Personal best improvement

See how much faster your new personal best was, in seconds, percent and pace.

Your details

Over 3.1 miles (5.0 km)

4.8%

1:20 faster

Old best27:30
New time26:10
Old pace5:30 a km
New pace5:14 a km
Running fitness (Daniels VDOT)34.2 then, 36.3 now (up 2.1)
Age gradeadd your age and sex (standard race distances only)
Same fitness over other races1 mile 7:52; 10K 54:33; half marathon 2:00:22; marathon 4:10:58
Training paces per km (VDOT 36.3)easy 6:19 to 7:32; tempo 5:30 to 5:46; intervals 4:58 to 5:11
Your PB card3.1 miles (5.0 km): 27:30 to 26:10, 4.8% faster

A new best. Write down what went right: sleep, pacing, shoes, the weather. Gains usually come quickly in the first couple of years and more slowly after that, and a VDOT rise of 1 is a real step in fitness. Add the years since your old best to see the gain a year and an age grade that credits you for being older now.

The working

A 5K from 27:30 to 26:10

80 seconds faster is 4.8%. Pace went from 5:30 to 5:14 a km.

Add how long ago the old best was and we spread the gain over the years and age grade the old time at the age you were then. A woman of 45 who ran 27:30 three years ago and 26:10 now has improved about 1.6% a year, and her age grade has risen even more because the standard for her age is gentler now than at 42.

What to expect

Improvement over time

Stage	Typical yearly gain (a coaching rule of thumb)
First year of running	5 to 10% or more
Years 2 to 5	2 to 5%
Experienced	1 to 3%

Fitness, not just time

VDOT and age grade

Daniels' VDOT turns a race time into a running fitness score: 27:30 for 5K is about 34.2 and 26:10 about 36.3, a rise of just over 2. Add your age and sex and both times are also age graded against the WMA road standards, so a PB at 55 can be compared fairly with one at 35. The page then gives training paces and race predictions from the new time, and a one line PB card to screenshot.

Keep improving

What works

Run consistently for months
Most runs easy, one harder session a week
Sleep and eat well
Race on a flat, cool day

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

CoursesHilly or windy courses change times.
Other sportsLift and rep bests: use the one rep max and strength projection pages.
DistanceGPS courses are not always exact.

Questions

Common questions

How do I calculate PB improvement?

Old time minus new time, divided by the old time.

What is a good improvement?

Any is good; 1 to 5% a year is typical after the first year.

Why have I stopped improving?

Plateaus are normal. Change the training, rest, or race a different distance.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

Before you push on

New to exercise, or got a heart, lung or joint condition? Have a word with your GP or practice nurse first. Stop and get help if you feel chest pain, faintness or unusual breathlessness, and call 999 if it is severe.