How does your running pace compare to the average Garmin user? We finally have the numbers

Runner exercising on a pavement wearing a Garmin watch — (Image credit: Garmin)

If you're wondering how your running pace compares to the average Garmin watch user, the answer is probably "slower than you think".

According to Garmin's latest running trends report, the average pace recorded by male Garmin users is 5:49 min/km (9:22 min/mile), while women average 6:32 min/km (10:31 min/mile).

Looking at age groups, runners aged 20–29 are the quickest at 5:45 min/km (9:15 min/mile) on average, while those aged 70 and over still manage a respectable 6:45 min/km (10:52 min/mile).

Not just a young person's game

One of the most surprising findings is that older runners tend to go further and spend more time on each run than their younger counterparts.

The average Garmin user covers 7.76 km (~4.82 miles) per run, but runners aged 50–59 top the table at 8.2 km (~5.10 miles) per activity. By comparison, those aged 20–29 average 7.4 km (~4.60 miles).

That trend becomes even clearer when looking at time spent running.

Garmin users spend an average of 46.3 minutes per run, but runners in their 50s and 60s regularly exceed 50 minutes per outing.

Those aged 60–69 spend an average of 50.8 minutes running, compared to 42.6 minutes for the youngest age group.

In other words, younger runners may be faster, but older runners appear to stay out longer.

Finding the sweet spot

Garmin's data also reveals that most runners aren't clocking marathon-level mileage every week.

Almost 40% of users run between 9 km and 16 km per week on average, making it the most common training volume by some distance, with a further 28% covering between 17 km and 32 km per week.

At the other end of the scale, only 7% of Garmin users average between 33 km (~20.5 miles) and 48 km (~29.8 miles) each week, while just 3% run more than 49 km (~30.4 miles) weekly.

The report also found that people are running more than before.

Indoor running activities increased by 12.6% per capita in 2025 compared to 2024, while outdoor runs rose by 3.2%.

The largest increase came from runners aged 30–39, whose average number of activities grew by more than 5% year on year.

Two runners exercising in the sunshine wearing Garmin watches

Perhaps the most compelling statistic relates to heart health. Garmin found that non-runners had an average resting heart rate of 62 bpm.

Among people running 0–8km per week, that figure dropped to 59 bpm, with a steady decline as weekly mileage increased.

Users running more than 49 km (~30.45 miles) per week recorded an average resting heart rate of 55 bpm.

It's not exactly groundbreaking news that runners tend to have lower resting heart rates, but Garmin's data puts some real-world numbers behind the relationship.

More importantly, it shows that most Garmin users aren't elite athletes.

They're ordinary runners logging modest weekly mileage, yet still seeing measurable differences in fitness and cardiovascular health.

You can read the full Garmin Trends in Running 2026 report here.

Matt Kollat is a journalist and content creator for T3.com and T3 Magazine, where he works as Active Editor. His areas of expertise include wearables, drones, action cameras, fitness equipment, nutrition and outdoor gear. He joined T3 in 2019.

His work has also appeared on TechRadar and Fit&Well, and he has collaborated with creators such as Garage Gym Reviews. Matt has served as a judge for multiple industry awards, including the ESSNAwards. When he isn’t running, cycling or testing new kit, he’s usually roaming the countryside with a camera or experimenting with new audio and video gear.