The average D1 distance runner can run a 15:07 5k. Change my mind.

Do you realize how many BS D1's actually exist? Who knows, maybe you could be right. I have no data, so this is just guessing.

There were at least 5 guy's I ran in HS with (slower than me) that went "DI". It was all they spoke about and probably still do to this day. One of them didn't even have an outdoor track to practice on. Two of those guy's ran around 15:20 and were top of their team.

Maybe, but I think it is 10-15 seconds slower.

It is hard to approximate. There are 300+ Division I teams. The top third of teams have no or a few guys running slower than that (with most the team faster). I would say the middle third typically has 3-5 guys better than that and a few guys slower; but 15:07 is the back end of the top 7 for a lot of average teams (who also have reserves who are slower). The bottom third of DI teams may have athlete or two under 15:00 for 5k, but not many.

On a track, yes. Easily.

I would think more like 14:50.

Hi James, can you define your use of average here? Average in a mathematical sense, ie the result achieved by adding up all times and dividing by count, or simply having qualities typical of a group? The two might be similar but are not the same.

This is false as more than half of Division 1 distance runners are women and they are not running that fast for 5k.

15:07 would be above average.

My top 5 from XC just a few years back was

14:15, 15:00, 15:20, 15:25, 15:35

The average is not a good statistic to use as the value is affected by outliers at each end. Better to use the median time, which would be the 5k time with half of the runners going faster than that, and half running slower.

I ran faster than that and I was barely an average D3 runner.

The median is 14:45.

I would guess if you listed all the 5k personal bests of all the runners in division 1 in order, 14:50ish would be smack dab in the middle....but the average time is going to be slower than 14:50.

just go on tfrrs and find out

Looking at a dataset of a every male 5000 time between 2012-2019, you’re basically right. The median time is a 15:09 and the mean time is 15:14. It’s probably faster now with super spikes, but historically yeah.

Right now in NCAA Division I Top 500 Times

14:53.01 is 250th

15:35.87 is 500th

If you expand beyond the 500th time, it shifts the average well above 15:10. There are another 250 performances SLOWER than 15:35.87

Current is 14:45.

Your team was just below average.

I get what you mean and I tend to agree. I've seen 10 flat 2 mile guys in high school walk on to D1 teams and run times like that with a string of adequate training and discipline.

Your 9:20 or faster 2 mile guy in high school should certainly be able to hit those times.

14:47 was 500th indoor.

And 800th was 17:12