Running is nothing new, but interest in it has surged over the past few years.
High-profile names have helped fuel the boom, with celebrities such as Harry Styles taking it seriously. The former One Direction singer reportedly clocked a sub-three-hour time at the 2025 Berlin Marathon.
As marathon season continues, one personal trainer has offered guidance on what a “good” mile time can look like at different ages.
Personal trainer and nutritionist Joseph Webb told Metro UK that healthy adults aged 20 to 39 typically post the quickest mile times. He explained that the body’s ability to use oxygen efficiently during exercise tends to peak across these years.
He also noted that runners in this bracket are more likely to “have better joint and tendon resilience to support faster speeds.”
Joseph also provided a breakdown of mile-time expectations across age groups.
While recovery generally slows with age, he said older runners can still perform strongly. With regular training, many people can achieve times comparable to what they ran in their 30s.
For those aged 60 and above, though, he urged a different mindset: “Maintaining aerobic fitness, balance, and joint mobility is the priority, not accumulating big mileage.”
Training frequency should shift with age as well, according to Joseph. He recommends roughly three to five runs per week for younger adults, tapering down to a maximum of two to three weekly runs for the over-60s.
And it’s not only people lining up for big races. This week, a humanoid robot reportedly became the first of its kind to finish a half-marathon in China—posting a time faster than the established human world record.
The robot, called Lightning, was developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor and allegedly completed the 13.1-mile course in 50 minutes and 26 seconds—around seven minutes quicker than the previous mark.
That earlier record belonged to human runner Jacob Kiplimo, who ran 57 minutes and 20 seconds at the Lisbon race in March.
Joseph didn’t offer any “average” mile time guidance for robots, unfortunately.
Still, it may be enough motivation to lace up and get moving—even if it’s just on the treadmill.