Marathon pace chart
Marathon pace for every finish time from 2:30 to 6:00 in 5-minute steps: a 4:00 is 9:09 per mile (5:41/km), a 3:30 is 8:01. Mile and km checkpoints.
| Finish | /mi | /km |
|---|---|---|
| 2:30:00 | 5:43 | 3:33 |
| 2:35:00 | 5:55 | 3:40 |
| 2:40:00 | 6:06 | 3:48 |
| 2:45:00 | 6:18 | 3:55 |
| 2:50:00 | 6:29 | 4:02 |
| 2:55:00 | 6:40 | 4:09 |
| 3:00:00 | 6:52 | 4:16 |
| 3:05:00 | 7:03 | 4:23 |
| 3:10:00 | 7:15 | 4:30 |
| 3:15:00 | 7:26 | 4:37 |
| 3:20:00 | 7:38 | 4:44 |
| 3:25:00 | 7:49 | 4:52 |
| 3:30:00 | 8:01 | 4:59 |
| 3:35:00 | 8:12 | 5:06 |
| 3:40:00 | 8:23 | 5:13 |
| 3:45:00 | 8:35 | 5:20 |
| 3:50:00 | 8:46 | 5:27 |
| 3:55:00 | 8:58 | 5:34 |
| 4:00:00 | 9:09 | 5:41 |
| 4:05:00 | 9:21 | 5:48 |
| 4:10:00 | 9:32 | 5:55 |
| 4:15:00 | 9:44 | 6:03 |
| 4:20:00 | 9:55 | 6:10 |
| 4:25:00 | 10:06 | 6:17 |
| 4:30:00 | 10:18 | 6:24 |
| 4:35:00 | 10:29 | 6:31 |
| 4:40:00 | 10:41 | 6:38 |
| 4:45:00 | 10:52 | 6:45 |
| 4:50:00 | 11:04 | 6:52 |
| 4:55:00 | 11:15 | 6:59 |
| 5:00:00 | 11:27 | 7:07 |
| 5:05:00 | 11:38 | 7:14 |
| 5:10:00 | 11:49 | 7:21 |
| 5:15:00 | 12:01 | 7:28 |
| 5:20:00 | 12:12 | 7:35 |
| 5:25:00 | 12:24 | 7:42 |
| 5:30:00 | 12:35 | 7:49 |
| 5:35:00 | 12:47 | 7:56 |
| 5:40:00 | 12:58 | 8:03 |
| 5:45:00 | 13:10 | 8:11 |
| 5:50:00 | 13:21 | 8:18 |
| 5:55:00 | 13:32 | 8:25 |
| 6:00:00 | 13:44 | 8:32 |
Checkpoints are even-pace clock times for the marathon (42.195 km / 26.22 mi), on mile markers or kilometre markers to match the toggle. Underlined times open that goal's page, with every split.
Your exact pace
The chart moves in fixed steps. Enter the marathon time you actually want.
- Per mile
- 9:09
- Per km
- 5:41
- Speed
- 6.55 mph
average pace
average pace
on a treadmill
Checkpoints at even pace
- 5 mi
- 45:46
- 10 mi
- 1:31:32
- Half
- 2:00:00
- 20 mi
- 3:03:05
The same goal as a 1% negative split
- First half
- 2:01:12
- Second half
- 1:58:48
9:15 /mi
9:04 /mi
Pace band: every mile, ready to print
Band
Marathon 4:00:00 · 1% negative split · per mile
- 19:15
- 218:29
- 327:44
- 436:59
- 546:14
- 655:28
- 71:04:43
- 81:13:58
- 91:23:12
- 101:32:27
- 111:41:42
- 121:50:57
- 132:00:11
- 142:09:16
- 152:18:20
- 162:27:24
- 172:36:27
- 182:45:31
- 192:54:35
- 203:03:39
- 213:12:42
- 223:21:46
- 233:30:50
- 243:39:54
- 253:48:57
- 263:58:01
- 26.24:00:00
Even-pace arithmetic: goal seconds × distance covered ÷ race distance. It assumes you can hold the pace, which is the part training decides.
A plan for the time you picked
Your plan · free preview
16-week marathon plan
Beginner · 3 runs a week
Starts next Monday
Level
Length
- Longest run
- 18mi
- Biggest week
- 32mi
- Whole plan
- 367mi
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The app builds your own plan when you set it up; this preview is a guide.
Week by week · 16 weeks · in miles
| Week | Phase | Long run | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | base | 9.9 | 18 |
| 2 | base | 11 | 20 |
| 3 | base | 12 | 22 |
| 4 | cutback | 8.1 | 15 |
| 5 | build | 13 | 23 |
| 6 | build | 14 | 25 |
| 7 | build | 15 | 27 |
| 8 | cutback | 11 | 19 |
| 9 | build | 16 | 29 |
| 10 | build | 17 | 30 |
| 11 | peak | 18 | 32 |
| 12 | peak | 18 | 32 |
| 13 | taper | 12 | 22 |
| 14 | taper | 7.5 | 13 |
| 15 | taper | 5 | 9.3 |
| 16 | race | 26.2 | 31 |
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 mile and per kilometre. The four after that are checkpoints: the clock time you should see at 5 miles, 10 miles, halfway and 20 miles on even pace, or at 5K, 10K, halfway and 30K if you switch the chart to kilometres. Underlined times have their own page with every split, from 3:00 to 5:00.
The 20-mile 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 20 miles.
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. The 3:45 marathon pace page runs that check for one common goal.
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<p style="font:13px/1.4 system-ui,sans-serif;margin:6px 0 0">Marathon pace calculator by <a href="https://www.runsy.ai/tools/pace-chart/marathon">Runsy</a></p>
<script>addEventListener("message",function(e){if(e.origin==="https://www.runsy.ai"&&e.data&&e.data.type==="runsy:embed-height"){document.querySelectorAll("iframe").forEach(function(f){if(f.contentWindow===e.source)f.style.height=e.data.height+"px"})}})</script>Train for the time you just picked
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Everything under this page
- 3-hour marathon paceA 3-hour marathon is 6:52 per mile or 4:16 per km, with halfway at 1:30:00. Every mile and km split, the arithmetic, and what sub-3 takes.2:50–3:10
- 3:30 marathon paceA 3:30 marathon is 8:01 per mile or 4:59 per km, with halfway at 1:45:00. Every mile and km split, the arithmetic, and how to train for it.3:20–3:40
- 3:45 marathon paceA 3:45 marathon is 8:35 per mile or 5:20 per km, with halfway at 1:52:30. Every mile and km split, the arithmetic, and how to train for it.3:35–3:55
- 4-hour marathon paceA 4-hour marathon is 9:09 per mile or 5:41 per km, with halfway at 2:00:00. Every mile and km split, the arithmetic, and how to train for sub-4.3:40–4:20
- 4:30 marathon paceA 4:30 marathon is 10:18 per mile or 6:24 per km, with halfway at 2:15:00. Every mile and km split, the arithmetic, and how to train for it.4:10–4:50
- 5-hour marathon paceA 5-hour marathon is 11:27 per mile or 7:07 per km, with halfway at 2:30:00. Every mile and km split, the arithmetic, and how to train for sub-5.4:40–5:20
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.