A marathon is 26.219 miles, or 42.195 kilometers. Divide your goal time by 26.219 to get pace per mile. A 4:00:00 marathon is 9:09 per mile, or 5:41 per kilometer.
marathon goal time chart
| Goal time | Per mile | Per km | mph |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2:45:00 | 6:18 | 3:55 | 9.53 |
| 3:00:00 | 6:52 | 4:16 | 8.74 |
| 3:15:00 | 7:26 | 4:37 | 8.07 |
| 3:30:00 | 8:01 | 4:59 | 7.49 |
| 3:45:00 | 8:35 | 5:20 | 6.99 |
| 4:00:00 | 9:09 | 5:41 | 6.55 |
| 4:15:00 | 9:44 | 6:03 | 6.17 |
| 4:30:00 | 10:18 | 6:24 | 5.83 |
| 5:00:00 | 11:27 | 7:07 | 5.24 |
| 5:30:00 | 12:35 | 7:49 | 4.77 |
| 6:00:00 | 13:44 | 8:32 | 4.37 |
How to pace a marathon
Over 26.2 miles, small pacing differences add up to minutes. Choose a target pace per mile or per kilometer, then check the elapsed time at each 5 km or mile marker against the split tables. Staying close to the table early in the race keeps the plan intact.
The tables assume an even pace. Hills, heat, wind and the course layout change your real splits, so treat the table as a reference and adjust to how the race unfolds.
A goal, not a prediction
This calculator shows the pace a goal time requires. It does not predict what you can run. Base your goal on recent race results and training, and read the disclaimer before using any result to plan hard efforts.
Worked example: an even-pace plan for 4:00:00
Take a goal of 4:00:00. The pace is 9:09 per mile, or 5:41 per kilometer. Your checkpoints at an even pace are 5 km at 28:26, 10 km at 56:53, 15 km at 1:25:19, 20 km at 1:53:45, 25 km at 2:22:12, 30 km at 2:50:38, 35 km at 3:19:05, 40 km at 3:47:31, and the finish at 4:00:00. The halfway point comes at 2:00:00. If your elapsed time at a marker is more than a few seconds ahead of the table, you are running faster than the plan, and the cost may show up late in the race.
Training paces for a 4:00:00 goal
If you could run 4:00:00 today, the training paces that go with it are below. They come from the Daniels and Gilbert formula and the intensity ranges in the training pace calculator, which explains the method and its limits.[2] The goal matches a VDOT of 37.9.
| Zone | Intensity | Per mile | Per km |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 59–74% of VO2max | 11:44 – 9:49 | 7:17 – 6:06 |
| Threshold | 83–88% of VO2max | 8:58 – 8:33 | 5:34 – 5:19 |
| Interval | 95–100% of VO2max | 8:03 – 7:43 | 5:00 – 4:48 |
Print a pace band for race day
Choose miles or kilometers in the calculator, then press “Print pace band”. The band lists your elapsed time at every marker for the goal and strategy you picked, in a compact table. Print it on card stock, cut it out and tape or wrap it around your wrist. Check your watch time against the band at each marker, and follow the plan you chose in advance.
Marathon race-day checklist
These are practical points, not research findings.
- Know the course, the aid station spacing and where the hills are.
- Practice fueling and drinking in long training runs, and do not try anything new on race day.
- Write your 5 km checkpoint times and check them at every marker.
- Start no faster than goal pace. The first 10 km should feel easy.
- Decide in advance what you will do if a patch feels hard: ease slightly, then return to pace when you can.
Temperature changes finish times. RunRepeat’s analysis of race results found that the best running temperature was between 40 and 50°F, so a warm race day usually calls for a slower plan than your goal pace suggests. Read how much heat slows your pace for what marathon studies found.[1]
Frequently asked questions
What pace do I need for a 4:00:00 marathon?
You need 9:09 per mile, or 5:41 per kilometer. That is 6.55 mph. Divide your goal time by 26.219 miles to check it for any other goal.
How many miles is a marathon?
A marathon is 26.219 miles, which is 42.195 kilometers. Pace per mile times 26.219 gives your finish time.
What are the halfway splits for a 4:00:00 marathon?
At an even pace you reach the halfway point at 2:00:00, after 13.11 miles or 21.10 kilometers. The second half takes the same 2:00:00.
Which training paces go with a 4:00:00 marathon?
A goal of 4:00:00 matches a VDOT of 37.9. Easy running is about 9:49 to 11:44 per mile, threshold about 8:33 to 8:58, and interval about 7:43 to 8:03. These assume you could run the goal today.
What pace is a 3:30 marathon?
A 3:30:00 marathon needs 8:01 per mile, or 4:59 per kilometer. That is 7.49 mph. At that pace you reach the halfway point at about 1:45:00.
Read the guide: negative splits vs even pacing. Previous distance: half marathon pace calculator. See every pace in the running pace chart or find your current pace with the mile pace calculator. Not sure of your goal? Estimate it with the race time predictor.
Sources
- Andersen, J.J. The State of Running 2019. RunRepeat, in collaboration with the IAAF.
- Daniels, J. and Gilbert, J. (1979). Oxygen Power: Performance Tables for Distance Runners, and Daniels, J. (2014), Daniels’ Running Formula, 3rd edition. Human Kinetics.
