Some obvious cycling milestones for amateur cyclists include a sub 5 hour solo century or 1 hour 40k. What would the equivalent be for running? Sub 4 hour marathon? 3:30? What about 5k or 10k times? The mile?
I know a few guys who run marathons in the low 2:30s, 10Ks in the 32 minute range, 5Ks in the 15 minute range and they have taken up cycling in the last year (dudes are gettin old) and I don’t think any of them have cracked a 5 hour century.
I have had goals of:
Marathon - sub 3hrs
1/2 Marathon - sub 1:25
10k - sub 38min
5k - sub 18min
I think they are all very attainable.
this depends on your abilities, it is relative.
i’m an “average” athlete, and if I could get a boston qualifying marathon, that would be my ultimate goal. for a 5K, breaking 21 minutes.
it just depends where you are and what, personally, can do.
Sure it’s relative, but there are some “holy grails” are there not? Everyone always sets a 5 hour century as the generic goal. Personally, for me I’m looking at a 4:30 century but the 5 hour goal was still the generic one. Think generic, not personal.
aloha tigermilk (is that a belle and sebasian reference?) -
i’d probably say the 40-minute 10k, and the 3-hour marathon. not sure if those would be considered ‘equivalent,’ but they’re nice round numbers that i think separate the men from the boys (figuratively speaking, of course).
as for the mile, i’m not sure. i sort of arbitrarily picked the 5-minute mile as a goal this summer, and it’s tough. especially since it requires the development of very different systems than any of the other ‘milestones’ covered here.
-mike
this depends on your abilities, it is relative.
i’m an “average” athlete, and if I could get a boston qualifying marathon, that would be my ultimate goal. for a 5K, breaking 21 minutes.
it just depends where you are and what, personally, can do.
Totally Agree.
For some people it is a 6 hour century bike and a four hour marathon – AND both are great achievements for those who aspire to these goals.
For others it is a 5 hour century and a 3 hour marathon
Agree on the sub-3 marathon (females) and sub-2:45 (males)
.
Generally, among open male distance runners the big milestones which are precieved to seperate those who put in the work and have some talent from those with only one of the two are (note these are not necessarily equivalent performaces):
sub 15:00 5K
sub 31:00 10K
sub 1:10 half marathon
sub 2:30 marathon
For Mid-Distance guys:
sub 50 quarter
sub 1:55 800
sub 3:55 1500
These times will put you in the top .001% of the general population, but only in the top 25% or so of NCAA Div 1 or USATF post-collegiate competition (and that may be generous).
As for seperating the elites (those worthy of comped entries, hotel rooms etc…) from the mortals:
sub 14 5K - sub 13:30 to in the hunt for real money
sub 29 10K - sub 28:30 to be in the hunt
sub 2:20 Marathon - sub 2:15 to be in the hunt
These are all relative to age, experience, etc… In highschool sub 10:00 (3200), sub 4:30 (1600) and sub 16:00 (5K) were all a big deal. I have no idea how these compare to cycling performances.
My goals were
5k in 17.30
10k in 35
21k in 1:24
IM off the bike 3:30
actual
5k 17min
10k 37.10
21k 1:21
IM off the bike 3:52
paul
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aloha tigermilk (is that a belle and sebasian reference?) -
Give that man a prize!