Quick summary
- Sub-3: 4:16 per km (6:52 per mile).
- Sub-3:30: 4:59 per km (8:01 per mile).
- Sub-4: 5:41 per km (9:09 per mile).
- Sub-4:30: 6:24 per km (10:18 per mile).
- Sub-5: 7:07 per km (11:27 per mile).
- Aim 2–3 seconds per km faster than the chart to absorb GPS drift and aid stations.
Every marathon goal comes down to one number: the pace you need to hold for 42.195 km. This chart gives that number for every finish time from 2:30 to 6:00, in both kilometres and miles, plus the split you should see at 5 km, 10 km, halfway and 30 km if you're on track.
How to use this chart
Find your goal finish time in the first column. The next two columns are the average pace you need per kilometre and per mile. The split columns show where you should be at each checkpoint if you run evenly.
Use the splits as a ceiling, not a target, in the first half. If you pass 10 km more than 30–60 seconds ahead of your chart split, you're running too fast and will likely pay for it after 30 km.
Popular goal times are shown in bold.
Marathon pace chart: 2:30 to 6:00
| Finish time | Pace per km | Pace per mile | 5 km | 10 km | Half (21.1 km) | 30 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2:30:00 | 3:33 | 5:43 | 17:46 | 35:33 | 1:15:00 | 1:46:39 |
| 2:35:00 | 3:40 | 5:55 | 18:22 | 36:44 | 1:17:30 | 1:50:12 |
| 2:40:00 | 3:48 | 6:06 | 18:58 | 37:55 | 1:20:00 | 1:53:45 |
| 2:45:00 | 3:55 | 6:18 | 19:33 | 39:06 | 1:22:30 | 1:57:19 |
| 2:50:00 | 4:02 | 6:29 | 20:09 | 40:17 | 1:25:00 | 2:00:52 |
| 2:55:00 | 4:09 | 6:40 | 20:44 | 41:28 | 1:27:30 | 2:04:25 |
| 3:00:00 | 4:16 | 6:52 | 21:20 | 42:40 | 1:30:00 | 2:07:59 |
| 3:05:00 | 4:23 | 7:03 | 21:55 | 43:51 | 1:32:30 | 2:11:32 |
| 3:10:00 | 4:30 | 7:15 | 22:31 | 45:02 | 1:35:00 | 2:15:05 |
| 3:15:00 | 4:37 | 7:26 | 23:06 | 46:13 | 1:37:30 | 2:18:39 |
| 3:20:00 | 4:44 | 7:38 | 23:42 | 47:24 | 1:40:00 | 2:22:12 |
| 3:25:00 | 4:52 | 7:49 | 24:18 | 48:35 | 1:42:30 | 2:25:45 |
| 3:30:00 | 4:59 | 8:01 | 24:53 | 49:46 | 1:45:00 | 2:29:18 |
| 3:35:00 | 5:06 | 8:12 | 25:29 | 50:57 | 1:47:30 | 2:32:52 |
| 3:40:00 | 5:13 | 8:23 | 26:04 | 52:08 | 1:50:00 | 2:36:25 |
| 3:45:00 | 5:20 | 8:35 | 26:40 | 53:19 | 1:52:30 | 2:39:58 |
| 3:50:00 | 5:27 | 8:46 | 27:15 | 54:31 | 1:55:00 | 2:43:32 |
| 3:55:00 | 5:34 | 8:58 | 27:51 | 55:42 | 1:57:30 | 2:47:05 |
| 4:00:00 | 5:41 | 9:09 | 28:26 | 56:53 | 2:00:00 | 2:50:38 |
| 4:05:00 | 5:48 | 9:21 | 29:02 | 58:04 | 2:02:30 | 2:54:11 |
| 4:10:00 | 5:55 | 9:32 | 29:37 | 59:15 | 2:05:00 | 2:57:45 |
| 4:15:00 | 6:03 | 9:44 | 30:13 | 1:00:26 | 2:07:30 | 3:01:18 |
| 4:20:00 | 6:10 | 9:55 | 30:49 | 1:01:37 | 2:10:00 | 3:04:51 |
| 4:25:00 | 6:17 | 10:06 | 31:24 | 1:02:48 | 2:12:30 | 3:08:25 |
| 4:30:00 | 6:24 | 10:18 | 32:00 | 1:03:59 | 2:15:00 | 3:11:58 |
| 4:35:00 | 6:31 | 10:29 | 32:35 | 1:05:10 | 2:17:30 | 3:15:31 |
| 4:40:00 | 6:38 | 10:41 | 33:11 | 1:06:22 | 2:20:00 | 3:19:05 |
| 4:45:00 | 6:45 | 10:52 | 33:46 | 1:07:33 | 2:22:30 | 3:22:38 |
| 4:50:00 | 6:52 | 11:04 | 34:22 | 1:08:44 | 2:25:00 | 3:26:11 |
| 4:55:00 | 6:59 | 11:15 | 34:57 | 1:09:55 | 2:27:30 | 3:29:44 |
| 5:00:00 | 7:07 | 11:27 | 35:33 | 1:11:06 | 2:30:00 | 3:33:18 |
| 5:05:00 | 7:14 | 11:38 | 36:09 | 1:12:17 | 2:32:30 | 3:36:51 |
| 5:10:00 | 7:21 | 11:49 | 36:44 | 1:13:28 | 2:35:00 | 3:40:24 |
| 5:15:00 | 7:28 | 12:01 | 37:20 | 1:14:39 | 2:37:30 | 3:43:58 |
| 5:20:00 | 7:35 | 12:12 | 37:55 | 1:15:50 | 2:40:00 | 3:47:31 |
| 5:25:00 | 7:42 | 12:24 | 38:31 | 1:17:01 | 2:42:30 | 3:51:04 |
| 5:30:00 | 7:49 | 12:35 | 39:06 | 1:18:12 | 2:45:00 | 3:54:37 |
| 5:35:00 | 7:56 | 12:47 | 39:42 | 1:19:24 | 2:47:30 | 3:58:11 |
| 5:40:00 | 8:03 | 12:58 | 40:17 | 1:20:35 | 2:50:00 | 4:01:44 |
| 5:45:00 | 8:11 | 13:10 | 40:53 | 1:21:46 | 2:52:30 | 4:05:17 |
| 5:50:00 | 8:18 | 13:21 | 41:28 | 1:22:57 | 2:55:00 | 4:08:51 |
| 5:55:00 | 8:25 | 13:32 | 42:04 | 1:24:08 | 2:57:30 | 4:12:24 |
| 6:00:00 | 8:32 | 13:44 | 42:40 | 1:25:19 | 3:00:00 | 4:15:57 |
Paces and splits assume perfectly even running over the official 42.195 km (26.2 miles) distance and are rounded to the nearest second.
Why even pacing works
Your body burns a mix of fat and carbohydrate during a marathon, and the faster you run, the more it relies on limited carbohydrate stores. Running the first half faster than goal pace burns through those stores early, which is why so many marathoners slow sharply after 30 km.
Even pacing, or a slight negative split where the second half is a little faster, keeps carbohydrate use steady and leaves something for the final 10 km. Most marathon world records have been set with very even or slightly negative splits.
Adjusting your pace for real race conditions
The chart assumes a flat course on a cool day. Real races rarely are.
- Heat: above about 15°C, expect to lose time as temperature rises. At 25°C or more, many runners slow by 10–20 seconds per km or more. Start more conservatively rather than chasing chart pace.
- Hills: run uphills by effort, not pace, and let gravity return the time on the way down. Check your splits at the flat sections.
- GPS drift: watches often read 0.3–0.8 km long over a marathon because you can't run the exact measured line. Pace off the official kilometre or mile markers.
- Crowded starts: don't sprint to make up time lost in the first kilometre. Spread it over the next 10 km.
Picking a realistic goal
Your recent race results are the best predictor of your marathon time, as long as you complete proper marathon training. As a rough guide, many runners finish a marathon in a little over double their recent half-marathon time:
| Recent half marathon | Typical marathon range |
|---|---|
| 1:25 | 2:58–3:05 |
| 1:40 | 3:30–3:38 |
| 1:53 | 3:55–4:05 |
| 2:05 | 4:22–4:35 |
| 2:20 | 4:55–5:10 |
If you're targeting four hours, our 16-week sub-4 hour marathon training plan maps every training pace and long run.
FAQ
What is a good marathon pace for a beginner?
For a first marathon, a comfortable pace you could hold while speaking in short sentences is right for most runners. That is often somewhere between 6:30 and 8:00 per km (10:30 to 13:00 per mile), finishing between about 4:30 and 5:40. Finishing strong matters more than the time.
What pace is a 4-hour marathon?
A 4:00:00 marathon is 5:41 per km or 9:09 per mile. Aim for about 5:38 per km (9:05 per mile) to build in a two-minute buffer.
What pace is a 3:30 marathon?
A 3:30:00 marathon is 4:59 per km or 8:01 per mile, with a halfway split of 1:45:00.
Should I run the first half of a marathon faster?
No. Banking time early usually costs more time later, because it uses carbohydrate faster. Aim for an even pace, or start a few seconds per km slower than goal pace and finish slightly faster.
How accurate are marathon pace charts?
The maths is exact for an even-paced race over 42.195 km. Real-world results vary with heat, hills, wind, crowding and fitness on the day, so treat the chart as your plan, not a guarantee.