A good mile time is one that grades at 70% or better for your age and sex, and the tables below show what that is in minutes and seconds.
Men: Mile times by age
| Age | 50% Beginner | 60% OK | 70% Good | 80% Excellent | 90% Awesome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 7:34 | 6:18 | 5:24 | 4:44 | 4:12 |
| 25 | 7:34 | 6:18 | 5:24 | 4:44 | 4:12 |
| 30 | 7:35 | 6:19 | 5:25 | 4:44 | 4:13 |
| 35 | 7:51 | 6:33 | 5:37 | 4:54 | 4:22 |
| 40 | 8:09 | 6:47 | 5:49 | 5:05 | 4:32 |
| 45 | 8:28 | 7:03 | 6:03 | 5:17 | 4:42 |
| 50 | 8:48 | 7:20 | 6:17 | 5:30 | 4:53 |
| 55 | 9:10 | 7:39 | 6:33 | 5:44 | 5:06 |
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| 60 | 9:35 | 7:59 | 6:50 | 5:59 | 5:19 |
| 65 | 10:01 | 8:21 | 7:09 | 6:16 | 5:34 |
| 70 | 10:31 | 8:46 | 7:31 | 6:34 | 5:51 |
| 75 | 11:18 | 9:25 | 8:04 | 7:03 | 6:16 |
| 80 | 12:33 | 10:27 | 8:58 | 7:50 | 6:58 |
Women: Mile times by age
| Age | 50% Beginner | 60% OK | 70% Good | 80% Excellent | 90% Awesome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 8:26 | 7:02 | 6:01 | 5:16 | 4:41 |
| 25 | 8:26 | 7:02 | 6:01 | 5:16 | 4:41 |
| 30 | 8:26 | 7:02 | 6:01 | 5:16 | 4:41 |
| 35 | 8:29 | 7:04 | 6:04 | 5:18 | 4:43 |
| 40 | 8:39 | 7:13 | 6:11 | 5:24 | 4:48 |
| 45 | 8:57 | 7:27 | 6:23 | 5:35 | 4:58 |
| 50 | 9:23 | 7:49 | 6:42 | 5:52 | 5:13 |
| 55 | 9:55 | 8:16 | 7:05 | 6:12 | 5:31 |
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| 60 | 10:31 | 8:46 | 7:31 | 6:35 | 5:51 |
| 65 | 11:12 | 9:20 | 8:00 | 7:00 | 6:13 |
| 70 | 11:58 | 9:59 | 8:33 | 7:29 | 6:39 |
| 75 | 12:52 | 10:43 | 9:11 | 8:02 | 7:09 |
| 80 | 13:55 | 11:36 | 9:56 | 8:42 | 7:44 |
Age grading: USATF MLDR 2025 road age-grading standards (version 2025-07-27) by Alan Jones, CC BY 4.0. © the5krunner. Link required.
What to do with this number
- Grade your exact time with the age grade calculator.
- Convert a mile into a 5K pace with the pace calculator.
- Predict longer races from your mile with the race predictor.
- Find interval pace on the VDOT calculator.
- See where a 5K time ranks on good 5K time.
- Follow a 5k training plan to build speed.
Quick answers
What is a good mile time?
A good time grades at 70% or more for your age and sex, which is Good on the scale used here and regional class for World Masters Athletics. At 70% a man runs 5:25 at 30, 5:49 at 40, 6:17 at 50, 6:50 at 60, and a woman runs 6:01 at 30, 6:11 at 40, 6:42 at 50, 7:31 at 60. Check yours exactly with the age grade calculator.
What is an excellent mile time?
An excellent time grades at 80% or more, which is national class for World Masters Athletics. At 80% a man runs 4:44 at 30, 5:05 at 40, 5:30 at 50, 5:59 at 60, and a woman runs 5:16 at 30, 5:24 at 40, 5:52 at 50, 6:35 at 60.
What is the average mile time?
There is no reliable large dataset of road mile finish times, so the best guide is age grade, which ranks you against your age and sex rather than against a crowd.
What is a good mile time for a beginner?
A grade of 55% is Improving and a sensible first target. A 50 year old woman at 55% runs 8:32. Aim for 60%, which is OK, next.
What is a good mile time for a woman?
At 60% (OK) a woman runs 7:02 at 20, 7:02 at 30, 7:13 at 40, 7:49 at 50, 8:46 at 60. At 70% (Good) she runs 6:01 at 20, 6:01 at 30, 6:11 at 40, 6:42 at 50, 7:31 at 60.
What is a good mile time for a man?
At 60% (OK) a man runs 6:18 at 20, 6:19 at 30, 6:47 at 40, 7:20 at 50, 7:59 at 60. At 70% (Good) he runs 5:24 at 20, 5:25 at 30, 5:49 at 40, 6:17 at 50, 6:50 at 60.
Is a 7 minute mile good?
A 7:00 mile is quick for most runners. It grades at 54.2% (Beginner) for a 30 year old man, 62.9% (OK) at 50, 60.2% (OK) for a 30 year old woman and 67.0% (Quite Good) at 50. The scale is tough because 100% is close to world-record level.
Is a 10 minute mile slow?
A 10:00 mile grades at 43.3% (Beginner) for a 40 year old woman and 40.7% (Beginner) for a 40 year old man, which is a solid starting point to build from.
How fast is the world record mile?
World Athletics keeps the current list at its World Athletics records page. Check it there rather than relying on a copied number, because records change.
How can I improve my mile time?
Run intervals of 400 metres at a pace slightly faster than your goal mile pace, with equal rest. Add a weekly longer run so the mile feels easier. The VDOT calculator gives you the interval pace.
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Beet It Sport nitrate shots: Beetroot shots I take in the days before a race. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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