabby.

Pick the right events and you’d be top 10-ish at 35 mins on the road, so I’d say that’s not too shabby.

I managed top 10 with a 37 last time I ran one (would have made the podium with a 35).

my mate ritchie does it in 28 someat but hes on target to kick the brownless butts….hes a pro triathlete btw..thats better than liz mccolgans record time,good effort

scaredypants – Member
I believe TZF’s been banned for inciting racism

That would be utter drivel.

I was banned for two days for starting a thread on racism which asked if calling an Arab “Arab” as a nickname would be considered racist (it isnt racist by the way). The usual suspects shat the bed and I was banned for trolling. Given that Eselgruntfuttock’s much more racist thread remained after I was banned I told the mods to delete my account or ban me for life. Their response to this was to give me a 1000yr and 8 month ban.

My aim is to get under 35mins for 10km on the track for the Olympic test event at the Olympic statium in May. It’s doable with a lot of hard work. But I’ll have plenty time to do that hard work.

Cheerio.