What percentage of people can run a mile in under 5 minutes?

Pisco Sour

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=3219327&page=0

I noticed an interesting thread going on here for people who are interested.

gerard65

Did 4:12 for 1500m when I was about 17. I think that translates to 4:30 for the mile. My most resent attempt for the mile was 5:42. (I'm now 44)

robinph

I did 5:15 earlier in the year just for a laugh, I think with a bit more practice at running in circles and some actual training I could get pretty close.

gerard65

robinph wrote: »

I did 5:15 earlier in the year just for a laugh, I think with a bit more practice at running in circles and some actual training I could get pretty close.

If you ever did any training:D

Pisco Sour

I only did the 1500m when I was 18 (about 6 years ago). I ran the 1500m in training 3 times, all in 5.45. Then ran it in Santry in the West Leinster Schools in 5.16, so that would translate to about 5.35-5.40. Have never ran it since.

Would love to try train to go sub 5 but is there any open mile track races in Dublin or Ireland? Doing it by Time Trial wouldnt work, as in the race I just described I ran 30 seconds slower when on my own!

gerard65

The one I ran was a BHAA race a couple of weeks ago. I think they do a couple during the summer. I'd say its hard to find a mile race. Tis all this auld metric nonsense. You could keep doing time trials and see how near you get to the 5mins.

robinph

It was the Dublin Athletics graded races that I had a go at which varied between 800, 1500 and 1 mile as far as I could tell. I was only around for a few of them though, but plan on doing more next year if I can.

BeepBeep67

Have a 4:28 to my name on road and 4:34 on the track aged 17 and 4:48 in BHAA trinity track (grass) aged 30, 5:19 this year aged 42, I'm going closernext year .

gerard65

robinph wrote: »

It was the Dublin Athletics graded races that I had a go at which varied between 800, 1500 and 1 mile as far as I could tell. I was only around for a few of them though, but plan on doing more next year if I can.

Ye, really enjoyed the track races I did. Actually feel more at home on the track than the XC or roads.
OP you could get 2 or 3 shots at the mile during the summer months if you keep an eye on the BHAA and AI websites.

Domer

I have a 3:49 for 1500m, equivalent to about a 4.06 mile. Run on a wet night in Santry in 1991. I ran about 5 1500m races in my career ... 800m was my main event. I regret not doing more!!!!

WOW, that was 18 years ago... how time flies.

gerard65

Could be the makings of a good race between BeepBeep67 and robinph next summer;)

aburke

gerard65 wrote: »

I'd say its hard to find a mile race. Tis all this auld metric nonsense.

For some reason, I love the mile, so the 'magic mile' is one of my pet projects.
http://www.athenryac.com/magic-mile-meet-dangan-galway
http://www.athenryac.com/magic-night-dangan
http://www.athenryac.com/magic-mile-2-result

I've organised this twice this year, and will do it again in October hopefully.

Gringo78

Back a few years ago when they had the spar mile challenge at various venues around the country only approx 50 people out of over 2500 broke 5min...thats around 2% of people who had the get up and go to go to a race, of general population then it must be far far less, 1% is generous. I think sub 5min mile is harder than people think.

mattym

In that spar challenge i just broke the 6 minute barrier and was delighted to do it. Cant remember anyone one in Navan breaking the 5 minute barrier. But i'm sure someone did......

Running Bing

This is the next big goal for me.

My pb is 5:16 and ideally Id like to break 5 by next summer. My 400 PB is 60 secs so I think I have the speed to do it, its just building the endurance to hold a good pace over the mile distance(my 1500 and 800 pb's are also more impressive than my mile one).

I think if we are talking potential a huge percentage of the population could run under 5...in fact I would say the amount of men, young enough without any serious problems, who couldnt do it if they really wanted would be tiny.

Having said that put everybody on a track right now and ask them to run a mile and I reckon around 1% would be pretty accurate. I think its one of those running benchmarks in so far as to do it, for most people, requires serious amounts of hard work...its like a badge that says "Ive paid my dues".:p

googlehead

Started running about 4 months ago, My best mile is 5.37, although I was not really running it to beat a time, I was doing running training and we did 4 laps. I think I could have gone to 5.30 if I was trying to do a time on it, that was 1 month ago. Would It be hard for me now to get to a 5 minute mile?

gerard65

googlehead wrote: »

Started running about 4 months ago, My best mile is 5.37, although I was not really running it to beat a time, I was doing running training and we did 4 laps. I think I could have gone to 5.30 if I was trying to do a time on it, that was 1 month ago. Would It be hard for me now to get to a 5 minute mile?

Depending on your age I'd say you could do it. If your in your 20s or 30s and trained as a middle distance runner for a few months, with a 5:37 at the moment, sub 5 would be possible.

googlehead

gerard65 wrote: »

Depending on your age I'd say you could do it. If your in your 20s or 30s and trained as a middle distance runner for a few months, with a 5:37 at the moment, sub 5 would be possible.

I'm 32 and mainly only really done short distances and 4-5 mile max.
It just a target I would like to hit now that I am enjoying running.

To say I had run a sub 5 min mile would be nice:D

shels4ever

I'd say a lot of people can run a sub 5 min mile, shouldnt take more then a couple of years training, but people tend not to train to the mile, apart form maybe club runners, the focus in more on 10k marathons for the rest of the population.

I've a pb of jsut under 4:50 for the mile but that dates back to the mid '90 took it down from 5:15 o 4:50 with one season specific training.. Would be lucky to go sub 6:00 now.

bourne99

I tried this last year and got to ~5:10 a few times but not faster. Was quite flippant about it and thought it would be no problem as I'm a fast sprinter and could easily run 400m under 60 etc., but I totally underestimated how hard it is to do this. For a start, I don't think outright pace is such a big part, but more how you run at a fast enough pace. I found that a particularly 'efficient' stride was needed - distance/time/energy-used - but to hold that stride needed incredible strength in the legs - and a different type almost to the standard long distance strength. And then of course there's the mental bit you have to add on..! I'd say it would take a lot of specific training. Best to all trying it!

I would love to try it in a race sometime, though like others, right now I would struggle to get under 6 mins. I think overall though, it's my favourite distance even if I'm not particularly great at it!

You guys should start a ladder like the 1000 mile thing, or maybe you've already done it. Either that or change this thread title to 'What percentage of BOARDS members can run a mile in under 5 minutes'..!

silverside

A 5-minute mile is on my list for next year, would say I was 10-20 seconds away this year based on my 1500 time.

reckon with a background in some sort of running and a season or two of specific speed training its very acheivable, but it's not trivial : I blew up through too many sessions without a decent winter base. depends partly on your natural speed (slow twitch versus fast twitch) of course.

googlehead

googlehead wrote: »

Started running about 4 months ago, My best mile is 5.37, although I was not really running it to beat a time, I was doing running training and we did 4 laps. I think I could have gone to 5.30 if I was trying to do a time on it, that was 1 month ago. Would It be hard for me now to get to a 5 minute mile?

5.23 last night in training, 14 secs off. again If I was racing I might have managed 5.20, but I had more sprints, laps etc. to do after it. so maybe not totally flat out. 2-3 more months and I am hoping to knock another 13secs off it

5.10 is my next target:D