Marathon Pace Chart: Pace Per Mile and Kilometer for Every Finish Time

Your marathon pace is the average pace per mile or kilometer you need to reach your goal finish time. The charts below cover every five-minute target from 2:30 to 7:00, with checkpoint splits for both miles and kilometers.

Marathon pace chart by finish time

All calculations use the official marathon distance of 42.195 km, or 26 miles 385 yards.

Pace is rounded to the nearest second, while all checkpoint splits are calculated from the exact marathon distance and finish time. Because of this rounding, multiplying the displayed pace by 26.2 miles may not reproduce the finish time exactly.

Each row assumes an even average pace from start to finish. Hills, aid stations, wind, and weather will change individual miles and kilometers.

Marathon pace chart in miles

Marathon pace chart in kilometers

How to use the marathon pace chart

Find your goal finish time first. The pace column shows the average speed the goal requires, and the checkpoint columns give you the cumulative race time to compare against as you go.

Your GPS watch can measure the course longer than 26.2 miles or 42.2 km, because of the line you take through turns and the way the watch records your route. Where the course has official mile or kilometer markers, take your splits from those.

What pace you need for common marathon goals

For a sub-goal, use a finish time just inside the target. The table below uses 2:59, 3:29, 3:59, 4:29, 4:59, 5:29, and 5:59, which gives you about one minute of margin.

For example, exactly four-hour pace is about 9:09 per mile or 5:41 per kilometer. A 3:59 target brings that to 9:07 per mile or 5:40 per kilometer. That small margin is enough for a true sub-goal plan.

Related: What's a Good First Marathon Time?

How to choose a realistic marathon goal pace

A realistic marathon goal pace comes from what you can run now and what your training shows you can hold for the whole distance. Here’s how to choose your realistic pace:

• Start with a recent race. A recent half marathon gives the best starting point, because it is much closer to marathon demands than a 5K. A 10K works too, but with less certainty as the distance gap grows.
• Use a race calculator. Race calculators convert your recent result into a possible marathon time on the assumption that you have trained for the marathon. Predictions built from shorter races run optimistic for about half of recreational runners, by ten minutes or more, so take the slower end of the range as your working goal.
• Test the pace in marathon-specific workouts. Once your training reaches the marathon-specific phase, run blocks at goal pace inside a long run. You should finish those sessions at the same effort you started them.
• Adjust the goal if needed. If goal pace repeatedly feels too hard, move to a slower target. If you complete the key workouts and recover within a day or two, the pace is right. Nothing obliges you to pick a finish time on day one and keep it for months.
• Account for the race itself. Heat, humidity, hills, and strong wind all cost you pace, so adjust the goal and prepare a plan B.

For example, suppose a pace calculator points to a 3:55 marathon. That gives you a starting pace of about 8:58 per mile or 5:34 per kilometer. Over the next several weeks, watch how that pace feels in your longer workouts. If you can hold it through the last miles of a long run without slowing or losing form, a sub-four goal becomes realistic.

How to use marathon pace in training

Practice marathon pace often enough that it feels familiar by race day. Goal pace teaches you most inside specific workouts, where you can learn how it feels as fatigue builds.

Start with short blocks at marathon pace. As your training progresses, make those blocks longer inside medium-long runs and long runs:

• Short marathon-pace blocks: Run 3 to 5 miles, or 5 to 8 km, at goal pace inside an otherwise easy run.
• Longer continuous efforts: Build toward 6 to 10 miles, or 10 to 16 km, at marathon pace during the marathon-specific part of your training.
• Fast-finish long runs: Run the first part easy and cover the final section at goal marathon pace.
• Race rehearsals: Use selected long runs to practice goal pace with the shoes, the fueling, and the hydration you plan to use on race day.

Keep your easy days and most of your long runs slower than marathon pace. Those runs build endurance and leave you recovered enough to hit the paces in your hard sessions.

How to pace your marathon on race day

Start with your goal pace as the reference point and adjust for the course and the conditions. Marathon pace feels easy in the opening miles while you are fresh, which is where most runners lose their race.

• First 5 miles or 8 km: Hold goal pace. Any time you gain here costs you more later.
• Through halfway: Check your cumulative split at the markers.
• From halfway to 20 miles or 32 km: Keep the effort controlled. Let your pace slow on hills, into strong wind, and at aid stations.
• Final stretch: If you still feel strong, raise the effort gradually. If the race has become hard, hold the quickest pace you can sustain to the finish.

A pace chart can help you turn a marathon goal into clear numbers you can train with, but the right target still depends on your current fitness, age, and experience. If you want to see how your target compares with other runners, check our guide to average marathon times by age and sex.

FAQ

What pace is a 4-hour marathon?

A four-hour marathon requires an average pace of about 9:09 per mile or 5:41 per kilometer, and you reach halfway in 2:00:00 with even pacing. For a finish under four hours, aim at 9:07 per mile or 5:40 per kilometer, which brings you in around 3:59.

What pace is a 3:30 marathon?

A 3:30 marathon requires about 8:01 per mile or 4:59 per kilometer, with a halfway split of 1:45:00. For a finish under 3:30, aim at 7:58 per mile or 4:57 per kilometer.

What pace is a 5-hour marathon?

A five-hour marathon requires about 11:27 per mile or 7:07 per kilometer, and halfway comes at 2:30:00 with even pacing. For a finish under five hours, aim at 11:24 per mile or 7:05 per kilometer.

Should you run every long run at marathon pace?

No. Most runners need easier long runs to build endurance without making every long session hard. Selected marathon-specific long runs can include sections at goal pace when your training plan calls for them.

How accurate is a marathon pace chart?

The calculations are exact for an evenly paced marathon, apart from the displayed pace being rounded to the nearest second. Your real splits can vary because of terrain, weather, aid stations, and the route you run through the course.