Swimming 50m freestyle is a common event in competitive swimming. The average time to swim 50m freestyle varies depending on the age and skill level of the swimmer.
Generally, a good time for a beginner adult swimmer is around 59 seconds, while a good time for an experienced swimmer is around 28-33 seconds. For younger swimmers, times can be much faster.
For swimmers looking to improve their time, there are several techniques they can use to become faster. Training with interval sets and focusing on technique are two of the most important components of improving your speed in the pool.
Additionally, developing strength and endurance outside of the pool will help you become a better swimmer overall.
Table of Contents
Average Time to Swim 50m Front Crawl/Freestyle (Male)
On average, it takes a male is around 59 seconds to swim 50m using a front crawl/freestyle swimming technique. However, the average time will alter depending on your age, gender, swimming style and fitness level.
The table below gives you a better estimate of the average time to swim 50m by age and gender. This table is for a front crawl or freestyle in an indoor swimming pool. The time may change is you are swimming outdoors or in moving water like a river or the ocean.
| Age | Average Time to Swim 50m Front-crawl/Freestyle Male |
| 15 -20 | 00:54 |
| 20-25 | 00:51 |
| 25-30 | 00:52 |
| 30-35 | 00:53 |
| 35-40 | 00:53 |
| 40-45 | 00:54 |
| 45-50 | 00:57 |
| 50-55 | 00:58 |
| 55-60 | 01:05 |
| 60-65 | 01:06 |
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Check out my big swim data analytics that contains every swimming distance by age and gender in a full comparison table for beginners and intermediates. You can compare your swim average times against every distance in your age and ability group.
Average Time to Swim 50m Front Crawl/Freestyle (Female)
On average, it takes a female around 59 seconds to swim 50m using a front crawl/freestyle swimming technique. However, the average time will alter depending on your age, gender, swimming style and fitness level.
| Age | Average Time to Swim 50m Front-crawl/Freestyle Female |
| 15 -20 | 00:57 |
| 20-25 | 00:55 |
| 25-30 | 00:56 |
| 30-35 | 00:56 |
| 35-40 | 00:56 |
| 40-45 | 00:57 |
| 45-50 | 00:59 |
| 50-55 | 01:05 |
| 55-60 | 01:06 |
| 60-65 | 01:10 |
World Record 50m Freestyle Time
The world record for it is held by American swimmer Caeleb Dressel. On August 1st, 2021, Dressel won gold in the men’s 50m freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics and set an Olympic record with a time of 00:21:07. This was 0.23 seconds faster than his own world record set on November 21st, 2020 during the ISL Grand Finale.
In addition to Dressel’s impressive performance, Britta Steffen (GER) holds the women’s world record for the 50m freestyle with a time of 00:23.73 set on July 28th, 2009 at the World Championships in Rome despite battling health issues and training challenges.
Average Time to Swim 50m Breaststroke (Male)
On average, it takes a male is around 64 seconds to swim 50m using a breaststroke swimming technique. However, the average time will alter depending on your age, gender, swimming style and fitness level.
| Age | Average Time to Swim 50m Breaststroke Male |
| 15 -20 | 01:02 |
| 20-25 | 00:59 |
| 25-30 | 01:00 |
| 30-35 | 01:01 |
| 35-40 | 01:01 |
| 40-45 | 01:02 |
| 45-50 | 01:05 |
| 50-55 | 01:06 |
| 55-60 | 01:13 |
| 60-65 | 01:14 |
Average Time to Swim 50m Breaststroke (Female)
On average, it takes a female around 67 seconds to swim 50m using a breaststroke swimming technique. However, the average time will alter depending on your age, gender, swimming style and fitness level.
| Age | Average Time to Swim 50m Breaststroke Female |
| 15 -20 | 01:05 |
| 20-25 | 01:03 |
| 25-30 | 01:04 |
| 30-35 | 01:04 |
| 35-40 | 01:04 |
| 40-45 | 01:05 |
| 45-50 | 01:07 |
| 50-55 | 01:13 |
| 55-60 | 01:14 |
| 60-65 | 01:18 |
World Record 50m Breaststroke Time
The world record swim time for the 50m breaststroke is currently held by Cameron van der Burgh of South Africa with a time of 00:25.25 in November 2009. This record has been broken several times since then, most recently by American swimmer Lilly King who set a new world record of 00:29.40 at the World Aquatics Championships in July 2019.
Average Time to Swim 50m Backstroke (Male)
On average, it takes a male is around 64 seconds to swim 50m using a backstrokes swimming technique. However, the average time will alter depending on your age, gender, swimming style and fitness level.
| Age | Average Time to Swim 50m Backstroke Male |
| 15 -20 | 00:58 |
| 20-25 | 00:55 |
| 25-30 | 00:56 |
| 30-35 | 00:57 |
| 35-40 | 00:57 |
| 40-45 | 00:58 |
| 45-50 | 01:01 |
| 50-55 | 01:02 |
| 55-60 | 01:09 |
| 60-65 | 01:15 |
Average Time to Swim 50m Backstroke (Female)
On average, it takes a female around 63 seconds to swim 50m using a backstroke swimming technique. However, the average time will alter depending on your age, gender, swimming style and fitness level.
| Age | Average Time to Swim 50m Backstroke Female |
| 15 -20 | 01:01 |
| 20-25 | 00:59 |
| 25-30 | 01:00 |
| 30-35 | 01:00 |
| 35-40 | 01:00 |
| 40-45 | 01:01 |
| 45-50 | 01:03 |
| 50-55 | 01:09 |
| 55-60 | 01:10 |
| 60-65 | 01:14 |
World Recorded 50m Backstroke Time
The current world record for this event is held by Hunter Armstrong, who set a time of 23.71 seconds at the U.S. International Team Trials in 2022. This was 0.09 seconds faster than the previous record set by Russian Kliment Kolesnikov in 2009.
Maggie Mac Neil also holds a world record for the 50m backstroke, having broken her own record at the Short Course Championships in 2020 with a time of 25.61 seconds.
Other Swimming Distances You Might Find Helpful
Average Time to Swim 50m Summary
Swimming 50 meters is a great goal for beginner swimmers. It can be challenging to know what a good time is for each stroke, but the average times for freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke are as follows:
- Freestyle: 40-60 seconds
- Breaststroke: 60-70 seconds
- Backstroke: 45-65 seconds
These times can vary depending on the swimmer’s age, experience level and technique. With practice and dedication, swimmers can improve their times and reach their goals.
