What Are Target Times by Age for Running a Mile?
Official fitness tests such as those used by the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marshall Service often require younger men and women to run the equivalent of a mile in eight or nine minutes. Target times increase over time for older participants.
To pass the U.S. Army physical, a 37-year-old man would need to run two miles in 19 minutes and 30 seconds, which is a pace just shy of 10 minutes per mile. Similarly, a 37-year-old woman would need to run at a pace of about 12 minutes per mile.
The U.S. Marshall Service considers a pace of less than 8 minutes per mile “good” for men in their 20s. For each subsequent decade, the pace required for a “good” rating declines by about 30 seconds per mile. For men in their 60s, the Marshall Service grades a pace of about 10 minutes per mile as “good.”
The Marshall Service rates women in their 20s who can run at a pace of 9.5 minutes per mile as having a “good” fitness level. These standards decline at a rate of about 45 seconds to a minute per decade. Women in their 60s receive a “good” rating for running at a pace of between 11 and 12 minutes per mile.
