For an intermediate swimmer, the average time to swim 5k is 01:30:55 for men and 01:42:02 for women.
A good 5k time is 01:30:55 for men and 01:42:02 for women. This is the average 5k time across all ages. Compare your 5k time by age and ability below.
For an intermediate swimmer, the average time to swim 5k is 01:30:55 for men and 01:42:02 for women.
| Swimming Level | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 02:24:53 | 02:41:03 |
| Novice | 01:54:44 | 02:08:24 |
| Intermediate | 01:30:55 | 01:42:02 |
| Advanced | 01:12:50 | 01:21:41 |
| Elite | 59:30 | 01:06:28 |
| NR | 58:11.13 | 01:02:53.42 |
Time: Finish time for the full distance (seconds below a minute, otherwise mm:ss or hh:mm:ss).
| Swimming Level | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 02:53.9 | 03:13.3 |
| Novice | 02:17.7 | 02:34.1 |
| Intermediate | 01:49.1 | 02:02.4 |
| Advanced | 01:27.4 | 01:38.0 |
| Elite | 01:11.4 | 01:19.8 |
| NR | 01:09.8 | 01:15.5 |
100m: Average pace per 100 metres, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss.s).
| Swimming Level | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 02:39.0 | 02:56.7 |
| Novice | 02:05.9 | 02:20.9 |
| Intermediate | 01:39.8 | 01:52.0 |
| Advanced | 01:19.9 | 01:29.6 |
| Elite | 01:05.3 | 01:12.9 |
| NR | 01:03.8 | 01:09.0 |
100yd: Average pace per 100 yards, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss.s).
A good 5k time is 01:30:55 for men. This is the average time across all ages. The USMS 5k national record in a 50m pool is 58:11.13 for men.
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 02:59:00 | 02:21:45 | 01:52:20 | 01:30:00 | 01:13:31 | - |
| 15 | 02:30:09 | 01:58:54 | 01:34:14 | 01:15:29 | 01:01:40 | - |
| 20 | 02:24:53 | 01:54:44 | 01:30:55 | 01:12:50 | 59:30 | 01:01:49.77 |
| 25 | 02:24:53 | 01:54:44 | 01:30:55 | 01:12:50 | 59:30 | 01:00:18.54 |
| 30 | 02:24:53 | 01:54:44 | 01:30:55 | 01:12:50 | 59:30 | 59:07.35 |
| 35 | 02:24:53 | 01:54:44 | 01:30:55 | 01:12:50 | 59:30 | 58:11.13 |
| 40 | 02:24:53 | 01:54:44 | 01:30:55 | 01:12:50 | 59:30 | 58:23.56 |
| 45 | 02:28:04 | 01:57:15 | 01:32:55 | 01:14:26 | 01:00:49 | 01:00:25.14 |
| 50 | 02:31:38 | 02:00:05 | 01:35:09 | 01:16:14 | 01:02:16 | 01:00:53.84 |
| 55 | 02:35:22 | 02:03:02 | 01:37:30 | 01:18:07 | 01:03:49 | 01:03:20.98 |
| 60 | 02:39:18 | 02:06:09 | 01:39:58 | 01:20:05 | 01:05:25 | 01:03:58.63 |
| 65 | 02:43:49 | 02:09:44 | 01:42:48 | 01:22:22 | 01:07:17 | 01:08:42.12 |
| 70 | 02:51:03 | 02:15:28 | 01:47:20 | 01:26:00 | 01:10:15 | 01:13:02.00 |
| 75 | 03:02:02 | 02:24:09 | 01:54:14 | 01:31:31 | 01:14:46 | 01:15:33.07 |
| 80 | 03:18:12 | 02:36:57 | 02:04:23 | 01:39:39 | 01:21:24 | 01:19:35.57 |
| 85 | 03:42:03 | 02:55:50 | 02:19:20 | 01:51:38 | 01:31:12 | 01:37:06.47 |
| 90 | 04:18:38 | 03:24:49 | 02:42:18 | 02:10:02 | 01:46:13 | 02:40:44.22 |
Time: Finish time for the full distance (seconds below a minute, otherwise mm:ss or hh:mm:ss).
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 03:34.8 | 02:50.1 | 02:14.8 | 01:48.0 | 01:28.2 | - |
| 15 | 03:00.2 | 02:22.7 | 01:53.1 | 01:30.6 | 01:14.0 | - |
| 20 | 02:53.9 | 02:17.7 | 01:49.1 | 01:27.4 | 01:11.4 | 01:14.2 |
| 25 | 02:53.9 | 02:17.7 | 01:49.1 | 01:27.4 | 01:11.4 | 01:12.4 |
| 30 | 02:53.9 | 02:17.7 | 01:49.1 | 01:27.4 | 01:11.4 | 01:10.9 |
| 35 | 02:53.9 | 02:17.7 | 01:49.1 | 01:27.4 | 01:11.4 | 01:09.8 |
| 40 | 02:53.9 | 02:17.7 | 01:49.1 | 01:27.4 | 01:11.4 | 01:10.1 |
| 45 | 02:57.7 | 02:20.7 | 01:51.5 | 01:29.3 | 01:13.0 | 01:12.5 |
| 50 | 03:02.0 | 02:24.1 | 01:54.2 | 01:31.5 | 01:14.7 | 01:13.1 |
| 55 | 03:06.4 | 02:27.6 | 01:57.0 | 01:33.7 | 01:16.6 | 01:16.0 |
| 60 | 03:11.2 | 02:31.4 | 02:00.0 | 01:36.1 | 01:18.5 | 01:16.8 |
| 65 | 03:16.6 | 02:35.7 | 02:03.4 | 01:38.8 | 01:20.7 | 01:22.4 |
| 70 | 03:25.3 | 02:42.6 | 02:08.8 | 01:43.2 | 01:24.3 | 01:27.6 |
| 75 | 03:38.4 | 02:53.0 | 02:17.1 | 01:49.8 | 01:29.7 | 01:30.7 |
| 80 | 03:57.8 | 03:08.3 | 02:29.3 | 01:59.6 | 01:37.7 | 01:35.5 |
| 85 | 04:26.5 | 03:31.0 | 02:47.2 | 02:14.0 | 01:49.4 | 01:56.5 |
| 90 | 05:10.4 | 04:05.8 | 03:14.8 | 02:36.0 | 02:07.5 | 03:12.9 |
100m: Average pace per 100 metres, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss.s).
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 03:16.4 | 02:35.5 | 02:03.3 | 01:38.7 | 01:20.7 | - |
| 15 | 02:44.8 | 02:10.5 | 01:43.4 | 01:22.8 | 01:07.7 | - |
| 20 | 02:39.0 | 02:05.9 | 01:39.8 | 01:19.9 | 01:05.3 | 01:07.8 |
| 25 | 02:39.0 | 02:05.9 | 01:39.8 | 01:19.9 | 01:05.3 | 01:06.2 |
| 30 | 02:39.0 | 02:05.9 | 01:39.8 | 01:19.9 | 01:05.3 | 01:04.9 |
| 35 | 02:39.0 | 02:05.9 | 01:39.8 | 01:19.9 | 01:05.3 | 01:03.8 |
| 40 | 02:39.0 | 02:05.9 | 01:39.8 | 01:19.9 | 01:05.3 | 01:04.1 |
| 45 | 02:42.5 | 02:08.7 | 01:42.0 | 01:21.7 | 01:06.7 | 01:06.3 |
| 50 | 02:46.4 | 02:11.8 | 01:44.4 | 01:23.6 | 01:08.3 | 01:06.8 |
| 55 | 02:50.5 | 02:15.0 | 01:47.0 | 01:25.7 | 01:10.0 | 01:09.5 |
| 60 | 02:54.8 | 02:18.4 | 01:49.7 | 01:27.9 | 01:11.8 | 01:10.2 |
| 65 | 02:59.8 | 02:22.4 | 01:52.8 | 01:30.4 | 01:13.8 | 01:15.4 |
| 70 | 03:07.7 | 02:28.6 | 01:57.8 | 01:34.4 | 01:17.1 | 01:20.1 |
| 75 | 03:19.7 | 02:38.2 | 02:05.3 | 01:40.4 | 01:22.0 | 01:22.9 |
| 80 | 03:37.5 | 02:52.2 | 02:16.5 | 01:49.3 | 01:29.3 | 01:27.3 |
| 85 | 04:03.6 | 03:12.9 | 02:32.9 | 02:02.5 | 01:40.1 | 01:46.6 |
| 90 | 04:43.8 | 03:44.7 | 02:58.1 | 02:22.7 | 01:56.5 | 02:56.4 |
100yd: Average pace per 100 yards, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss.s).
A good 5k time is 01:42:02 for women. This is the average time across all ages. The USMS 5k national record in a 50m pool is 01:02:53.42 for women.
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 02:56:34 | 02:20:46 | 01:51:52 | 01:29:33 | 01:12:53 | - |
| 15 | 02:43:51 | 02:10:38 | 01:43:48 | 01:23:06 | 01:07:38 | - |
| 20 | 02:41:03 | 02:08:24 | 01:42:02 | 01:21:41 | 01:06:28 | 01:04:09.79 |
| 25 | 02:41:03 | 02:08:24 | 01:42:02 | 01:21:41 | 01:06:28 | 01:05:38.54 |
| 30 | 02:41:03 | 02:08:24 | 01:42:02 | 01:21:41 | 01:06:28 | 01:03:01.99 |
| 35 | 02:41:03 | 02:08:24 | 01:42:02 | 01:21:41 | 01:06:28 | 01:03:28.06 |
| 40 | 02:41:03 | 02:08:24 | 01:42:02 | 01:21:41 | 01:06:28 | 01:02:53.42 |
| 45 | 02:41:03 | 02:08:24 | 01:42:02 | 01:21:41 | 01:06:28 | 01:04:26.97 |
| 50 | 02:41:50 | 02:09:02 | 01:42:32 | 01:22:05 | 01:06:48 | 01:05:30.86 |
| 55 | 02:45:31 | 02:11:57 | 01:44:52 | 01:23:57 | 01:08:19 | 01:04:38.22 |
| 60 | 02:52:36 | 02:17:37 | 01:49:22 | 01:27:33 | 01:11:15 | 01:09:47.31 |
| 65 | 03:03:59 | 02:26:41 | 01:56:34 | 01:33:19 | 01:15:57 | 01:12:16.09 |
| 70 | 03:21:20 | 02:40:31 | 02:07:33 | 01:42:07 | 01:23:06 | 01:18:37.12 |
| 75 | 03:44:14 | 02:58:46 | 02:22:04 | 01:53:43 | 01:32:33 | 01:33:14.02 |
| 80 | 04:13:01 | 03:21:43 | 02:40:18 | 02:08:19 | 01:44:26 | 01:50:32.60 |
| 85 | 04:50:19 | 03:51:28 | 03:03:57 | 02:27:15 | 01:59:50 | 01:53:22.40 |
| 90 | 05:40:37 | 04:31:34 | 03:35:48 | 02:52:45 | 02:20:36 | - |
Time: Finish time for the full distance (seconds below a minute, otherwise mm:ss or hh:mm:ss).
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 03:31.9 | 02:48.9 | 02:14.2 | 01:47.5 | 01:27.5 | - |
| 15 | 03:16.6 | 02:36.8 | 02:04.6 | 01:39.7 | 01:21.2 | - |
| 20 | 03:13.3 | 02:34.1 | 02:02.4 | 01:38.0 | 01:19.8 | 01:17.0 |
| 25 | 03:13.3 | 02:34.1 | 02:02.4 | 01:38.0 | 01:19.8 | 01:18.8 |
| 30 | 03:13.3 | 02:34.1 | 02:02.4 | 01:38.0 | 01:19.8 | 01:15.6 |
| 35 | 03:13.3 | 02:34.1 | 02:02.4 | 01:38.0 | 01:19.8 | 01:16.2 |
| 40 | 03:13.3 | 02:34.1 | 02:02.4 | 01:38.0 | 01:19.8 | 01:15.5 |
| 45 | 03:13.3 | 02:34.1 | 02:02.4 | 01:38.0 | 01:19.8 | 01:17.3 |
| 50 | 03:14.2 | 02:34.8 | 02:03.0 | 01:38.5 | 01:20.2 | 01:18.6 |
| 55 | 03:18.6 | 02:38.3 | 02:05.8 | 01:40.7 | 01:22.0 | 01:17.6 |
| 60 | 03:27.1 | 02:45.1 | 02:11.2 | 01:45.1 | 01:25.5 | 01:23.7 |
| 65 | 03:40.8 | 02:56.0 | 02:19.9 | 01:52.0 | 01:31.1 | 01:26.7 |
| 70 | 04:01.6 | 03:12.6 | 02:33.1 | 02:02.5 | 01:39.7 | 01:34.3 |
| 75 | 04:29.1 | 03:34.5 | 02:50.5 | 02:16.5 | 01:51.1 | 01:51.9 |
| 80 | 05:03.6 | 04:02.1 | 03:12.4 | 02:34.0 | 02:05.3 | 02:12.7 |
| 85 | 05:48.4 | 04:37.8 | 03:40.7 | 02:56.7 | 02:23.8 | 02:16.0 |
| 90 | 06:48.7 | 05:25.9 | 04:19.0 | 03:27.3 | 02:48.7 | - |
100m: Average pace per 100 metres, shown in minutes and seconds (mm:ss.s).
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 03:13.7 | 02:34.5 | 02:02.7 | 01:38.3 | 01:20.0 | - |
| 15 | 02:59.8 | 02:23.3 | 01:53.9 | 01:31.2 | 01:14.2 | - |
| 20 | 02:56.7 | 02:20.9 | 01:52.0 | 01:29.6 | 01:12.9 | 01:10.4 |
| 25 | 02:56.7 | 02:20.9 | 01:52.0 | 01:29.6 | 01:12.9 | 01:12.0 |
| 30 | 02:56.7 | 02:20.9 | 01:52.0 | 01:29.6 | 01:12.9 | 01:09.2 |
| 35 | 02:56.7 | 02:20.9 | 01:52.0 | 01:29.6 | 01:12.9 | 01:09.6 |
| 40 | 02:56.7 | 02:20.9 | 01:52.0 | 01:29.6 | 01:12.9 | 01:09.0 |
| 45 | 02:56.7 | 02:20.9 | 01:52.0 | 01:29.6 | 01:12.9 | 01:10.7 |
| 50 | 02:57.6 | 02:21.6 | 01:52.5 | 01:30.1 | 01:13.3 | 01:11.9 |
| 55 | 03:01.6 | 02:24.8 | 01:55.1 | 01:32.1 | 01:15.0 | 01:10.9 |
| 60 | 03:09.4 | 02:31.0 | 02:00.0 | 01:36.1 | 01:18.2 | 01:16.6 |
| 65 | 03:21.9 | 02:41.0 | 02:07.9 | 01:42.4 | 01:23.3 | 01:19.3 |
| 70 | 03:40.9 | 02:56.1 | 02:20.0 | 01:52.0 | 01:31.2 | 01:26.3 |
| 75 | 04:06.0 | 03:16.2 | 02:35.9 | 02:04.8 | 01:41.6 | 01:42.3 |
| 80 | 04:37.6 | 03:41.3 | 02:55.9 | 02:20.8 | 01:54.6 | 02:01.3 |
| 85 | 05:18.6 | 04:14.0 | 03:21.8 | 02:41.6 | 02:11.5 | 02:04.4 |
| 90 | 06:13.8 | 04:58.0 | 03:56.8 | 03:09.6 | 02:34.3 | - |
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 598 qualifying results from 6,371 community results submitted by 3,567 Swimming Level users from 2021 to 2026 to produce our 5k swim time standards. We will continue to update them as more community data becomes available. See our standards timeline.
| Community results | 6,371 |
|---|---|
| Community users | 3,567 |
| Qualifying results | 598 |
| Male results | 415 |
| Female results | 183 |
| 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 5k was 01:44:17 across all ages and genders, 01:40:43 for men (now 10.8% faster) and 01:49:01 for women (now 6.8% faster).
| Level | Previous | Current | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 02:40:15 | 02:24:53 | -9.6% |
| Novice | 02:07:44 | 01:54:44 | -10.2% |
| Intermediate | 01:40:43 | 01:30:55 | -9.7% |
| Advanced | 01:19:25 | 01:12:50 | -8.3% |
| Elite | 01:03:18 | 59:30 | -6.0% |
| Level | Previous | Current | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 02:44:56 | 02:41:03 | -2.4% |
| Novice | 02:14:45 | 02:08:24 | -4.7% |
| Intermediate | 01:49:01 | 01:42:02 | -6.4% |
| Advanced | 01:28:12 | 01:21:41 | -7.4% |
| Elite | 01:12:04 | 01:06:28 | -7.8% |
We created these previous standards on and last updated them (see archive.org).
| Record | Age Category | Name | Time | Date | Age | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NR | 18-24 | Alexander M Aceino | 01:01:49.77 | 2014 | 23 | USMS1 |
| NR | 25-29 | Anton J Janezich | 01:00:18.54 | 2021 | - | USMS1 |
| NR | 30-34 | Anton J Janezich | 59:07.35 | 2022 | - | USMS1 |
| NR | 35-39 | Jeff T Erwin | 58:11.13 | 2003 | - | USMS1 |
| NR | 40-44 | Jeff T Erwin | 58:23.56 | 2005 | - | USMS1 |
| NR | 45-49 | Jeff T Erwin | 01:00:25.14 | 2009 | - | USMS1 |
| NR | 50-54 | Jim McConica | 01:00:53.84 | 2003 | - | USMS1 |
| NR | 55-59 | Jim McConica | 01:03:20.98 | 2006 | - | USMS1 |
| NR | 60-64 | Jim McConica | 01:03:58.63 | 2012 | - | USMS1 |
| NR | 65-69 | Branch T Archer | 01:08:42.12 | 2024 | - | USMS1 |
| NR | 70-74 | Rick B Walker | 01:13:02.00 | 2020 | - | USMS1 |
| NR | 75-79 | Dan L Kirkland | 01:15:33.07 | 2023 | - | USMS1 |
| NR | 80-84 | David A Radcliff | 01:19:35.57 | 2014 | 80 | USMS1 |
| NR | 85-89 | David A Radcliff | 01:37:06.47 | 2019 | - | USMS1 |
| NR | 90-94 | E Ole Larson | 02:40:44.22 | 2012 | - | USMS1 |
| Record | Age Category | Name | Time | Date | Age | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NR | 18-24 | Kasey Morris | 01:04:09.79 | 2010 | 18 | USMS2 |
| NR | 25-29 | Gina Cornelius | 01:05:38.54 | 2001 | - | USMS2 |
| NR | 30-34 | Marina Falcone | 01:03:01.99 | 2019 | - | USMS2 |
| NR | 35-39 | Karlin Pipes-Neilsen | 01:03:28.06 | 1999 | - | USMS2 |
| NR | 40-44 | Karlin Pipes-Neilsen | 01:02:53.42 | 2003 | - | USMS2 |
| NR | 45-49 | Susanne Heim-Bowen | 01:04:26.97 | 2004 | - | USMS2 |
| NR | 50-54 | Suzanne M Heim-Bowen | 01:05:30.86 | 2008 | - | USMS2 |
| NR | 55-59 | Susan H Preston | 01:04:38.22 | 2018 | - | USMS2 |
| NR | 60-64 | Suzanne M Heim-Bowen | 01:09:47.31 | 2019 | - | USMS2 |
| NR | 65-69 | Stacey S Warmuth | 01:12:16.09 | 2022 | - | USMS2 |
| NR | 70-74 | Shirley A Loftus-Charley | 01:18:37.12 | 2022 | - | USMS2 |
| NR | 75-79 | Joanne Menard | 01:33:14.02 | 2023 | - | USMS2 |
| NR | 80-84 | Jane G Oberg | 01:50:32.60 | 2019 | - | USMS2 |
| NR | 85-89 | Jane G Oberg | 01:53:22.40 | 2024 | - | USMS2 |
The Swimming Level Calculator can show your exact level of swimming performance at any age.