It really depends how old you are.  When I was in high school, my fast 5 k was 17:20; and my fastest 2 mile was 11:20,  But now that I have been out of high school for many years, I am , way, way slower than that.

It also depends on gender too, although I have know some female runners that could smoke me away as well as other runners......

I used to beat people all the time in the two mile.  Here is how I did it...I never ever started the race with a sprint, never. If i did that I would be oxygen debt very quickly and that would be the end of me.  Instead, I would go out slower, and after the first 1/2 or so, then i would speed up.....and what would happen is that i would catch and pass many runners who would "poop out" after the first mile.....

I did the same thing when I ran cross country 5K races.....

That may be how others beat you..but really you have to find what works best for you.  May be you are different than me and can start at race with a full sprint and just continue pass until the end?

The other thing you caught on to, is that I was a much better cross country runner that I ever was in track.... I found the track experience really quite boring.  around and around i went on the track..eight times for two mile....

I loved cross country, actually winning outright several races when I was the top JV runner. and was varsity my junior and senior years, where my team was runner up for State of Michigan championships...All that and I did not start running cross country until my sophomore year in high school...

Enough about me...I am glad you are trying to figure out how to be more successful.  With that attitude and a willingness to learn, you can not help but improve and reach your goals......

I don't know on the first, I try not to keep track; My fastest 5K in a 5K race was 33 min.  I'm not all that fast, I don't have a long stride, and I am missing both ACLs, along with a few other muscles in the knees.  I run for me, not for anyone else.  I haven't come in last, and that's how I want to keep it

Mile was 5:00, 800 was 2:04, 2m - 12:00 and 5k is 20:20 (not very well considering the rest are decent) I'm mostly a middle of the pack runner.

well I just finished my first year of highschool... and i got my fastest mile at 5:30, 2:25 800, 11:50 2 mile, and my 5k was in the high 19s.... strange because when i did sprinting in middle school track (and one meet in highschool) i got medals, but i could never get close to medals with long distance yet (except 2 xc meets)... i guess i just have to invest time in the longer distances