Marathon pace chart
Every marathon finish time from 2:30 to 6:00, with pace per kilometre, pace per mile, and 5K/10K/half/30K splits. Find your target, then train for it.
| Finish | /km | /mi |
|---|---|---|
| 2:30:00 | 3:33 | 5:43 |
| 2:40:00 | 3:48 | 6:06 |
| 2:50:00 | 4:02 | 6:29 |
| 3:00:00 | 4:16 | 6:52 |
| 3:10:00 | 4:30 | 7:15 |
| 3:20:00 | 4:44 | 7:38 |
| 3:30:00 | 4:59 | 8:01 |
| 3:40:00 | 5:13 | 8:23 |
| 3:50:00 | 5:27 | 8:46 |
| 4:00:00 | 5:41 | 9:09 |
| 4:10:00 | 5:55 | 9:32 |
| 4:20:00 | 6:10 | 9:55 |
| 4:30:00 | 6:24 | 10:18 |
| 4:40:00 | 6:38 | 10:41 |
| 4:50:00 | 6:52 | 11:04 |
| 5:00:00 | 7:07 | 11:27 |
| 5:10:00 | 7:21 | 11:49 |
| 5:20:00 | 7:35 | 12:12 |
| 5:30:00 | 7:49 | 12:35 |
| 5:40:00 | 8:03 | 12:58 |
| 5:50:00 | 8:18 | 13:21 |
| 6:00:00 | 8:32 | 13:44 |
Splits are even-pace checkpoints for marathon (42.195 km / 26.22 mi). Most runners are better served by starting 5–10 seconds per kilometre slower than target and making it back in the closing third.
Your exact pace
The chart moves in five-minute steps. Enter the marathon time you actually want.
- Per kilometre
- 5:41
- Per mile
- 9:09
- 11K
- 1:00:00
- Halfway
- 2:00:00
- 32K
- 3:00:00
How to read this chart
Find your goal finish time on the left. The next two columns give the average pace you must hold, per kilometre and per mile. The four after that are checkpoints — the clock time you should see at 5K, 10K, halfway and 30K on even pace.
The 30K column is the one that matters. A marathon is not decided in the first half; it is decided by whether the pace you chose at 10K is still available to you at 32K.
Why even splits are a fiction worth knowing
Almost nobody runs an even marathon, and the chart is a reference rather than an instruction. Most finish times are set by how much the second half slows relative to the first — the positive split — and the size of that fade is the single largest variable in the result.
Practical version: run the first 10K about 10–15 seconds per kilometre slower than the chart says, settle into goal pace through the middle, and treat anything you have left after 32K as a bonus. Runners who bank two minutes in the first half routinely give back six in the last ten kilometres.
Heat is the other multiplier. Above roughly 15°C a marathon pace that was realistic in training stops being realistic on the day, and no chart can adjust for it. Race the effort, use the splits as a check, and let the target go if the conditions have taken it.
Picking a target that survives 42 kilometres
Two checks before you commit to a row:
- Half marathon test. A realistic marathon is roughly your recent half marathon time doubled, plus 10–20 minutes. The bigger your weekly mileage, the closer to +10 you land.
- Long run test. Goal marathon pace should feel sustainable and slightly boring on a 30K long run. If it feels like work at 20K, it is not your marathon pace.
The chart will happily show you a 3:00 marathon. Whether you can hold 4:16/km for 42.2 km is a question about your last sixteen weeks, not about arithmetic.
Train for the time you just picked
Runsy builds the plan around your target — and rebuilds it when life interrupts. $12.99/mo after a 7-day free trial.
7-day free trial · then $12.99/mo · cancel anytime
Fair questions
What pace is a 4-hour marathon?
5:41 per kilometre, or 9:09 per mile. Checkpoints are 28:26 at 5K, 56:53 at 10K, 2:00:00 at halfway and 2:50:38 at 30K.
What pace is a 3:30 marathon?
4:59 per kilometre, or 8:01 per mile — 24:53 at 5K, 49:46 at 10K, 1:45:00 at halfway.
What pace is a 5-hour marathon?
7:07 per kilometre, or 11:27 per mile, passing halfway at 2:30:00.
Should I run even splits in a marathon?
Aim to start 10–15 seconds per kilometre slower than goal pace over the first 10K. The marathon punishes an early surge more than any other distance, because the cost arrives after 32K when there is no time to recover it.
What is a good marathon time?
Around 4:30 is a solid first marathon. Under 4:00 is a common milestone goal, under 3:30 is strong recreational, and under 3:00 puts you in the front portion of most fields.