By Marnie Kunz, CPT

If you’re looking for average mile time stats, this guide will go over everything you need to know. As a running coach and lover of speed workouts (strange, I know!), I have dedicated a lot of time to training people for mile races. I have also trained many runners to pass the NYPD running speed test. I am sharing the rundown on average mile times by age and sex here, as well as my top speed workouts to run a faster mile. Whether you’re training for a race, a running test, or want to improve your running time, the mile is an iconic distance that tests your speed and endurance.

The biggest indicator of average mile time is fitness level. Most amateur runners who train regularly can run a mile in 9 or 10 minutes. Beginning runners and those who are just getting back into running after a break will usually run a mile in 12 to 15 minutes.

How Far Is a Mile?

Before we get into the specifics, let’s cover the basics. A mile is 5280 feet, 1609 meters, or four laps on a standard outdoor track. The mile is a standard measure for races in the U.S. and for track races.

Factors That Affect Mile Time

There are several factors that influence your mile time. Your age, sex, and fitness level affect your mile pace. In general, young adult runners tend to run the fastest mile times, and men often have faster mile times than women.

Since we can’t control our age or sex, focusing on fitness level is the most useful for training. Doing speed workouts and endurance training will have the biggest impact on improving your fitness and running a faster mile. If you want to get faster, interval training is one of the best ways to improve your mile time. Interval training involves running with intense bursts of speed mixed in with periods of recovery.

Related Post: Interval Training for Beginners

Average Mile Time By Age and Gender

Your average mile time depends in large part on your fitness level. Most everyday runners can run a mile in 9 or 10 minutes. Beginning runners will usually run a mile in 12 to 15 minutes.

Elite marathoners usually have an average mile time in the range of 4 to 5 minutes. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the fastest mile was 3:43.13, run by Olympian Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999. The fastest mile run by a woman is 4:12.33, by Olympian Sifan Hassan in 2019.

Mile Pace Stats

So you may be thinking, “Whoa, I am just trying to run fast for my age group, not win Olympic medals.” I understand - as a former track middle-distance runner, I get it. And the mile is a convenient way to measure speed for long-distance runners as well.

Here is a breakdown of average mile time according to the Army Physical Fitness Test, which breaks down the average run time for male and female runners based on the Army’s 2-mile run test:

These numbers give you a good general idea of how fast women and men run a mile. In general, men run a mile faster because they have more fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are essential for speed. (Longer distance races such as marathons and ultra races are where women start to even the playing field, however).

What’s a Good Mile Pace?

According to Running Level, which calculates average mile pace based on age, sex, and fitness level, 7:04 is a good mile time for all runners.

To break it down further, Running Level states that an average mile time of 6:37 to 6:58 is good for male runners ages 20 to 40, and 7:14 to 8:31 is the average mile time range for male intermediate runners ages 45 to 65. For women, an average mile pace of 7:44 to 7:57 for ages 20 to 40 is good. A good intermediate-level running pace for women ages 45 to 65 is 8:14 to 10:21, according to Running Level.

At the end of the day, what matters with judging your mile time is not how you stack up against others but how you measure your own progress. Doing a 1-mile benchmark run is a great way to assess where you’re at with your fitness level and running speed. I recommend doing a monthly benchmark run to track your progress when you’re doing speed training.

Related Post: How to Do a Benchmark Run

How to Run a Mile Faster

The best way to lower your average mile time is to do a combination of speed and endurance workouts. The mile is a middle-distance race, and to get faster, you will need to build your stamina and speed. Base runs will help you improve your endurance. These are relaxed-pace runs that you can do at a conversational pace.

Related Post: Running Essentials: The Base Run

If you want to run a faster mile, add speed workouts to your training program as well. Speed workouts will help you run faster and improve your Vo2 max, which is your body’s ability to use oxygen efficiently. Add one to two speed workouts a week to your training to improve your mile time.

3 Best Mile Speed Workouts

These are my top mile speed workouts that I’ve developed over years of leading Runstreet Track Tuesdays and training people to get faster for the Brooklyn Mile and Fifth Avenue Mile. The workouts can be adapted to all fitness levels, as you can do fewer repeats if you’re a beginner or more if you are advanced.

It’s easiest to do these workouts on an outdoor track, but you can also use your running watch or a running app to track your distance. If you have a Garmin watch, you can program the workout into your watch. Check out my post on Garmin Running Workouts to learn how to program your watch.

400-meter mile speed workout

400s are a classic speed workout for mile training. A 400 is 400 meters, which is one-fourth of a mile or one lap around a standard outdoor track.

Warm-up: 800 meters (half of a mile) running at a slow, relaxed pace. Do dynamic stretches.
Run 400 meters (one lap on an outdoor track) at your goal mile pace.
Jog 400 meters slowly to recover.
Repeat to do 4 to 8 fast intervals with a recovery lap between each interval. For beginners, start with 4 intervals. For intermediate runners, do 6 to 8 intervals.
Cool down: 800 meters jogging. Stretch.

Aim for consistency with your pace, being careful not to start too fast. You will want to do a pace that you can maintain for each interval.

Ladder Mile speed Workout

A ladder workout will build your speed and endurance, and this ladder workout trains your body to run at your goal mile pace.

Warm-up: 800 meters (half of a mile) running at a slow, relaxed pace. Do dynamic stretches.
Run 200 meters (half of a lap on an outdoor track) at your goal mile pace.
Jog 200 meters to recover.
Run 400 meters (one lap) at your goal mile pace.
Jog 400 meters slowly to recover.
Run 800 meters (two laps) at your goal mile pace.
Jog 800 meters to recover.
Run 400 meters (one lap) at your goal mile pace.
Jog 400 meters slowly to recover.
Run 200 meters (half of a lap on an outdoor track) at your goal mile pace.
Jog 200 meters to recover.
Cool down: 800 meters jogging. Stretch.

Aim for the same pace - your goal mile pace - for each interval.

800-meter mile speed workout

As you get closer to your race date, do this 800-meter workout to fine-tune your speed.

Warm-up: 800 meters (half of a mile) running at a slow, relaxed pace. Do dynamic stretches.
Run 800 meters (two laps on the track) at your goal mile pace.
Jog 800 meters slowly to recover.
Repeat to do 4 to 6 fast intervals with a recovery of 800 meters between each interval. For beginners, start with 4 intervals. For advanced runners, do 6 intervals.
Cool down: 800 meters jogging. Stretch.

Mile Training Tips

In addition to doing weekly speed workouts, try these tips to improve your mile time:

Eat a nutrient-rich diet. You will need to fuel your body for optimal performance by eating plenty of nutritious, unprocessed foods, including whole grains, lean protein, and fresh produce.
Hydrate well before and after your runs. Staying hydrated will help your body recover more quickly from speed workouts and other intense training days.
Train in race conditions. If you are preparing for a mile road race, for instance, do your training on the course or a similar course. And run in weather conditions that are likely to be similar to your race day.
Strength train at least twice a week. Strength training will help build your leg muscle strength and power, which will improve your running speed. Strength training workouts will also help reduce your risk of running injuries and improve your running form and efficiency.

If you need a customized training plan to help you run your fastest mile, head to our Training Center, and I will be happy to help you. Happy - and speedy running to you! 😊

Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach, dog lover, Akita mom, and writer based in Brooklyn, NY.

Average Mile Time + 3 Speed Workouts to Get Faster