For a 150m swim, which is almost 160 yards or the length of a standard swimming pool, most recreational and high school swim team athletes would consider a time of under 3 minutes to be good. An exceptional time would break the 2 minute mark. For example, an time of 2 minutes 30 seconds or less would be seen as solid by many swimmers.
Times below 2:20 would win a swimmer medals in local competitions. Professional competitive swimmers on the elite and Olympic level who train daily can often complete a 150m in just over a minute and a half. So as a general guideline, under 3 minutes is regarded as a good recreational time, while breaking 2 minutes shows real strength in the stroke over that distance.
What is good time for 150m swim
For swimmers, a time of under 3 minutes for a 150m swim would be considered good. This is approximately the distance of swimming lengths of a standard size backyard pool or swimming at a local pool. Anyone able to complete this distance in 2-3 minutes is likely in fairly strong swimming condition.
For age group or high school swim teams, training regularly, times in the low 2 minute range from 2:00-2:30 would be typical for competing swimmers and viewed as strong performances.
Elite competitive swimmers at college/olympic levels who are training daily may be able to slash the time down to around 1:30 minutes or less for this distance due to advanced technique and conditioning levels. So generally, completing a 150m swim distance in under 3 minutes shows decent swim fitness, with times approaching 2 minutes indicating very solid ability over this length.
What do the swimming abilities mean?
When assessing swimming abilities, different terms are used to describe skill and fitness levels. A “beginner” is just starting out learning strokes, how to float, and developing basic propulsion. An “intermediate” swimmer has mastered the fundamentals and can complete laps of freestyle and backstroke without stopping.
Meanwhile, a “swim team” level athlete has multiple competitive strokes polished enough to train and race. Being at a “varsity” or “JV” standard implies one has lettered in swimming for their school. “Competitive” refers to swimmers who place highly at regional or national qualifiers. “Elite” abilities place swimmers in international or Olympic contention. Qualifying for faster age groups demonstrates progression.
Overall fitness shown by distances completed correlates to a swimming ability from beginner working toward being competitive at local to global levels. Proper evaluation of skill benchmarks swimmers for appropriate programming.
What times are normal for swimmers by age?
| Age | 50 Yard Freestyle | 100 Yard Freestyle |
| 14-15 years old | 23-28 seconds | 55-1:05 seconds |
| 16-17 years old | 21-25 seconds | 50-58 seconds |
| 18-19 years old | 19-23 seconds | 47-55 seconds |
Learning the Strokes (6-10 years old)
For many young swimmers just starting out between the ages of 6-10 years old, they are primarily focused on having fun in the water while learning basic techniques. The emphasis is on floating, kicking, rolls from front to back, and introductory arm movements for front crawl or freestyle. Elementary backstroke is usually one of the first taught strokes.
Times at this stage are less important than exploring movement and building comfort in the water. Beginner swimmers in this age group who can move 25-50 meters doing front or back crawl strokes continuously are progressing well. Times for distances such as 25 or 50 meters may range from 60-90 seconds. Coaches concentrate on developing positive attitude and motor skills more than speed.
Developing Endurance (10-12 years old)
For swimmers ages 10 through 12, developing endurance becomes a larger focus as the fundamentals of swimming technique are grasped. At this stage, swimmers can typically tread water for a minute and swim one length of the pool on front and back without stopping.
Coaches begin introducing middle-distance training with sets of six to ten laps. Common benchmark times swimmers aim for include completing 50 meters of freestyle in 40-60 seconds and 100 meters in 2-3 minutes. Some pre-teens start entering shorter introductory swim meets, often sticking to individual medleys and events up to 200 meters. Developing the ability to swim multiples lengths continuously prepares this age group for the increased yardage expected as they mature into year-round swimming.
Improving Technique (12-14 years old)
During the ages of 12 to 14, swimmers start refining their technique in earnest. Having gained endurance foundations from previous years, they can focus more on form. Coaches dissect the finer points of different strokes, emphasizing catching the water and increasing feel for high-efficiency motion.
Common technique drills include one-arm swimming, kickboards, and pullbuoys to isolate motion. Breaststroke and butterfly may also be introduced, challenging swimmers to coordinate new strokes. Successful times drop, with 50 meter freestyles taking 30-45 seconds and 100 meter times falling within 1:30-2:15 minutes typically. Some pre-teens join year-round swim clubs to benefit from more intensive technique work, conditioning and experience in full-length meets.
Collegiate Levels (18-22 years old)
For swimmers who continue competing in college, reaching the collegiate level brings intense training and high standards of performance. Collegiate swimmers are expected to train over 10,000 yards per practice with weight sessions 4-5 times a week. Benchmark times to be competitive on a Division I team include being able to complete 50 yard freestyle in 18-22 seconds, 100 yard free in under 45-53 seconds, and 500 yard freestyle in 5:00-5:30 minutes range. The competitive season consists of tapering for major invitationals and championships to produce lifetime best times.
Elite/Olympic (22-26 years old)
To reach the pinnacle of the sport as an elite or Olympic level swimmer takes immense dedication. In this age range from 22-26 years old, swimmers are peak physical specimens who have progressed through advanced high school, collegiate and national team levels of competition.
They now train 2x daily swimming up to 25,000+ yards per week while meticulously monitoring their health, nutrituion and recovery. The elite benchmark times they must achieve include 50 yard freestyle accomplishments within 20 seconds or less and 100 yard freestyle under 45 seconds. Middle distance times clustered around 4:30-5:00 minutes for 500 free are world-class.
Average 150m swim time by age and ability
150m swim is a common interval distance for younger or recreational swimmers. Times can vary significantly depending on age, training level and experience. As a general guideline:
- 8-10 years old: 3-5 minutes (beginner)
- 10-12 years old: 2:30-4 minutes (intermediate)
- 12-14 years old: 2-3 minutes (swim team)
150m Time Progression
| Age Group | Ability Level | Average Time |
| 8-10 years | Beginner | 3-5 minutes |
| 10-12 years | Intermediate | 2:30-4 minutes |
| 12-14 years | Swim Team | 2-3 minutes |
| 14-16 years | Varsity | 1:45-2:15 minutes |
| 16-18 years | Competitive | 1:30-1:45 minutes |
Faster times below 2 minutes would be expected for high school varsity/club swimmers, while competitive swimmers in the 14-18 age range should be able to complete 150m swim distance in 1:30-1:45 minutes on average depending on event specialties.
How long does it take to swim common distances?
The time it takes an average recreational swimmer to complete typical pool distances can vary depending on fitness and skill level. As a general guide, most swimmers should expect the following average times:
- 25 yards/meters: 30-45 seconds
This is a short distance that begins to build endurance. - 50 yards/meters: 60-90 seconds
Considered a sprint that involves speed and cardiovascular training. - 100 yards/meters: 2-3 minutes
Swimming a 100 challenges swimmers to push their pace over a longer span. - 200-500 yards/meters: 4-8 minutes
Mid-distance events allow for practicing pacing over multiple laps. - 1000 yards/meters: 15-20 minutes
Longer distances near a quarter mile require true endurance training. - 1600 yards/meters: 25-30 minutes
Swimming farther than a mile is a long-term goal for committed recreational swimmers.
Practice and better conditioning will steadily lower times over weeks and months of regular swim workouts.
