Marathon pace chart
A marathon is 42.195 km. For 4 hours you need 5:41 min/km (10.5 km/h). A 3:30 marathon needs 4:59 min/km, and 5 hours needs 7:07 min/km.
The charts below cover the full range, in both directions.
What pace does my goal time need?
Find your target in the left column. The column on the far right is the one that matters on race day: that is what the clock should read at 21.1 km.
| Goal time | Required pace | km/h | Halfway |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2:30:00 | 3:33 min/km | 16.9 | 1:15:00 |
| 2:40:00 | 3:48 min/km | 15.8 | 1:20:00 |
| 2:50:00 | 4:02 min/km | 14.9 | 1:25:00 |
| 3:00:00 | 4:16 min/km | 14.1 | 1:30:00 |
| 3:10:00 | 4:30 min/km | 13.3 | 1:35:00 |
| 3:20:00 | 4:44 min/km | 12.7 | 1:40:00 |
| 3:30:00 | 4:59 min/km | 12.1 | 1:45:00 |
| 3:40:00 | 5:13 min/km | 11.5 | 1:50:00 |
| 3:50:00 | 5:27 min/km | 11.0 | 1:55:00 |
| 4:00:00 | 5:41 min/km | 10.5 | 2:00:00 |
| 4:10:00 | 5:55 min/km | 10.1 | 2:05:00 |
| 4:20:00 | 6:10 min/km | 9.7 | 2:10:00 |
| 4:30:00 | 6:24 min/km | 9.4 | 2:15:00 |
| 4:40:00 | 6:38 min/km | 9.0 | 2:20:00 |
| 4:50:00 | 6:52 min/km | 8.7 | 2:25:00 |
| 5:00:00 | 7:07 min/km | 8.4 | 2:30:00 |
| 5:10:00 | 7:21 min/km | 8.2 | 2:35:00 |
| 5:20:00 | 7:35 min/km | 7.9 | 2:40:00 |
| 5:30:00 | 7:49 min/km | 7.7 | 2:45:00 |
| 5:40:00 | 8:03 min/km | 7.4 | 2:50:00 |
| 5:50:00 | 8:18 min/km | 7.2 | 2:55:00 |
| 6:00:00 | 8:32 min/km | 7.0 | 3:00:00 |
What finish time does my pace give?
| Pace | km/h | Finish time |
|---|---|---|
| 3:00 min/km | 20.0 | 2:06:35 |
| 3:05 min/km | 19.5 | 2:10:06 |
| 3:10 min/km | 18.9 | 2:13:37 |
| 3:15 min/km | 18.5 | 2:17:08 |
| 3:20 min/km | 18.0 | 2:20:39 |
| 3:25 min/km | 17.6 | 2:24:10 |
| 3:30 min/km | 17.1 | 2:27:41 |
| 3:35 min/km | 16.7 | 2:31:12 |
| 3:40 min/km | 16.4 | 2:34:43 |
| 3:45 min/km | 16.0 | 2:38:14 |
| 3:50 min/km | 15.7 | 2:41:45 |
| 3:55 min/km | 15.3 | 2:45:16 |
| 4:00 min/km | 15.0 | 2:48:47 |
| 4:05 min/km | 14.7 | 2:52:18 |
| 4:10 min/km | 14.4 | 2:55:49 |
| 4:15 min/km | 14.1 | 2:59:20 |
| 4:20 min/km | 13.8 | 3:02:51 |
| 4:25 min/km | 13.6 | 3:06:22 |
| 4:30 min/km | 13.3 | 3:09:53 |
| 4:35 min/km | 13.1 | 3:13:24 |
| 4:40 min/km | 12.9 | 3:16:55 |
| 4:45 min/km | 12.6 | 3:20:26 |
| 4:50 min/km | 12.4 | 3:23:57 |
| 4:55 min/km | 12.2 | 3:27:28 |
| 5:00 min/km | 12.0 | 3:30:59 |
| 5:05 min/km | 11.8 | 3:34:29 |
| 5:10 min/km | 11.6 | 3:38:00 |
| 5:15 min/km | 11.4 | 3:41:31 |
| 5:20 min/km | 11.2 | 3:45:02 |
| 5:25 min/km | 11.1 | 3:48:33 |
| 5:30 min/km | 10.9 | 3:52:04 |
| 5:35 min/km | 10.7 | 3:55:35 |
| 5:40 min/km | 10.6 | 3:59:06 |
| 5:45 min/km | 10.4 | 4:02:37 |
| 5:50 min/km | 10.3 | 4:06:08 |
| 5:55 min/km | 10.1 | 4:09:39 |
| 6:00 min/km | 10.0 | 4:13:10 |
| 6:05 min/km | 9.9 | 4:16:41 |
| 6:10 min/km | 9.7 | 4:20:12 |
| 6:15 min/km | 9.6 | 4:23:43 |
| 6:20 min/km | 9.5 | 4:27:14 |
| 6:25 min/km | 9.4 | 4:30:45 |
| 6:30 min/km | 9.2 | 4:34:16 |
| 6:35 min/km | 9.1 | 4:37:47 |
| 6:40 min/km | 9.0 | 4:41:18 |
| 6:45 min/km | 8.9 | 4:44:49 |
| 6:50 min/km | 8.8 | 4:48:20 |
| 6:55 min/km | 8.7 | 4:51:51 |
| 7:00 min/km | 8.6 | 4:55:22 |
| 7:05 min/km | 8.5 | 4:58:53 |
| 7:10 min/km | 8.4 | 5:02:24 |
| 7:15 min/km | 8.3 | 5:05:55 |
| 7:20 min/km | 8.2 | 5:09:26 |
| 7:25 min/km | 8.1 | 5:12:57 |
| 7:30 min/km | 8.0 | 5:16:28 |
Why the halfway split is the number that counts
A marathon is rarely decided by fitness, and almost always by the first ten kilometres. Start fifteen seconds per kilometre too fast and it feels free — it is well within what your body can do at that moment. The bill arrives after 30 km, when the glycogen is gone and those seconds have to be paid back several times over.
So it pays to sit slightly behind schedule early. If you cross halfway exactly on the chart time, you have effectively started too hard; a minute down, and you have done it right.
Is your goal realistic?
A simple rule of thumb: multiply your half marathon time by 2.1. A 1:50 half suggests a 3:51 marathon — not the 3:40 a straight doubling would give. The extra ten per cent is there because a marathon is considerably harder than two halves back to back.