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.

BeginnerNoviceIntermediateAdvancedElite5%20%50%80%95%14:0811:2609:2808:0307:01Finish 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

AgeBeginnerNoviceIntermediateAdvancedEliteRecord
1018:2014:4912:1610:2609:06-
1514:5212:0209:5808:2807:23-
2014:3011:4309:4308:1507:12-
2514:1211:2909:3108:0507:03-
3014:3011:4309:4208:1507:11-
3514:4811:5809:5508:2507:21-
4015:0812:1410:0808:3707:30-
4515:2812:3010:2208:4807:41-
5015:5012:4810:3609:0107:5106:05.920
5516:1413:0710:5209:1408:0306:20.800
6016:4113:2911:1009:3008:1706:27.940
6517:1213:5411:3109:4708:3206:44.130
7017:4714:2311:5510:0708:5007:21.410
7518:2714:5512:2210:3009:0907:32.620
8019:1415:3312:5310:5709:3207:55.613
8520:0816:1713:2911:2709:5908:18.610
9021:1317:0914:1212:0410:3210:10.780

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

AgeBeginnerNoviceIntermediateAdvancedEliteRecord
1016.420.224.428.833.0-
1520.224.930.135.440.6-
2020.725.630.936.441.7-
2521.126.131.537.142.6-
3020.725.630.936.441.7-
3520.325.130.335.640.8-
4019.824.529.634.840.0-
4519.424.029.034.139.1-
5019.023.428.333.338.249.2
5518.522.927.632.537.347.3
6018.022.226.931.636.246.4
6517.421.626.030.735.244.5
7016.920.925.229.634.040.8
7516.320.124.328.632.839.8
8015.619.323.327.431.437.8
8514.918.422.326.230.036.1
9014.117.521.124.928.529.5

km/h: Average speed in kilometres per hour.

AgeBeginnerNoviceIntermediateAdvancedEliteRecord
1010.212.615.217.920.5-
1512.515.518.722.025.3-
2012.915.919.222.625.9-
2513.116.219.623.126.4-
3012.915.919.222.625.9-
3512.615.618.822.125.4-
4012.315.218.421.724.8-
4512.114.918.021.224.3-
5011.814.617.620.723.730.6
5511.514.217.220.223.229.4
6011.213.816.719.622.528.8
6510.813.416.219.021.827.7
7010.513.015.718.421.125.3
7510.112.515.117.720.424.7
809.712.014.517.019.523.5
859.311.513.816.318.722.4
908.810.913.115.417.718.3

mph: Average speed in miles per hour.

AgeBeginnerNoviceIntermediateAdvancedElite
10335281121173
155185137210305
205591146225327
255795154238346
305591146225328
355286138213309
405082131201291
454777124189274
504573117178257
554269109167240
604065102155223
65376095143206
70355687131188
75325180119170
80304772108153
8527426596136
9024385784119

Watts: Average power output.

AgeBeginnerNoviceIntermediateAdvancedElite
10252324433586782
153224496439191277
203344696789751360
2534448770910241432
303344706799771362
353254536509301292
403154366218841224
453064205948411159
502974045677981097
552883885417561034
60279372513712969
65270355485668903
70260338456623836
75250321428578770
80240304400534705
85231287372490640
90221270344446575

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

AgeBeginnerNoviceIntermediateAdvancedEliteRecord
1023:3819:0815:3312:4810:45-
1519:3115:4812:5110:3508:53-
2017:3714:1611:3609:3308:01-
2517:0813:5211:1709:1707:48-
3017:4914:2511:4309:3908:06-
3518:3415:0212:1310:0408:27-
4019:2315:4212:4610:3108:5006:49.938
4520:1816:2613:2111:0009:1407:50.530
5021:1817:1514:0111:3309:42-
5522:2618:0914:4612:1010:1307:59.360
6023:4219:1115:3612:5110:4708:04.280
6525:1520:2716:3713:4111:30-
7027:1122:0117:5414:4412:2308:24.210
7529:2723:5119:2315:5813:25-
8032:1026:0221:1017:2614:39-
8535:2728:4223:2019:1316:08-
9039:3232:0026:0121:2618:00-

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

AgeBeginnerNoviceIntermediateAdvancedEliteRecord
1012.715.719.323.427.9-
1515.419.023.428.433.8-
2017.021.025.931.437.4-
2517.521.626.632.338.5-
3016.820.825.631.137.0-
3516.220.024.629.835.5-
4015.519.123.528.534.043.9
4514.818.322.527.332.538.3
5014.117.421.426.030.9-
5513.416.520.324.729.437.6
6012.715.619.223.427.837.2
6511.914.718.121.926.1-
7011.013.616.820.424.235.7
7510.212.615.518.822.4-
809.311.514.217.220.5-
858.510.512.915.618.6-
907.69.411.514.016.7-

km/h: Average speed in kilometres per hour.

AgeBeginnerNoviceIntermediateAdvancedEliteRecord
107.99.712.014.617.3-
159.611.814.517.621.0-
2010.613.116.119.523.2-
2510.913.416.520.123.9-
3010.512.915.919.323.0-
3510.012.415.318.522.1-
409.611.914.617.721.127.3
459.211.314.016.920.223.8
508.810.813.316.119.2-
558.310.312.615.318.323.3
607.99.712.014.517.323.1
657.49.111.213.616.2-
706.98.510.412.615.122.2
756.37.89.611.713.9-
805.87.28.810.712.7-
855.36.58.09.711.6-
904.75.87.28.710.4-

mph: Average speed in miles per hour.

AgeBeginnerNoviceIntermediateAdvancedElite
1017274268106
15254167111177
20325287145234
25345694157253
30315185141228
35284676127203
40264168113180
45233761100159
5021335488140
5519304877122
6017264267105
651523365789
701320314874
751117264060
801014213349
85812182639
90710142130

Watts: Average power output.

AgeBeginnerNoviceIntermediateAdvancedElite
10159194253349494
15190248348511761
20214290422642976
252223044476851048
30211285414627951
35201267382571859
40191250352519773
45182234324471694
50174220298426620
55166206274385552
60159193252348491
65151181231311430
70144169210275372
75137158191244322
80131148175217278
85126139161193240
90121132148173208

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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