What’s your running pace per km?

[Sodamncold]

I have improved during lockdown and I think (sadly) it’s because ice not been running with friends and so talking!

My routes are fairly hilly. I average 5.18 a Km. Sometimes a km on the route is as low as 4,47 a km but then on the steep climbs can be 6.5 a km.

But my average usually about 5.18

Length 6km - 12km

My son... 9 years old average 4.40 on a 5k run and arrives home not having broken a sweat!

@rookiemere thank you, I'm going to try and speed up after reading this.
Even if I just do the odd 5 minutes it should shave a bit off.
At this stage I'm chuffed to actually run 5k.

Blimey i feel slow compared to you lot! I've been on and off running, and currently my best is about 10.3 mins a km

@BlackLabRules well done. Your pace varies quite a lot; max is around 5 mins per km and slowest k was around 7.5 mins per km. the elevation gain bit is how hilly your route was; obviously that will impact on your pace both up (slower) and down (quicker) and it's not necessarily as simple as the two will balance out. Your overall average pace is pulled down by that slowest km speed (eg did you walk or did you stop or is it a hilly route?)

@BlackLabRules sorry, not slowest, but average km was about 7.5 min per km. you could easily build your speed up (if you wanted to) by doing intervals at that faster pace. If you use a Fitbit or similar app you can change it so it gives you chimes at certain distance or time intervals (a bit like the c25K app)

@thenewaveragebear1983 thanks so much for looking. It's a very hilly area and this route is the flattest I can find. I do struggle trudging up the hills and then seem to default to the same slow pace.
There's definitely places where I could have a go at speeding up.

I live in a hilly area and it really does get you fit. Quickly! One thing I was told by a local runner when I first started out was to run up the hills and recover on the flat (rather than walk up the hills and run on the flat) and this was very good advice I found.
Change your stride on the hills too, so take smaller little steps rather than big leaps. And don't forget your arms; your feet will mirror what your arms do so maintain your pace with your hands and 'pull' yourself up those hills. Then recover on the way down. Engage your core and watch out for your knees on the downhills. Take care of your calves if you are running up lots of hills, they can get very tight.

I'm a hill junkie. There's a few real gruellers in my area. Whereas my dh will easily do 4.10 a km, but he's scared of hills and plans his route around them. We live on top of a hill so it's pretty much unavoidable but he somehow manages it.

Sound advice from @thenewaveragebear1983 run up the hills and recover on the flat. My average pace has increased a bit to 7.02 min/km today and I really didn't feel more tired than usual.
Thank you.

And good advice in small steps up hill too

6.8 on flat. I'm only just starting out. 30 & never really done any exercise before but not over weight. I have only been able to manage 2k run each time. So far!

Speed is not important in running. It’s the distance that counts.

Speed is not important in running. It’s the distance that counts

Depends what you want to do. I prefer to run shorter distances quicker. A marathon would be ny idea of hell.

Speed is not important in running. It’s the distance that counts.

Do you have any evidence to back up that bold statement?

I'm short on time anyway as I work and have a toddler, so I'm looking to make my short runs after work more efficient - building up my speed will mean I can either get them done quicker or cover more distance in the same time.

Speed is not important in running. It’s the distance that counts.

I thought shorter distances, run more quickly, were more beneficial. It's better to do 3 2 mile runs a week than one 6 mile run. You use more energy running quicker and you will run quicker over a shorter distance.

Speed is not important in running. It’s the distance that counts.

What an odd thing to say!
Important in what respect?
I think Olympic sprinters would disagree.

Most people would say that mixing it up will give you the most benefit in terms of improvement (speed and distance) and enjoyment (not doing the same thing time after time). Also cross training.

If you are talking about losing weight/toning up/whatever then the "fat burning" pace is best which (I think) is the pace at which you can talk a little bit ie have a convo in snatches of 5 words, not full on gossip nor gasping for air.

** Potatobug

Speed is not important in running. It’s the distance that counts.

@Potatobug

You’re not a runner are you?!

Because if you were you’d know that for some speed is important, for some other isn’t.
For some distance is important, for some it isn’t
For some just getting out the house and doing it is important, for others that’s a no/brainer

So you see - there aren’t any rules when it comes to running, and that’s the beauty of it.

Some people here are fast!! I’ve just cracked under 6m kms for a 5km for the first time since my nearly 2 yo was born . But back when I ran a lot (when I was much younger!) my fastest 5km was 22m, I think that’s a great speed for a borderline competitive female runner. I’d love to be back at comfortably doing 10km in under 60 mins once a week but that’s a while away.
Those who are newish runners and racking up injuries should see a physio and add strength training. Typically you will be over using some muscles compared to others and they will be tightening and pulling things out of whack so you need to build the underused ones, stretch the used ones out and get the technique straight. If you’re not using your deep abdominals you’re not doing it right.

Snail club here, currently averaging about 9min/km. 8 weeks into C25k and can run for 25 mins now without stopping which I’m very happy about! I used to run a few years ago before DD was born and my 5k best was 34mins so I was never very fast lol

Been running regularly for about 30 years. I'm not fast, but consistent and average 7 miles a minute (5.3 min/km). Used to be faster, but now I run with my dog who is slows me down.

Should read 7 miles an hour, not minute (!).

Around 7 kph. Been running since Lockdown. Given that I’ve never run 5k before then and it’s come down from 8.5kph I think that’s okay but clearly still very slow! My goal is to get it under 30 mins it’s about 36 at the moment.

I’m trying to go three times a week and row three days too. I do feel fitter.

Speed is only important if you are training to beat Usain Bolt, or indeed short of time. Otherwise no need to work on your speed. All of you proudly announcing your speediness,...where does it get you?
Anything that works up a sweat, gets your heart-rate going or burns calories or gives you muscle-tone is beneficial. And you can achieve all that with running slower but longer distance.

About 7/7.5. I’m slow abd not improving. But learning to live with it.

@Potatobug going faster feels more fun, gives me more of a buzz and means I can get to more interesting places on my run.

I also like (miss a lot) mass runs, different type of buzz, and would love to do a marathon sometime, but would only have enough time for the training if my easy pace gets faster.

"Getting better" is a motivational thing for some people. Running speed is measurable, and getting faster is a reward for the boring bits. Like eating less junk food so get less fat so get faster.

I also do yoga and it's nice when you can suddenly do something you couldn't before (like get from down dog to lunge without hitting the floor... small wins) but that's less frequent and most improvements are far less obvious!

As I say @Potatobug
You aren’t a runner, are you?

So following that logic, distance is only important if you’re running a marathon?

In short - you are talking piffle!

I bloody love getting on a flat stretch and speeding up and really feeling the wind and feeling really alive!

That is why I love doing the occasional bit of speed work.

Usain Bolt is not someone I am thinking about!