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What Is 5K in Miles?
A 5K is 3.1 miles — 3.10686 miles to be exact. It's the most popular race distance in the world, short enough for a beginner to finish and long enough to feel like a real event.
The exact conversion
- 1 kilometre = 0.621371 miles
- 5 km × 0.621371 = 3.10686 miles
- That's 5,000 metres, or 12.5 laps of a standard 400 m running track.
Common race distances in miles
| Distance | Kilometres | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| 1 km | 1 | 0.62 |
| 5K | 5 | 3.11 |
| 10K | 10 | 6.21 |
| 15K | 15 | 9.32 |
| Half marathon | 21.1 | 13.11 |
| Marathon | 42.195 | 26.22 |
| 50K ultra | 50 | 31.07 |
How long does it take to run 5K?
Most recreational runners finish a 5K in 25 to 35 minutes. A 30-minute 5K works out at 9:39 per mile (6:00 per km) — a common and very achievable first target. Beginners mixing running and walking typically finish in 35 to 45 minutes.
| Finish time | Pace / mile | Pace / km |
|---|---|---|
| 20:00 | 6:26 | 4:00 |
| 25:00 | 8:03 | 5:00 |
| 30:00 | 9:39 | 6:00 |
| 35:00 | 11:16 | 7:00 |
| 40:00 | 12:52 | 8:00 |
Work out your own 5K pace
Drop your goal time into the pace calculator to get the exact pace per mile and per kilometre. If you're aiming at your first one, the free 6-week couch-to-5K plan will get you to the start line — and what counts as an average 5K time shows where your result fits.