How fast are professional 5K runners going? When looking at times from local 5Ks compared to what the pros are posting, it’s easy to classify the gaps of multiple minutes as astounding or otherworldly but it is possible to appreciate the differences in concrete ways.
The current men’s world record for 5000M is 12:35.36, which is 4:03.07 per mile, or 60.43 seconds per 400M (one lap on a standard outdoor track), or 15.11 seconds per 100M. The women’s world record at 5000M is 14:00.21, or 4:30.4 per mile, or 67.22 seconds per 400M, or 16.8 seconds per 100M.
When watching a 5000M on television, because the cameras often are above the track and removed from the thick of the action, it’s difficult to see the sheer speed at which these athletes are running. To complicate it more, often the nature of someone’s stride can disguise how fast they’re going. Some folks have a gait where it looks like they’re on a recovery run yet they’re going at a blistering pace. But, if the cameras move down to ground view, typically the velocity can easily be seen.
What does this have to do with the history of the 5000M? It establishes that it’s not just a three-plus mile race, it’s a red-lining, three-plus mile race. In the meantime, if you are training and game to see what the world record would feel like, you can head to the local track and see how long you’re able to hold that pace.
Sources used:
5000 metres – Wikipedia
List of United States high school national records in track and field – Wikipedia
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