How Many Miles in a 5K? What You Need to Know About Common Distances (2023)

Whether you arenew to runningor just new toracing, you’re probably thinking of signing up for a 5K. At first that might seem daunting. You’re probably asking yourself, “how many miles is a 5K?” in fear that it’s some inhumanly long distance.

Well, a 5K is just 3.1 miles, making it an ideal choice for your first race. It requires relatively little buildup, the training doesn’ttake over your life, and the race is over fairly quickly.

If you’re just getting started with training, but have been running or exercising regularly for a bit, we advise getting a base of at least three to four runs a week—for at least two months—and averaging at least nine miles a week with a long run of three miles. Before you start a plan for your specific time goals, you should be able to run about 30 minutes without stopping.

ALREADY A RW+ MEMBER? GET YOUR PLANS HERE

If you are more of anintermediateoradvanced runner, you may want to run your 3.1 miles faster and stronger than the last time you raced a 5K. To get better, you may want to incorporate different types of workouts beyond logging miles, such ashill workouts,speed workouts, orother faster-paced runs.

However you approach the 5K, there’s no doubt it’sone of the most accessible and fun distances to race. Keep reading for more on the basics of the 5K distance and the other popular racing distances you can line up for.

How many miles is a 5K?

A5Kis 3.1 miles. On a standard outdoor track, a 5K (5,000 meters) is 12.5 laps.

In 2022, there were more than 35,000 5K races in the U.S. listed on RunSignUp, with more than 5 million people registering to race. That makes the race distance far and away the most popular distance in the country.

How many miles is a 10K?

A10Kis 6.2 miles, or 25 laps around a track.

Every year, tens of thousands of runners flock to popular spring and summer 10K events, such as theCrescent City Classicin New Orleans, theBolder Boulderin Colorado, and thePeachtree Road Race in Atlanta(the largest 10Kin America with nearly 35,000 finishers).

The festive atmosphere and hoards of cheering fans draw runners in. And you can join the fun. We recommend at least eight weeks to prepare for race day, so you’ve got plenty of time to build up to completing 6.2 miles safely and comfortably.

How many miles is a half marathon?

The distance of ahalf marathonis 13.1 miles, or about 21.1 kilometers.

Many runners find the half marathon distance appealing: It requires training and endurance, but not nearly as much as a full marathon. However, it is far enough that you really need to train for it. Few people can finish a half marathon on a whim in the way that they might be able to run a 5K. But the 13.1-mile distance isn’t so long that training for it takes over your life, as can be the case with the marathon. Running one or more half marathons is also a great stepping stone to preparing to run a marathon.

Two of the biggest half marathons in the U.S. in 2022 were Disney’s Princess Half Marathon and the NYC Half Marathon.

How many miles is a marathon?

Amarathonis 26.2 miles, or 42.195 kilometers.

Running a marathon is not an easy task for many people, but with the proper training, finishing a marathon can be one of life’s most rewarding achievements. It’s generally recommended that runnerstrain for 16 to 20 weeks before running a marathon.

Why is a marathon 26.2 miles?

The marathon distance has its roots in the story of Pheidippides, the Greek messenger who is said to have run some 25 miles, from Marathon to Athens, to deliver the news of a Greek battlefield victory. The first Olympic marathon was held in Athens in 1896; its distance was 40 kilometers, or just less than 25 miles. The current distance of 26 miles, 385 yards was first run at the 1908 Olympics.

How long is an ultramarathon?

Anything longer than 26.2 miles is considered an ultramarathon. Another name for this distance isultrarunning. The most common ultramarathon distances are50K(31 miles), 50 miles, 100K (62 miles), and100 miles. However, you’ll often various other race and run formats in ultramarathons, such as24 and 48 hour races,last runner standing, andfastest known times. Many ultramarathons are run on trails.

If you’re like oneRunner’s Worldvideo editor, however, you may want to go even farther. Watch the video below as he documents the experience of running 200 miles.

Other distances to check out

Other race distances that are common but not as popular include the 8K (about 50 yards short of five miles), 15K (9.3 miles), and 10 miles. Additionally, four- and five-mile races are common, as well.

How long are running tracks?

Standard running tracks are 400 meters, as measured by one lap in Lane 1; that’s just a bit less than a quarter of a mile. One lap on a standard indoor track is 200 meters—exactly half of the distance of a standard outdoor track.Learn more about track events hereif you are watching them on television, and if you’re looking for some general rules of the track,we have you covered as well.

Here are some other measurements that are helpful to know:

• 100 meters: the length of one straightaway
• 800 meters: roughly half a mile or 2 laps around the track
• 1600 meters: roughly 1 mile or 4 laps around the track (1609.34 meters is 1 mile)