Originally Posted by
RollCNY
I agree with your point, but it is, in truth, more than a moderately brisk walk. Back in my hiking days, my hammer pace was 4 mph, and that was long fast strides on my 6'3" frame, and rarely could anyone else keep up. Granted it wasn't pavement, but 4 mph doesn't get a 5k done in 45 min.
On pavement though, 14-minute miles is a brisk walk. Not lackadaisical, but even a small dog will drag a walker to a faster pace than that. Hiking isn't a realistic comparison.