What is a good time for a beginner runner to run 3k?

I've been running for a few weeks now, 3k is my usual distance with my fastest time being 21:56 minutes? I'm not a quick runner just looking to get fit and lose some weight :smile:

. What do you think of this time and any tips? Thanks!

Reply 1

ni1834

Its not a great time to be honest but the important thing is that you are making an effort to keep fit and enjoying it. It takes work when i first started running it took me 10mins to do a mile i can now do a sub 7minute mile you just have to work at it. Also are you a boy or girl because girls tend to be slower. Just keep working at it and im sure youl get faster some people are just naturally faster than others but keep at it its good your actually doing something!! Even if you run slow your still running faster than the people who couldn't be bothered to get up off the sofa and make an effort.
Keep at it!

Reply 2

MagicNMedicine

If you are running for fitness then don't get too worked up over the time. The only reason to think about time is relative to your own previous times, as a gauge of your improvement.

Rather than stress about the time taken to run 3k look to just gradually increase the time you run for: 25 mins, 30 mins, 40 mins etc. If you have only been running a few weeks then you will definitely be able to reduce your time for 3k after a while but you will probably be more interested in your times for 5k and 10k by then as well.

Also build up gradually so as not to end up damaging your unconditioned knees.

Reply 3

Shelbz_anne

I’m a girl and I have ran 3k before when I was 7 8 and 9 but got into an injury and hadn’t ran in 4 years until Friday. On Friday I ran 3k in 23 minutes and 17 seconds and I just can’t wait to beat that next Friday☺️🥳😍

Reply 4

TracyK36

I can't believe people are saying 'its not a great time' and 'you should be 🏃 faster' . I think it's a fab time. I do 3k in just under 22 minutes. The way I see it is, I get out there and run. I'm only in competition with myself and want to beat my own time. Well done for doing it . I'm hoping to do 3k in 20minutes as that's my own personal goal. Not sure I'll ever do it though 🤣🤣

Reply 5

M..

How do people run so fast!? I run 3k in 40min and I’m not overweight. I do have mild asthma and I’m running at a VERY high altitude (9000ft asl) but still I’m amazed by all your times! I’m giving it all my effort and have been running 4 times a week for a month now, cutting my time in half doesn’t even seem like realistic goal 😔

Reply 6

dsmith1984uk

For comparison my 12 year old daughter currently runs 3k in 13:38 (on a hilly cross country course) but I would expect her to complete it in 13:10-ish on a flat road.When she first started she running would would complete 3k in around 17-18 minutes.

Reply 7

Lukefreo

I’m 12 years old and I’m pretty fast but my pb in the 3k is 15 mins 55 sec

Reply 8

Dutchy1986

I wouldn’t worry yourself too much over the time although always trying to beat it is a good challenge to keep doing it. Weight loss will be if your in a calorie deficit

Reply 9

User193737429

I’m 12 and have ran for four years and get aprox 13:43 mins for my 3k so it really just depends how long your willing to keep up the hard work and you will start to improve overtime

Reply 10

Learner1233

Original post by dsmith1984uk

I'm quite similar. I am a 13-year-old cross-country team. Today I competed in a national Cross-country final. 3K; very hilly and a fast-paced race. The winner who would have been 14-15 ran it in 10:45 and I ran it in 13:30. I have run since I was 7 but really started to improve and knock chunks off my PB's during covid. My dad and I ran a 1.38k route at the start of a training course and after a few weeks of training, I managed to knock a whole 30s off of it so it really just depends on how committed you are. I train twice a week with my club and then twice a week with my dad mostly long-distance endurance runs because it is cross-country season but when it is track season I run 800m. Sorry for such a long message! :smile:

Reply 11

E121

Hi, this time isn't the best however depending on how frequently you run your age and weight this could be decent time, next time try pushing yourself a little harder the last section of your run keep doing that for a couple of runs until it feels comfortable then run faster from a further distance etc etc. Also try and work on your breathing and don't start off too fast :smile:

kind regards, e.

Reply 12

Progamer1223456

I know im 3 years late to this but you can DEFINITELY do it in under 20 minutes,but considering that you are 9000ft in the air I would say try get under 30.

Reply 13

Progamer1223456

That isn't a bad time,I started off with 22-23mins and within 1 month I have improved my time to get 14:03,it is always about the effort and how much you are willing to achieve.

Original post by User193737429

I’m 12 and have ran for four years and get aprox 13:43 mins for my 3k so it really just depends how long your willing to keep up the hard work and you will start to improve overtime