Are you seeking more importation about the average 3 mile run time by age? If so, welcome to RunDreamAchieve. I am glad you have made it here. Perhaps you are a US marine, seeking to attend marine boot camp or a civilian aiming to run a faster 3 miler. I have done my best to create resources available here to help runners such as yourself make it to the next level. Yes, it will take time and commitment. Faster times will not automatically fall on your lap.
That being said, there are better and wiser ways to train. I recent created a new running course called the Army ACFT Embrace the Suck 2 mile course. I cover the exact strategies that helped me to run personal best of 9:27 for 2 miles, 14:18 for 5K (3.1 miles) and 2:19:35 for the marathon. Our US Marine Physical Fitness Test has their average 3 mile run time by age standards. Below you can see what they are. So, you have an idea of how fast you have to run whether you are male or female.
What is a Decent 3 Mile Run Time?
A descent time for 3 miles will vary from athlete to athlete. The average 3 mile run time ranges between 30 to 45 minutes for most runners. Of course, some runners will run significantly faster while others slower. It all depends on the method of your training. In addition, your consistency. I can assure you that running once or twice per week is not going to produce a fast 3 miler.
The 3 mile run is a highly anaerobic event. It is over in a matter of minutes. So, you do have to train a higher percentage of your weekly volume at or below your goal 3 mile race pace. Remember, the key tactic in this new course I teach is how to improve the body's lactate tolerance. Easy running will build endurance but it won't help you recruit more fast twitch muscle fibers. I would highly focus on a build up ranging from 16 to 20 weeks if you want to do this write.
The new Army 2 mile course consists of 9 modules containing 58 video lessons. I share the exact fundamentals and tactics I was taught by 3 of the world's top distance running coaches. In addition, ways for you to sustain your goal 3 mile race pace longer and slowing down less.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ARMY ACFT 2 MILE COURSEWhy Does Running Get Easier after 3 Miles?
A lot of times it is just that you body is warmed up and oxygen delivery throughout the body becomes more evened out. Of course, proper pacing is also very important. You can go out far too fast in the first mile of this race and drastically slow in the last 2 miles of the race. So, you have to be smart in how you distribute your energy. Again, the faster you run in training the better prepared you are going to be come race day.
I believe in doing a 10-day rather than a 3-week taper. The reason being is a lot of runners start dropping volume and intensity too far out from their main race. It often times leads them to feel tired and lethargic. Remember, you want to feel relaxed, confident and fully rested. So, you get in that flow state and get across the finish line in record time. 10 days is plenty of time to fully rest and recover leading into your main 3-mile event.
I don't think you need to be in the gym regarding strength training more than once per week. Remember, focus on light weights and high reps. You can work on keeping your form together by doing consistent push ups, planks and sit ups. Medicine ball drills and box jumps are also great for focusing on stressing the energy systems of the body. Short, acceleration-type exercises like this can go a long way over a 16 to 20-week training built up. The new running course I created also concludes with a 16-week training plan built specifically for your time goal. You can click on the green buttons within this post to find out more about it.
What has been the longest tempo run you have done in the past leading into your 3 mile runs? I would recommend focusing on extending to 5 to 6 miles in length. No, this won't occur overnight. We are running between 85 to 89 percent of max heart rate running at our anaerobic threshold. Your anaerobic threshold is the point where lactic acid begins to build up in the body at higher levels.
Average 3 Mile Run Time Marine Corps
As mentioned, the average 3 mile run time by age standards listed above are your guide. Now, we have to train in such a way that you exceed these standards. Remember, the faster you run at the shorter events the more competitive you will be at the longer ones. You should always be working on your leg speed. The first step is to to take 4 weeks and spend it running easy, aerobic mileage. I would also add in strides twice per week as you are in your base-building phase.
Of course, if you are in the military you may not have control of the amount of running you'd like to do in the morning. Morning PT is based on what your military leaders have planned for you. That being said, you can add in additional miles during lunch or after work. So, you do have control of the other hours of your day. I spent over 20 years on active duty in the Army. Yes, we ran 2 to 3 times a week, sometimes less. I ran far more but came from a background of athletics years before I enlisted in the Army in 2002.
You have to first lay the foundation to strengthen the body. It is fine to do strides twice per week. Strides are shorter, 50 to 100 meter long acceleration drills. Strides are perfect for more warm up drills prior to the start of your speed workouts, hill repetitions or fartlek workouts. You will have spent several miles at close to sprint paces over a 16 to 20 week training plan for your all-out 3-mile attempt.
How Fast Do You Have to Run 3 Miles in the Military?
The average 3 mile run time by age you need to run are listed above. The key tactic is to spend a higher percentage of your weekly training at paces at, near or far below your goal 3 mile race pace. The world's top runners are running between 35 to 40 percent of their weekly volume at or below anaerobic threshold effort. No, it is not simply because these runners are talented. I have known many talented runners that didn't work that hard. The result is they got beat by guys like me who had work ethic and minimal talent, that did.
So, you have to start focusing more on quality mileage rather than simply running more mileage. Easy running is important too. You need to jog on easy days to ensure that your body adapts to the hard, anaerobic training you are or will be doing. The athlete needs to also be doing 1, vo2 max workout per week. For example, speed intervals such as repeat 800m, 400m or 1000m. In addition, hill repetitions and fartlek workouts are other examples of vo2 max efforts.
We are running between 95 to 100 percent of max heart rate running at vo2 max. Your vo2 max is your body's maximum oxygen uptake. It is running so fast you can't clear lactic acid faster than it is building up. So, naturally, we have to slow down or stop to take small breaks in between each of our intervals. The key tactic here is to run faster than goal 3 mile race pace to get that race pace to feel easier, eventually.
Closing Thoughts
Mental training is also essential. You can't just focus on physical training and expect to drop significant time off of your current 3 mile personal best. You also need to spend 10 to 15 minutes daily visualizing yourself performing at a high level. The best time to do this is when you go to bed at night or when you first get up in the morning. The world-class runners I have trained and lived with over the years make this a mandatory part of their training.
Would you like to stay in touch? If so, make sure to subscribe to the RunDreamAchieve YouTube channel. My focus there is to make at least 2 new videos each week. In addition, to provide key tactics to ensure you are set up for success. I have covered every topic from heart rate monitor training, proper pacing, long run strategies and much more in this new course. Do you want to drop substantial time off of your current 3 mile personal best?
Do you want to know the top methods of training used by the world's top coaches and runners? Is your aim to run a specific 3 mile time that you may feel currently you are not capable of? The way to do this is thinking outside the box. My aim with this new running course for military members (and civilians) is to help you do this. I look forward to hearing from you and how this course has benefited you.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ARMY ACFT 2 MILE COURSE
