5k Cycle Times

Cycling Standards By Age And Ability

What is a good 5k cycle time?

A good 5k time is 09:28 for men and 11:17 for women. This is the average 5k time across all ages. Compare your 5k time by age and ability below.

Our 5k cycle time standards are based on 10,011 cycling results by Cycling Level users from 2021 to 2026. More...

How long does it take to cycle 5k?

For an intermediate cyclist, the average time to cycle 5k is 09:28 for men and 11:17 for women.

Cycling LevelMaleFemale
Beginner14:0817:08
Novice11:2613:52
Intermediate09:2811:17
Advanced08:0309:17
Elite07:0107:48
NR06:05.92006:49.938

Time: Finish time for the full distance (seconds below a minute, otherwise mm:ss or hh:mm:ss).

Cycling LevelMaleFemale
Beginner21.217.5
Novice26.321.6
Intermediate31.726.6
Advanced37.332.3
Elite42.838.5
NR49.243.9

km/h: Average speed in kilometres per hour.

Cycling LevelMaleFemale
Beginner13.210.9
Novice16.313.4
Intermediate19.716.5
Advanced23.220.1
Elite26.623.9
NR30.627.3

mph: Average speed in miles per hour.

Cycling LevelMaleFemale
Beginner5834
Novice9656
Intermediate15694
Advanced241157
Elite351253

Watts: Average power output.

Cycling LevelMaleFemale
Beginner347222
Novice492304
Intermediate717447
Advanced1037685
Elite14511048

Cal/hr: Average calorie burn per hour.

Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite 5% 20% 50% 80% 95% 14:08 11:26 09:28 08:03 07:01 Finish Time - 5k

Male 5k Cycling Times

A good 5k time is 09:28 for men. This is the average time across all ages.

Average 5k cycle time by age and ability

AgeBeginner Novice Intermediate Advanced EliteRecord
1018:2014:4912:1710:2609:06-
1514:5212:0209:5808:2807:23-
2014:3411:4709:4508:1807:14-
2514:3411:4709:4508:1807:14-
3014:3411:4709:4508:1807:14-
3514:3411:4709:4508:1807:14-
4014:3411:4709:4508:1807:14-
4514:3411:4709:4508:1807:14-
5014:3911:5009:4808:2007:1606:05.920
5515:0412:1110:0508:3507:2906:20.800
6015:3512:3610:2608:5207:4406:27.940
6515:5412:5110:3909:0307:5306:44.130
7016:0913:0310:4909:1108:0107:21.410
7516:4313:3111:1209:3108:1807:32.620
8018:2914:5612:2210:3109:1007:55.613
8519:2515:4213:0011:0309:3808:18.610
9022:0717:5314:4912:3510:5810:10.780

Time: Finish time for the full distance (seconds below a minute, otherwise mm:ss or hh:mm:ss).

AgeBeginner Novice Intermediate Advanced EliteRecord
1016.420.224.428.833.0-
1520.224.930.135.440.6-
2020.625.530.736.241.5-
2520.625.530.736.241.5-
3020.625.530.736.241.5-
3520.625.530.736.241.5-
4020.625.530.736.241.5-
4520.625.530.736.241.5-
5020.525.330.636.041.349.2
5519.924.629.735.040.147.3
6019.323.828.833.838.846.4
6518.923.328.233.238.044.5
7018.623.027.732.637.440.8
7517.922.226.831.536.239.8
8016.220.124.228.532.737.8
8515.419.123.127.131.136.1
9013.616.820.323.827.329.5

km/h: Average speed in kilometres per hour.

AgeBeginner Novice Intermediate Advanced EliteRecord
1010.212.615.217.920.5-
1512.515.518.722.025.3-
2012.815.819.122.525.8-
2512.815.819.122.525.8-
3012.815.819.122.525.8-
3512.815.819.122.525.8-
4012.815.819.122.525.8-
4512.815.819.122.525.8-
5012.715.719.022.425.730.6
5512.415.318.521.724.929.4
6012.014.817.921.024.128.8
6511.714.517.520.623.627.7
7011.514.317.220.323.325.3
7511.213.816.719.622.524.7
8010.112.515.117.720.323.5
859.611.914.316.919.322.4
908.410.412.614.817.018.3

mph: Average speed in miles per hour.

AgeBeginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
10335281121173
155185137210305
205489144222323
255489144222323
305489144222323
355489144222323
405489144222323
455489144222323
505388142219318
555082132203294
604676121186268
654472115176254
704370111169244
754064102154222
80325179119170
85294670105149
9023345276107

Watts: Average power output.

AgeBeginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
10252324433586781
153224496439191277
203324656729651344
253324656729651344
303324656729651344
353324656729651344
403324656729651344
453324656729651344
503294616659531327
553174396268921236
603034155858271139
652964015637911086
702903915467641046
75278370511709964
80250320427576768
85238300394524690
90214258324415531

Cal/hr: Average calorie burn per hour.

Female 5k Cycling Times

A good 5k time is 11:17 for women. This is the average time across all ages.

Average 5k cycle time by age and ability

AgeBeginner Novice Intermediate Advanced EliteRecord
1023:3919:0915:3412:4910:46-
1519:3115:4812:5110:3508:53-
2017:1513:5811:2109:2107:51-
2517:0913:5311:1709:1807:48-
3017:4214:2011:3909:3608:04-
3517:4214:2011:3909:3608:04-
4017:5914:3411:5009:4508:1106:49.938
4517:5914:3411:5009:4508:1107:50.530
5018:2114:5112:0409:5708:21-
5518:3915:0612:1710:0708:3007:59.360
6018:3915:0612:1710:0708:3008:04.280
6518:5015:1512:2410:1308:35-
7019:5716:0913:0810:4909:0508:24.210
7521:4717:3814:2011:4909:55-
8022:4218:2214:5612:1810:20-
8524:2919:4916:0713:1611:09-
9028:3523:0918:4915:3013:01-

Time: Finish time for the full distance (seconds below a minute, otherwise mm:ss or hh:mm:ss).

AgeBeginner Novice Intermediate Advanced EliteRecord
1012.715.719.323.427.9-
1515.419.023.428.433.8-
2017.421.526.432.138.2-
2517.521.626.632.338.4-
3016.920.925.731.337.2-
3516.920.925.731.337.2-
4016.720.625.330.836.643.9
4516.720.625.330.836.638.3
5016.420.224.830.235.9-
5516.119.924.429.735.337.6
6016.119.924.429.735.337.2
6515.919.724.229.435.0-
7015.018.622.827.733.035.7
7513.817.020.925.430.2-
8013.216.320.124.429.0-
8512.315.118.622.626.9-
9010.513.015.919.423.1-

km/h: Average speed in kilometres per hour.

AgeBeginner Novice Intermediate Advanced EliteRecord
107.99.712.014.517.3-
159.611.814.517.621.0-
2010.813.316.419.923.7-
2510.913.416.520.123.9-
3010.513.016.019.423.1-
3510.513.016.019.423.1-
4010.412.815.719.122.827.3
4510.412.815.719.122.823.8
5010.212.615.418.722.3-
5510.012.315.218.421.923.3
6010.012.315.218.421.923.1
659.912.215.018.321.7-
709.311.514.217.220.522.2
758.610.613.015.818.8-
808.210.112.515.218.0-
857.69.411.614.016.7-
906.58.19.912.014.3-

mph: Average speed in miles per hour.

AgeBeginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
1017264268106
15254167111177
20335592154249
25345694157253
30315186144231
35315186144231
40304983138222
45304983138222
50294779131210
55284575125200
60284575125200
65274474122195
70243964104167
7520325183132
8019294675118
851625396297
901218274365

Watts: Average power output.

AgeBeginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
10159194253349493
15190248348511761
202203004416741031
252213034476841047
30213288419635966
35213288419635966
40209280406613929
45209280406613929
50204272390586884
55200265378564848
60200265378564848
65197261371552828
70185240334488721
75170214287408589
80164203269377538
85155187241328458
90140162198255339

Cal/hr: Average calorie burn per hour.

What do the cycling standards mean?

Beginner Faster than 5% of cyclists.
Novice Faster than 20% of cyclists.
Intermediate Faster than 50% of cyclists.
Advanced Faster than 80% of cyclists.
Elite Faster than 95% of cyclists.

Strength Level introduced these exact Beginner-to-Elite percentile boundaries in 2015. See how the standards evolved.

Data behind the 5k cycle time standards

Cycling Level analysed 1,039 qualifying results from 10,011 community results submitted by 5,125 Cycling Level users from 2021 to 2026 to produce our 5k cycle time standards. We will continue to update them as more community data becomes available. See our standards timeline.

Community results 10,011
Community users 5,125
Qualifying results 1,039
Male results 830
Female results 209
Data start
Data cutoff
Model generated

Qualifying results are retained after checks for implausible data, duplicates, and unusual or automated submission patterns. Learn more about qualifying results.

Previous standards ()

The old average finish time for 5k was 09:51 across all ages and genders, 09:25 for men (now 0.4% slower) and 11:23 for women (now 1.0% faster).

LevelPreviousCurrentChange %
Beginner12:1214:08+15.8%
Novice10:3311:26+8.3%
Intermediate09:2509:28+0.4%
Advanced08:3708:03-6.7%
Elite08:0207:01-12.8%
LevelPreviousCurrentChange %
Beginner15:1917:08+11.9%
Novice12:5613:52+7.3%
Intermediate11:2311:17-1.0%
Advanced10:2009:17-10.1%
Elite09:3507:48-18.5%

We created these previous standards on and last updated them (see archive.org).

5k World Records

Male 5k World Records

RecordAge CategoryNameTimeDateAgeSurfaceStartSource
NR54Richard Oakes06:05.92015 Sep 202354Indoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA
NR55Ian Greenstreet06:20.80011 Sep 201955Indoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA
NR64Christopher Davis06:27.94011 Sep 201964Indoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA
NR65Robert Gilmour06:44.13026 Oct 201665Indoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA
NR70Mike Cotgreave07:21.41014 Sep 201470Indoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA
NR76Ian Elliot07:32.62012 Jul 202676Outdoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA
NR80Harry Hill07:55.6131 Jan 199680Indoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA
NR85Walter Fowler08:18.61011 Sep 201985Indoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA
NR92Alexander Munro10:10.78015 Jun 202592Outdoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA

Female 5k World Records

RecordAge CategoryNameTimeDateAgeSurfaceStartSource
NR43Melanie Sneddon06:49.93811 Sep 201943Indoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA
NR48Christina Mackenzie07:50.53015 Jun 202548Outdoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA
NR58Fiona Davidson07:59.36012 Jul 202658Outdoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA
NR61Caroline Ratcliff08:04.28023 Jun 202661Outdoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA
NR71Liz Ball08:24.21015 Jun 202571Outdoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA

References for WRs:

VTTA
VTTA. "National time trial records." Accessed 30 Sep 2026. https://www.vtta.org.uk/records.

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