What % of 40yo men can run a 10 min mile? (1 Viewer)

[avoiding injuries]

General US population. I was discussing this with a buddy last night at the gym. He said about 50%. I think it's more like 25-30%. I started running again a few months ago, and when I first started, I couldn't do it. I picked age 40 to make it a round number, but we were talking about middle aged guys.

 

[matuski]

10 minutes is slightly faster than walking no? Like a trot?

 

[ArbyMelt]

run just 1 mile in 10 mins? I would hope 75%. Sprint for awhile, walk, sprint, walk, sprint. You can briskly walk a mile in 13-14 minutes.

 

[avoiding injuries]

6mph- I'd say it's a brisk jog. 7mph is straight running for me.

 

[belljr]

I'm in ok shape an awful cardio...

eta misread

 

[Idiot Boxer]

10 minutes is not a slow mile. There are a bunch of fit 40 year olds who can do it in 6, but I'm willing to bet a majority couldn't in 10. There's a lot of fatasses in this country.

 

[FUBAR]

10 minutes is slightly faster than walking no? Like a trot?

a really fast walker (but not Olympic speed walk) is a 12 minute mile.

Your average mid-pack marathon finisher is probably around 10 minutes / mile. So that's 50% of all ages, of people who train for marathons. Of course, it's also 26.2 miles instead of just one. But I'd guess the average 40 year old is a fair bit slower than your average marathon pace. So it's well under 50%.

 

[NutterButter]

We're talking running to the point of collapsing so I think that more people could do it than you'd think. If it was 10 min avg over say 3 miles, I'd say it would be where you're thinking.

 

[saintfool]

43 years old and I run a 8.5 min mile. I don't run regularly either.

 

[FUBAR]

I'm in ok shape an awful cardio...gun to my head I could walk run 10 miles but in a reasonable time no way

Motivation may be key here.

Pack of wild dogs chasing a pack of 40 year old dudes? They'd probably do it if the dogs didn't catch them first.

But give most people just a fitness test and I think we'll find under 1/4 making it.

 

[NCCommish]

I would say with no training and the sedentary lifestyle so prevalent in this country it is far less than half.

 

[TheIronSheik]

I own a car.

 

[FUBAR]

I own a car.

:lookatme:

 

[spreagle]

Very very few 40 year old men can maintain 6 mph for 10 minutes. Most would give up before one minute, the rest would give up at around 3 to 4 minutes. They would all fall to a brisk walk which is 4 mph.

Whoever runs regularly is who can do it. Probably 5%.

 

[Parrothead]

I'm tired just reading this

 

[bostonfred]

Another thread for guys to overestimate their own fitness compared to the general population.

I'd say it's well over 50%. Running the same pace for a 31 minute 5k, on the other hand, I think it drops to 20% or lower.

 

[NutterButter]

I'm in ok shape an awful cardio...gun to my head I could walk run 10 miles but in a reasonable time no way

Motivation may be key here.

Pack of wild dogs chasing a pack of 40 year old dudes? They'd probably do it if the dogs didn't catch them first.

But give most people just a fitness test and I think we'll find under 1/4 making it.

I was assuming we were talking about what people are capable of, not what they'd normally do which is essentially nothing.

 

[Snotbubbles]

No training whatsoever and I ran 3.1 miles in 33 minutes. If I only had to do 1 mile I could do it in under 10 minutes. I think most people non- smoking, non-morbidly obese people could do it.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

The 1st mile? Sure. The 2nd mile? Nope.

 

[Hang 10]

I don't have much faith in society. I'm guessing 30%ish.

 

[Jayrod]

The only 40 year old guys I really know are either basketball or football officials or guys I play pickup games with. That probably skews it as I'm pretty sure every single one of them could run a 10 minute mile. 40 isn't that old (says the 36 year old).

 

[matuski]

But could you beat Deion Sanders over a mile if he ran backwards?

 

[spOOfy]

50% sounds about right for a single mile.

 

[NCCommish]

I'm in ok shape an awful cardio...gun to my head I could walk run 10 miles but in a reasonable time no way

Motivation may be key here.

Pack of wild dogs chasing a pack of 40 year old dudes? They'd probably do it if the dogs didn't catch them first.

But give most people just a fitness test and I think we'll find under 1/4 making it.

I don't have to outrun the dogs I just have to outrun one of the other guys.

 

[beavers]

36 and female. Decided to do another challenge this year and am running my first 5k in a couple of weeks. I ran my first mile since college (because of bad knees) and finished in 8.5 minutes. Two miles in 18 minutes. This is however, on an indoor track and I plan to lose time for my 5k. And, I'm in pretty good shape from cycling and high intensity workouts, so running a mile in 8.5 wasn't that hard.

 

[Mister Martie]

Kind of a tangent but I remember one season of the Biggest Loser the contestants had to run/walk one mile on the first episode. One person had to be airlifted to the hospital in a helicopter before finishing.

 

[FUBAR]

I'm in ok shape an awful cardio...gun to my head I could walk run 10 miles but in a reasonable time no way

Motivation may be key here.

Pack of wild dogs chasing a pack of 40 year old dudes? They'd probably do it if the dogs didn't catch them first.

But give most people just a fitness test and I think we'll find under 1/4 making it.

I was assuming we were talking about what people are capable of, not what they'd normally do which is essentially nothing.

This gets into a different topic, but the endorphins during a fight or flight incident make people do things they're not otherwise capable of.

I'm assuming we're lining up all the 40 year old dudes and say "make it to the finish". Maybe if we promise donuts for those making it the percentage increases.

 

[FUBAR]

The only 40 year old guys I really know are either basketball or football officials or guys I play pickup games with. That probably skews it as I'm pretty sure every single one of them could run a 10 minute mile. 40 isn't that old (says the 36 year old).

Well, if we're going off people we know, that changes things.

 

[Ditka Butkus]

I would think a good percentage could do the 1st mile in 10 minutes.....but any mile after that I would say very few.

 

[Jayrod]

The only 40 year old guys I really know are either basketball or football officials or guys I play pickup games with. That probably skews it as I'm pretty sure every single one of them could run a 10 minute mile. 40 isn't that old (says the 36 year old).

Well, if we're going off people we know, that changes things.

Exactly!

 

[Cjw_55106]

I went with 10-20%. Although I agree with the motivation part. I'm about 6'2, 205 and I know I can do it, but I don't have faith in my fatass fellow Americans. In fact, I'd wager that many can't run 10 minutes straight.

 

[Ray Karpis]

35% of adults over the age of 20 are obese. 70% are at least overweight.

The percentage of people out there who are in even remotely okay shape is pretty small in the general population.

I think 30-35% is probably about right.

 

[dgreen]

For some reason, Google Maps puts walking directions of 1 mile at about 20 minutes. (I got 20 minutes in a suburban route and 22 minutes in an urban route, so maybe they take number of street crossings into consideration when estimating a time. I can get as low as 19 minutes on a path with no street crossings.) That seems high to me, but I'd guess it is based on some kind of data.

 

[Super King]

I'm 5'11", 180 lb. Decent shape. 1 mile is a long distance to run..... Ugh.... I say less than 10%.

 

[Da Guru]

I can walk 4 miles in one hour with my dog. Or 15 minutes a mile. That is walking as fast as I can without running. I track all my walks with the Nike app.

If I just rotated a run/walk routine it would be easily under 10 minutes.

 

[jon_mx]

No training whatsoever and I ran 3.1 miles in 33 minutes. If I only had to do 1 mile I could do it in under 10 minutes. I think most people non- smoking, non-morbidly obese people could do it.

You may not train, but I would guess you are physically active either at work or recreation. Most guys who have sat at a desk for 15 years and most strenuous excercize is driving around on a golf cart. I don't think they would make it, and I guess that would fit for the majority of over 40 people. I could make it, but I would need a respirator at the finish line.

 

[5Rings]

10 minutes is not a slow mile. There are a bunch of fit 40 year olds who can do it in 6, but I'm willing to bet a majority couldn't in 10. There's a lot of fatasses in this country.

I'm going with 10%, and if you take California out of the equation, its probably less than 5%.

 

[NutterButter]

I'm in ok shape an awful cardio...gun to my head I could walk run 10 miles but in a reasonable time no way

Motivation may be key here.

Pack of wild dogs chasing a pack of 40 year old dudes? They'd probably do it if the dogs didn't catch them first.

But give most people just a fitness test and I think we'll find under 1/4 making it.

I was assuming we were talking about what people are capable of, not what they'd normally do which is essentially nothing.

This gets into a different topic, but the endorphins during a fight or flight incident make people do things they're not otherwise capable of.

I'm assuming we're lining up all the 40 year old dudes and say "make it to the finish". Maybe if we promise donuts for those making it the percentage increases.

In that case most wouldn't even finish b/c there's no motivation. No one would even show up for the race if the reward was just a box of donuts. Easier to just drive to the store and buy some donuts.

 

[jon_mx]

I'm in ok shape an awful cardio...gun to my head I could walk run 10 miles but in a reasonable time no way

Motivation may be key here.

Pack of wild dogs chasing a pack of 40 year old dudes? They'd probably do it if the dogs didn't catch them first.

But give most people just a fitness test and I think we'll find under 1/4 making it.

I was assuming we were talking about what people are capable of, not what they'd normally do which is essentially nothing.

This gets into a different topic, but the endorphins during a fight or flight incident make people do things they're not otherwise capable of.

I'm assuming we're lining up all the 40 year old dudes and say "make it to the finish". Maybe if we promise donuts for those making it the percentage increases.

In that case most wouldn't even finish b/c there's no motivation. No one would even show up for the race if the reward was just a box of donuts. Easier to just drive to the store and buy some donuts.

Put Kate Upton at the finish line and the results would skyrocket. Well except for Otis.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

I run 6 miles every other day in roughly 45 minutes.

I'd say the average 40 year old could only run a 10 minute mile if they were forced to and it wouldn't be pretty (or healthy).

 

[FUBAR]

I'm in ok shape an awful cardio...gun to my head I could walk run 10 miles but in a reasonable time no way

Motivation may be key here.

Pack of wild dogs chasing a pack of 40 year old dudes? They'd probably do it if the dogs didn't catch them first.

But give most people just a fitness test and I think we'll find under 1/4 making it.

I was assuming we were talking about what people are capable of, not what they'd normally do which is essentially nothing.

This gets into a different topic, but the endorphins during a fight or flight incident make people do things they're not otherwise capable of.

I'm assuming we're lining up all the 40 year old dudes and say "make it to the finish". Maybe if we promise donuts for those making it the percentage increases.

In that case most wouldn't even finish b/c there's no motivation. No one would even show up for the race if the reward was just a box of donuts. Easier to just drive to the store and buy some donuts.

Put Kate Upton at the finish line and the results would skyrocket. Well except for Otis.

The average 40 year old guy wouldn't last 10 minutes with Kate.

 

[Angry Beavers]

Not a chance this is more than about 15%.

 

[Otis]

38 here, and fat. I could do it if it's just one mile.

 

[Hang 10]

I run 6 miles every other day in roughly 45 minutes.

I'd say the average 40 year old could only run a 10 minute mile if they were forced to and it wouldn't be pretty (or healthy).

45 minutes, eh? Not bad if that includes stopping to take a leak.

 

[Random]

I initially thought this had to be under 10%. I'm in decent shape and can do a sub 10 min mile, but I exercise daily. Then thinking about the guys in my neighborhood I'm guessing 7/14 might be able to do it (a few athletes, a cop, a fireman, a few daily joggers).

Then this:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/533654-how-fast-should-you-run-a-mile/

 

[Drifter]

run just 1 mile in 10 mins? I would hope 75%. Sprint for awhile, walk, sprint, walk, sprint. You can briskly walk a mile in 13-14 minutes.

Get on a treadmill and set it to 4 mph - it's a very fast walk. Much faster than most people walk even when walking briskly. People have a disproportionate sense of how fast they move in general.

 

[B Maverick]

6 months after knee surgery (ACL) when I started running again I was between 9.3 mins and 11 mins for a mile on the treadmill. I have been doing some working out since and probably can do 8-9 mins now. I am 40, 5'11, 215. I used to be an athlete, but most 40 YO men are not doing anything. so i voted 30-40% but that may be high.

 

[bigbottom]

I initially thought this had to be under 10%. I'm in decent shape and can do a sub 10 min mile, but I exercise daily. Then thinking about the guys in my neighborhood I'm guessing 7/14 might be able to do it (a few athletes, a cop, a fireman, a few daily joggers).

Then this:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/533654-how-fast-should-you-run-a-mile/

Interesting. So in the 40-something age groups, approximately 50% of runners can finish a mile in under 10 minutes according to U.S. Army physical fitness guidelines. But it's unclear to me whether "runners" refers to people who are runners or to the general population with respect to their ability to run.

 

[B Maverick]

I initially thought this had to be under 10%. I'm in decent shape and can do a sub 10 min mile, but I exercise daily. Then thinking about the guys in my neighborhood I'm guessing 7/14 might be able to do it (a few athletes, a cop, a fireman, a few daily joggers).

Then this:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/533654-how-fast-should-you-run-a-mile/

Interesting. So in the 40-something age groups, approximately 50% of runners can finish a mile in under 10 minutes according to U.S. Army physical fitness guidelines. But it's unclear to me whether "runners" refers to people who are runners or to the general population with respect to their ability to run.

CautionsOnly trained athletes can run a mile in these times. If you don't already run, start by walking briskly, and slowly incorporate jogging or running intervals of one minute or shorter into your routine. Gradually increase running intervals and decrease walking intervals until you can run a full mile, and then focus on slowly increasing your speed over months.

 

[ClownCausedChaos2]

I own a car.

I thought you leased?