With elite runners smashing marathon world records left and right—14 of the 20 fastest women’s marathon times in history have been run since the beginning of 2023—you might wonder: Are everyday runners getting faster, too?
With elite runners smashing marathon Races - Places Condé Nast Traveler.
The nonprofit industry organization crunched 8.4 million finish times between 2013 and 2023 to discover that runners at shorter distances are trending slightly slower while marathon runners are indeed getting faster.
“[Most runners] aren’t, however, getting as dramatically faster as the stats above might lead you to believe,” said Holder in a news release. “And while marathons are getting faster, it might surprise you to know that other distances are getting marginally slower by between two and three minutes.”
Here’s how each distance shakes out:
Marathon: Holding steady (or faster)
Marathons were the standout, with the average male finish time dropping from 4:18 to 4:17 and females holding steady at 4:43. Notably, young runners (ages 18–24) showed the most improvement, shaving 15 minutes (male) and 18 minutes (female) off their times. Older female runners also made significant gains, with those 75 and older finishing 35 minutes faster on average compared to a decade ago.
Not surprisingly, the report notes that exclusive races like Boston saw faster average finish times than the The 2025 Marathon and Half Marathon Calendar, where New York Road Runners has made concerted efforts to keep the race’s finish line open later.
Half marathon: A minor slowdown
By comparison, half marathon finish times crept upward. Men added two minutes (to 2:05) to their finish times. In contrast, women slowed by four minutes to 2:24. Despite the slowdown, younger runners outperformed expectations, with 18–24-year-old females maintaining times just a minute slower than in 2013. (Male participation in this category grew significantly, though, with a 6 percent increase.)
10K and 5K: Gradual declines
The average 10K time increased by two minutes for men (to 1:00) and three minutes for women (to 1:10). Similarly, 5K runners across genders were slower. Women averaged a time of 36:00 in 2013 but clocked in at 39:00 in 2023, and men slowed from 30:00 to 32:00. Of course, as Holder points out, more inclusive finish-line policies, which accommodate walkers and slower runners, may contribute to these trends.
Laura Ratliff is a New York City-based writer, editor, and runner. Laura's writing expertise spans numerous topics, ranging from travel and food and drink to reported pieces covering political and human rights issues. She has previously worked at Architectural Digest, Bloomberg News, and Condé Nast Traveler Condé Nast Traveler TripSavvy. Like many of us, Laura was bitten by the running bug later in life, after years of claiming to "hate running." Her favorite marathon is Big Sur.
