{"id":576936,"date":"2026-07-31T09:55:23","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T09:55:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/576936\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T09:55:23","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T09:55:23","slug":"at-51-naga-munchettys-sub-26-5k-time-would-make-her-advanced-for-her-age-see-how-you-compare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/576936\/","title":{"rendered":"At 51, Naga Munchetty\u2019s sub-26 5k time would make her \u2018advanced\u2019 for her age \u2013 see how you compare"},"content":{"rendered":"

Journalist, presenter, author and long-time star of the BBC Breakfast red sofa (soon to be swapped for the BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast mic) Naga Munchetty<\/a>, 51, often posts about her running and golfing endeavours on Instagram.<\/p>\n

\u2018When I was 40 I got told I need to start thinking about osteoporosis<\/a> and actually you need impact exercise. So that’s actually why I started running,\u2019 she said previously on Morning Live while discussing when and why she initially got into the sport. <\/p>\n

Indeed, running is a weight-bearing activity, which the NHS says<\/a> is \u2018particularly important for improving bone density<\/a> and helping to prevent osteoporosis\u2019.<\/p>\n

While you absolutely don\u2019t need to run fast to reap the health and fitness benefits of running, if you are a fan of digging into running-related data, compared to the averages, Naga has clocked some seriously impressive times \u2013 particularly over the 5k distance.<\/p>\n

Despite having been hampered by some injuries over the years, including Achilles tendinitis and a knee dislocation, Naga has stayed consistent with running, clocking a 25-minute 5k time in 2020 \u2013 as documented<\/a> on her Instagram. That\u2019s a pace of 5:00 min\/km. <\/p>\n

And while we can\u2019t verify that she hasn\u2019t gone even faster than that since, the time already beats the average 5k time for women across all age groups (26:07), according to data from Running Level<\/a>. <\/p>\n

While Naga would have been in a different age group at the time, she still would have hit the \u2018intermediate\u2019 category (27:47) with her time, being well on her way to the \u2018advanced\u2019 category (24:33).<\/p>\n

And if she can still clock a 25-minute run now, she\u2019s solidly in the \u2018advanced\u2019 category for her age group (25:49), according to Running Level\u2019s data. <\/p>\n

The average running times for women in their 50s<\/p>\n

Fancy digging into the data to see how your times compare to Naga\u2019s? Going on Running Level\u2019s data, these are the numbers to aim for by distance.<\/p>\n

5k<\/p>\n

Beginner: 39:39<\/p>\n

Novice: 33:43<\/p>\n

Intermediate: 29:13<\/p>\n

Advanced: 25:49<\/p>\n

Elite: 23:16<\/p>\n

10k <\/p>\n

Beginner: 01:23:41<\/p>\n

Novice: 01:11:03<\/p>\n

Intermediate: 01:01:27 <\/p>\n

Advanced: 54:15<\/p>\n

Elite: 48:52<\/p>\n

Half marathon <\/p>\n

Beginner: 03:04:28<\/p>\n

Novice: 02:37:06<\/p>\n

Intermediate: 02:16:03 <\/p>\n

Advanced: 02:00:05<\/p>\n

Elite: 01:13:01<\/p>\n

Marathon<\/p>\n

Beginner: 06:14:41<\/p>\n

Novice: 05:21:08<\/p>\n

Intermediate: 04:39:42 <\/p>\n

Advanced: 04:08:00<\/p>\n

Elite: 03:43:59<\/p>\n

That being said, while looking into the numbers can be fun, the most important part remains getting out there. One of our favourite quotes here at WH? You don\u2019t have to run every day to be a runner every day? Whoever coined that one absolutely knew what they were talking about.<\/p>\n

One of our most frequently asked questions here at Women\u2019s Health? How to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. So, we asked superstar trainer Oyinda Okunowo<\/a> exactly how to do it. In this 4-week plan \u2013 created exclusively for Women\u2019s Health COLLECTIVE members \u2013 you\u2019ll get the workouts and nutrition guidance needed to help you on your way to better body composition. Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to Oyinda’s plan and start training today.<\/p>\n

Get the plan<\/a><\/p>\n

\"women's<\/a>\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women\u2019s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. \u00a0She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner\u2019s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. \u00a0A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She\u2019s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.<\/p>\n