5 kilometers is a popular distance for running events, like 5K races.
It also serves as a practical measure of everyday activities such as walking, jogging, or estimating travel distances.
Understanding how long it is can help you plan a running route, estimate travel distance, or gauge the length of a walking path.
This post will help you understand how long 5 kilometers is by comparing it to familiar items. This way, you can visualize how long the distance spans and make informed decisions.
Read on.
Read: How Long is 12 Yards? 16 Common Comparisons (+Pics)
13 Common Comparisons For 5 Kilometers
First: How long does it take to cover 5 km?
Walking at the average human speed, a typical walker takes 45 to 60 minutes to cover a distance of 5 kilometers.
And when driving?
At an average driving speed of 60 mph, it would take around 5 minutes to cover a distance of 5 kilometers by car.
To understand how long that distance is, use the following comparisons.
1. 50X A Football Field
Sports fields are a convenient way for athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and the general public to relate to and understand measurements in a practical context because they have standard sizes and are familiar.
A soccer field, for example, measures approximately 100 meters long, making it a perfect reference for 100 meters.
You can also use them to visualize longer distances, like in our case. To do so, imagine a line of 50 soccer fields laid end-to-end to get a sense of 5 kilometers.
Alternatively, if you walk the length of the soccer field 25 times repeatedly, you would cover 5 kilometers.
2. 46X An American Football Field
An American football field, including the two end zones, is approximately 360 feet (0.109 km) long. It’s a perfect reference for visualizing measurements, especially in the United States.
To understand how long 5 kilometers is using it as the benchmark, imagine laying 46 American football fields side by side.
Or imagine going 23 round trips along the length of the field.
3. 50X A 100-meter Dash
The 100-meter dash is one of the most iconic and exhilarating events in track and field.
It is a sprint race that covers a straight-line distance of 100 meters on the track, lasting just a few seconds – and this is what makes it a thrilling and highly competitive event.
So, to envision 5 kilometers in terms of 100-meter dashes, imagine completing 50 of them.
4. 100X An Olympic-sized Swimming Pool
Olympic-sized swimming pools are commonly found in many universities and colleges, specialized sports facilities, public aquatic centers, and private clubs and gyms.
They all have standardized dimensions, 50 meters long and 25 meters wide, making them suitable for understanding short distances starting with 25 meters and 50 meters.
For a comparatively longer distance of 5 kilometers, you can view it as swimming 100 lengths of an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Alternatively, swimming 50 times to and from along its length.
5. 12 & ½ Laps on a Standard Running Track
A standard running track is a well-defined oval-shaped track hosting various racing events and training. It typically measures 400 meters in length for one lap, making it a perfect reference for 800 meters as that’s only two laps.
Since one lap equals x kilometers, it would take twelve and a half laps on a standard running track to cover a distance of 5 kilometers.
6. 175X A Basketball Court
Basketball courts are suitable for understanding relatively shorter measurements. And when you want to understand the significance of long distances, they also come in handy due to their familiarity and prevalence in many places.
A standard basketball court is usually 50 feet wide and 94 feet (0.028 kilometers) long.
Hence, you can visualize 5 kilometers as a distance long enough to fit as many as 175 basketball courts side by side.
7. 82X A Hockey Rink
Like basketball courts, hockey rinks are suitable for understanding relatively small distances but you can call upon them to help you visualize longer distances, like in our case.
However, as hockey rinks are longer than basketball courts (200 feet), you only need to imagine laying as many as 82 end-to-end to understand how long 5 kilometers is.
8. Half the Central Park Loop
The Central Park Loop is the main pathway encircling Central Park in New York City. It provides a scenic route for joggers, walkers, and cyclists.
The loop spans 6.1 miles or about 9.8 kilometers long. That takes you through various sections of Central Park, passing landmarks such as Bethesda Terrace, Bow Bridge, and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir.
Half of it, thus, is approximately 5 kilometers.
9. 2X The High Line in New York City
The High Line in New York City is an elevated linear park built on a former railway track on Manhattan’s West Side. It’s a popular destination for locals and tourists, offering unique urban green spaces with walking paths, gardens, and art installations.
It spans about 2.33 kilometers, meaning 5 kilometers is twice as long as the High Line. That’s equivalent to walking to and from along the entire length of The High Line.
10. 2X The Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is an iconic suspension bridge in San Francisco, California. It’s not only a vital transportation link but also a symbol of San Francisco and a popular tourist attraction, offering breathtaking views of the bay and the city.
The bridge is 2.7 kilometers long, spanning the Golden Gate Strait to connect the city of San Francisco to Marin County.
Thus, 5 kilometers is comparable to walking from one end of the iconic bridge to the other and back.
11. 2.5X the Kentucky Derby Race
The Kentucky Derby is a prestigious and historic horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. It’s renowned for its rich traditions, including the iconic mint julep drink and the “My Old Kentucky Home” song before the race.
The race takes place at Churchill Downs and covers a distance of about 2 kilometers.
That means 5 kilometers is comparable to two and a half the distance of the Kentucky Derby race.
12. Hyde Park
Hyde Park is one of London’s largest and most famous parks, offering a serene escape in the city’s heart.
It covers 350 acres, featuring open spaces, landscaped gardens, and recreational areas.
Walking or jogging around Hyde Park along the trails close to the fence line can give you a sense of 5 kilometers since the park’s perimeter is about 4.8 kilometers.
Read: How Long is 6 Feet? 15 Common Comparisons (+Pics)
13. 6,561 Steps
What about the number of steps you would need to cover a distance of 5 kilometers? As many as 6,561!
Although the size of human footsteps varies from person to person, they average approximately 2.5 feet, according to the University of Iowa.
So, if you do the math, 5 kilometers is equivalent to 6,561 steps walking at the ‘normal’ pace. As we said initially, that would take you about 40 minutes.
