For an intermediate swimmer, the average time to swim 500m is 08:26 for men and 08:53 for women.
A good 500m time is 08:26 for men and 08:53 for women. This is the average 500m time across all ages. Compare your 500m time by age and ability below.
For an intermediate swimmer, the average time to swim 500m is 08:26 for men and 08:53 for women.
| Swimming Level | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 13:14 | 14:41 |
| Novice | 10:35 | 11:18 |
| Intermediate | 08:26 | 08:53 |
| Advanced | 06:46 | 07:10 |
| Elite | 05:30 | 05:57 |
Time: Finish time for the full distance (seconds below a minute, otherwise mm:ss or hh:mm:ss).
| Swimming Level | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 02:38.9 | 02:56.1 |
| Novice | 02:06.9 | 02:15.6 |
| Intermediate | 01:41.2 | 01:46.6 |
| Advanced | 01:21.2 | 01:26.0 |
| Elite | 01:06.1 | 01:11.4 |
100m: Average pace per 100 metres, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss.s).
| Swimming Level | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 02:25.3 | 02:41.0 |
| Novice | 01:56.1 | 02:04.0 |
| Intermediate | 01:32.5 | 01:37.5 |
| Advanced | 01:14.2 | 01:18.6 |
| Elite | 01:00.4 | 01:05.3 |
100yd: Average pace per 100 yards, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss.s).
A good 500m time is 08:26 for men. This is the average time across all ages.
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 16:36 | 13:16 | 10:34 | 08:29 | 06:54 |
| 15 | 13:30 | 10:47 | 08:36 | 06:54 | 05:37 |
| 20 | 13:14 | 10:35 | 08:26 | 06:46 | 05:30 |
| 25 | 13:23 | 10:41 | 08:31 | 06:50 | 05:34 |
| 30 | 13:43 | 10:58 | 08:44 | 07:01 | 05:42 |
| 35 | 14:04 | 11:15 | 08:58 | 07:11 | 05:51 |
| 40 | 14:27 | 11:32 | 09:12 | 07:23 | 06:01 |
| 45 | 14:50 | 11:51 | 09:27 | 07:35 | 06:10 |
| 50 | 15:15 | 12:11 | 09:43 | 07:48 | 06:21 |
| 55 | 15:41 | 12:32 | 10:00 | 08:01 | 06:32 |
| 60 | 16:10 | 12:55 | 10:18 | 08:16 | 06:44 |
| 65 | 16:48 | 13:25 | 10:42 | 08:35 | 06:59 |
| 70 | 17:41 | 14:08 | 11:16 | 09:02 | 07:22 |
| 75 | 18:54 | 15:06 | 12:02 | 09:39 | 07:52 |
| 80 | 20:33 | 16:25 | 13:05 | 10:30 | 08:33 |
| 85 | 22:52 | 18:16 | 14:34 | 11:41 | 09:31 |
| 90 | 26:12 | 20:56 | 16:41 | 13:23 | 10:54 |
Time: Finish time for the full distance (seconds below a minute, otherwise mm:ss or hh:mm:ss).
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 03:19.2 | 02:39.1 | 02:06.9 | 01:41.8 | 01:22.9 |
| 15 | 02:42.0 | 02:09.4 | 01:43.2 | 01:22.8 | 01:07.4 |
| 20 | 02:38.9 | 02:06.9 | 01:41.2 | 01:21.2 | 01:06.1 |
| 25 | 02:40.6 | 02:08.3 | 01:42.3 | 01:22.1 | 01:06.8 |
| 30 | 02:44.6 | 02:11.5 | 01:44.8 | 01:24.1 | 01:08.5 |
| 35 | 02:48.9 | 02:14.9 | 01:47.5 | 01:26.3 | 01:10.3 |
| 40 | 02:53.3 | 02:18.5 | 01:50.4 | 01:28.6 | 01:12.1 |
| 45 | 02:58.1 | 02:22.3 | 01:53.4 | 01:31.0 | 01:14.1 |
| 50 | 03:03.0 | 02:26.2 | 01:56.6 | 01:33.5 | 01:16.2 |
| 55 | 03:08.3 | 02:30.4 | 01:59.9 | 01:36.2 | 01:18.3 |
| 60 | 03:14.0 | 02:35.0 | 02:03.5 | 01:39.1 | 01:20.7 |
| 65 | 03:21.6 | 02:41.1 | 02:08.4 | 01:43.0 | 01:23.9 |
| 70 | 03:32.2 | 02:49.6 | 02:15.2 | 01:48.5 | 01:28.3 |
| 75 | 03:46.8 | 03:01.2 | 02:24.4 | 01:55.9 | 01:34.4 |
| 80 | 04:06.7 | 03:17.1 | 02:37.1 | 02:06.1 | 01:42.6 |
| 85 | 04:34.4 | 03:39.2 | 02:54.8 | 02:20.2 | 01:54.2 |
| 90 | 05:14.3 | 04:11.1 | 03:20.2 | 02:40.6 | 02:10.8 |
100m: Average pace per 100 metres, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss.s).
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 03:02.1 | 02:25.5 | 01:56.0 | 01:33.1 | 01:15.8 |
| 15 | 02:28.1 | 01:58.3 | 01:34.3 | 01:15.7 | 01:01.6 |
| 20 | 02:25.3 | 01:56.1 | 01:32.5 | 01:14.2 | 01:00.4 |
| 25 | 02:26.8 | 01:57.3 | 01:33.5 | 01:15.0 | 01:01.1 |
| 30 | 02:30.5 | 02:00.3 | 01:35.9 | 01:16.9 | 01:02.6 |
| 35 | 02:34.4 | 02:03.4 | 01:38.3 | 01:18.9 | 01:04.2 |
| 40 | 02:38.5 | 02:06.6 | 01:40.9 | 01:21.0 | 01:05.9 |
| 45 | 02:42.8 | 02:10.1 | 01:43.7 | 01:23.2 | 01:07.7 |
| 50 | 02:47.4 | 02:13.7 | 01:46.6 | 01:25.5 | 01:09.6 |
| 55 | 02:52.2 | 02:17.6 | 01:49.7 | 01:28.0 | 01:11.6 |
| 60 | 02:57.4 | 02:21.7 | 01:53.0 | 01:30.6 | 01:13.8 |
| 65 | 03:04.3 | 02:27.3 | 01:57.4 | 01:34.2 | 01:16.7 |
| 70 | 03:14.1 | 02:35.1 | 02:03.6 | 01:39.2 | 01:20.7 |
| 75 | 03:27.4 | 02:45.7 | 02:12.1 | 01:46.0 | 01:26.3 |
| 80 | 03:45.6 | 03:00.2 | 02:23.7 | 01:55.3 | 01:33.8 |
| 85 | 04:10.9 | 03:20.5 | 02:39.8 | 02:08.2 | 01:44.4 |
| 90 | 04:47.4 | 03:49.6 | 03:03.0 | 02:26.9 | 01:59.6 |
100yd: Average pace per 100 yards, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss.s).
A good 500m time is 08:53 for women. This is the average time across all ages.
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 17:14 | 13:16 | 10:26 | 08:25 | 06:59 |
| 15 | 15:04 | 11:36 | 09:07 | 07:21 | 06:06 |
| 20 | 14:45 | 11:22 | 08:56 | 07:12 | 05:59 |
| 25 | 14:59 | 11:32 | 09:04 | 07:19 | 06:04 |
| 30 | 15:17 | 11:46 | 09:15 | 07:28 | 06:12 |
| 35 | 15:41 | 12:04 | 09:29 | 07:39 | 06:21 |
| 40 | 16:06 | 12:24 | 09:45 | 07:52 | 06:32 |
| 45 | 16:33 | 12:45 | 10:01 | 08:05 | 06:43 |
| 50 | 17:02 | 13:07 | 10:19 | 08:19 | 06:54 |
| 55 | 17:32 | 13:30 | 10:37 | 08:34 | 07:07 |
| 60 | 18:09 | 13:58 | 10:59 | 08:52 | 07:21 |
| 65 | 18:57 | 14:35 | 11:28 | 09:15 | 07:41 |
| 70 | 20:02 | 15:26 | 12:08 | 09:47 | 08:07 |
| 75 | 21:32 | 16:35 | 13:02 | 10:31 | 08:44 |
| 80 | 23:35 | 18:09 | 14:17 | 11:31 | 09:34 |
| 85 | 26:28 | 20:23 | 16:01 | 12:56 | 10:44 |
| 90 | 30:41 | 23:37 | 18:35 | 14:59 | 12:26 |
Time: Finish time for the full distance (seconds below a minute, otherwise mm:ss or hh:mm:ss).
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 03:26.8 | 02:39.2 | 02:05.2 | 01:41.0 | 01:23.8 |
| 15 | 03:00.8 | 02:19.2 | 01:49.4 | 01:28.3 | 01:13.3 |
| 20 | 02:57.1 | 02:16.3 | 01:47.2 | 01:26.5 | 01:11.8 |
| 25 | 02:59.8 | 02:18.4 | 01:48.8 | 01:27.8 | 01:12.9 |
| 30 | 03:03.3 | 02:21.1 | 01:51.0 | 01:29.5 | 01:14.3 |
| 35 | 03:08.1 | 02:24.9 | 01:53.9 | 01:31.9 | 01:16.3 |
| 40 | 03:13.3 | 02:28.8 | 01:57.0 | 01:34.4 | 01:18.3 |
| 45 | 03:18.7 | 02:33.0 | 02:00.3 | 01:37.0 | 01:20.5 |
| 50 | 03:24.4 | 02:37.4 | 02:03.7 | 01:39.8 | 01:22.8 |
| 55 | 03:30.5 | 02:42.0 | 02:07.4 | 01:42.8 | 01:25.3 |
| 60 | 03:37.7 | 02:47.6 | 02:11.8 | 01:46.3 | 01:28.3 |
| 65 | 03:47.3 | 02:55.0 | 02:17.6 | 01:51.0 | 01:32.1 |
| 70 | 04:00.5 | 03:05.1 | 02:25.6 | 01:57.4 | 01:37.5 |
| 75 | 04:18.4 | 03:18.9 | 02:36.4 | 02:06.2 | 01:44.7 |
| 80 | 04:43.0 | 03:37.9 | 02:51.3 | 02:18.2 | 01:54.7 |
| 85 | 05:17.6 | 04:04.5 | 03:12.3 | 02:35.1 | 02:08.8 |
| 90 | 06:08.2 | 04:43.5 | 03:42.9 | 02:59.8 | 02:29.3 |
100m: Average pace per 100 metres, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss.s).
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 03:09.1 | 02:25.5 | 01:54.4 | 01:32.3 | 01:16.6 |
| 15 | 02:45.3 | 02:07.3 | 01:40.1 | 01:20.7 | 01:07.0 |
| 20 | 02:41.9 | 02:04.7 | 01:38.0 | 01:19.1 | 01:05.6 |
| 25 | 02:44.4 | 02:06.6 | 01:39.5 | 01:20.3 | 01:06.6 |
| 30 | 02:47.6 | 02:09.0 | 01:41.5 | 01:21.9 | 01:07.9 |
| 35 | 02:52.0 | 02:12.5 | 01:44.1 | 01:24.0 | 01:09.7 |
| 40 | 02:56.7 | 02:16.1 | 01:47.0 | 01:26.3 | 01:11.6 |
| 45 | 03:01.7 | 02:19.9 | 01:50.0 | 01:28.7 | 01:13.6 |
| 50 | 03:06.9 | 02:23.9 | 01:53.1 | 01:31.3 | 01:15.8 |
| 55 | 03:12.4 | 02:28.2 | 01:56.5 | 01:34.0 | 01:18.0 |
| 60 | 03:19.1 | 02:33.3 | 02:00.5 | 01:37.2 | 01:20.7 |
| 65 | 03:27.9 | 02:40.0 | 02:05.8 | 01:41.5 | 01:24.3 |
| 70 | 03:39.9 | 02:49.3 | 02:13.1 | 01:47.4 | 01:29.1 |
| 75 | 03:56.3 | 03:01.9 | 02:23.0 | 01:55.4 | 01:35.8 |
| 80 | 04:18.8 | 03:19.2 | 02:36.7 | 02:06.4 | 01:44.9 |
| 85 | 04:50.4 | 03:43.6 | 02:55.8 | 02:21.8 | 01:57.7 |
| 90 | 05:36.7 | 04:19.2 | 03:23.8 | 02:44.4 | 02:16.5 |
100yd: Average pace per 100 yards, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss.s).
| Beginner | Faster than 5% of swimmers. |
|---|---|
| Novice | Faster than 20% of swimmers. |
| Intermediate | Faster than 50% of swimmers. |
| Advanced | Faster than 80% of swimmers. |
| Elite | Faster than 95% of swimmers. |
Strength Level introduced these exact Beginner-to-Elite percentile boundaries in 2015. See how the standards evolved.
Swimming Level analysed 2,688 qualifying results from 15,414 community results submitted by 9,134 Swimming Level users from 2022 to 2026 to produce our 500m swim time standards. We will continue to update them as more community data becomes available. See our standards timeline.
| Community results | 15,414 |
|---|---|
| Community users | 9,134 |
| Qualifying results | 2,688 |
| Male results | 1,933 |
| Female results | 755 |
| 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.
The old average finish time for 500m was 09:42 across all ages and genders, 09:24 for men (now 11.5% faster) and 10:07 for women (now 13.9% faster).
| Level | Previous | Current | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 14:58 | 13:14 | -11.5% |
| Novice | 11:56 | 10:35 | -11.3% |
| Intermediate | 09:24 | 08:26 | -10.4% |
| Advanced | 07:25 | 06:46 | -8.8% |
| Elite | 05:55 | 05:30 | -6.8% |
| Level | Previous | Current | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 15:18 | 14:41 | -4.1% |
| Novice | 12:30 | 11:18 | -9.6% |
| Intermediate | 10:07 | 08:53 | -12.2% |
| Advanced | 08:11 | 07:10 | -12.4% |
| Elite | 06:41 | 05:57 | -11.0% |
We created these previous standards on and last updated them (see archive.org).
The Swimming Level Calculator can show your exact level of swimming performance at any age.