Your marathon pace is your goal time divided by 42.195 km: a 4-hour marathon needs 5:41 per km (9:09 per mile), a 3-hour marathon 4:16 per km (6:52 per mile). Knowing the number is the easy part — this guide covers holding it for 42 km: goal-time splits, negative split strategy, and the full pace chart.
3:00 goal
4:16/km
6:52/mi
3:30 goal
4:59/km
8:01/mi
4:00 goal
5:41/km
9:09/mi
4:30 goal
6:24/km
10:18/mi
Start here
Enter any goal time and get your exact pace per km and mile, speed in km/h, and every 5K split — ready to write on your arm.
Open the calculatorPick your goal
Every goal time has its own guide with exact splits, pacing strategy, and race plan. Fastest to slowest:
Strategy · Sub-3
Hold 4:15/km for 42.195 km — checkpoints, fueling plan, and the mistakes that end sub-3 attempts.
Strategy · Splits
Why running the second half faster wins, and how to plan your splits to pull it off.
Race strategy
Running the first half fast to “put time in the bank” is the most common way to blow up a marathon. Every second banked early costs more after 30 km, when glycogen runs low. Nearly every marathon world record was set with even or negative splits.
Race-day adrenaline and fresh legs make goal pace feel effortless early on. That feeling is a trap. Run the first 2–3 km about 5–10 seconds per km slower than goal pace, then settle in. If goal pace feels hard at 10 km, adjust the goal — not your effort.
Reach the half at your goal half-split or up to a minute behind it. Arriving two or three minutes ahead of schedule feels like winning — until the deficit comes due in the final 10 km, where it typically costs double.
The wall is glycogen depletion, and it is beatable: fuel from the first hour (before you feel you need it), and arrive at 30 km having run with restraint. If you did both, the final 12 km is where you pass everyone who didn’t.
Reference
Browse every pace with its projected finish time and key split checkpoints. The row closest to 3:30 is highlighted.
| Pace | Finish | 1 km1 km | 5 km5 km | 10 km10 km | Half |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3:00 /km | 2:06:36 | 3:00 | 15:00 | 30:00 | 1:03:18 |
3:05 /km | 2:10:07 | 3:05 | 15:25 | 30:50 | 1:05:03 |
3:10 /km | 2:13:38 | 3:10 | 15:50 | 31:40 | 1:06:49 |
3:15 /km | 2:17:09 | 3:15 | 16:15 | 32:30 | 1:08:34 |
3:20 /km | 2:20:40 | 3:20 | 16:40 | 33:20 | 1:10:20 |
3:25 /km | 2:24:11 | 3:25 | 17:05 | 34:10 | 1:12:05 |
3:30 /km | 2:27:42 | 3:30 | 17:30 | 35:00 | 1:13:50 |
3:35 /km | 2:31:13 | 3:35 | 17:55 | 35:50 | 1:15:36 |
3:40 /km | 2:34:44 | 3:40 | 18:20 | 36:40 | 1:17:21 |
3:45 /km | 2:38:15 | 3:45 | 18:45 | 37:30 | 1:19:07 |
3:50 /km | 2:41:46 | 3:50 | 19:10 | 38:20 | 1:20:52 |
3:55 /km | 2:45:17 | 3:55 | 19:35 | 39:10 | 1:22:38 |
4:00 /km | 2:48:48 | 4:00 | 20:00 | 40:00 | 1:24:23 |
4:05 /km | 2:52:19 | 4:05 | 20:25 | 40:50 | 1:26:09 |
4:10 /km | 2:55:50 | 4:10 | 20:50 | 41:40 | 1:27:54 |
4:15 /km | 2:59:21 | 4:15 | 21:15 | 42:30 | 1:29:40 |
4:20 /km | 3:02:52 | 4:20 | 21:40 | 43:20 | 1:31:25 |
4:25 /km | 3:06:23 | 4:25 | 22:05 | 44:10 | 1:33:11 |
4:30 /km | 3:09:54 | 4:30 | 22:30 | 45:00 | 1:34:56 |
4:35 /km | 3:13:25 | 4:35 | 22:55 | 45:50 | 1:36:42 |
4:40 /km | 3:16:56 | 4:40 | 23:20 | 46:40 | 1:38:27 |
4:45 /km | 3:20:27 | 4:45 | 23:45 | 47:30 | 1:40:13 |
4:50 /km | 3:23:58 | 4:50 | 24:10 | 48:20 | 1:41:58 |
4:55 /km | 3:27:29 | 4:55 | 24:35 | 49:10 | 1:43:44 |
Goal5:00 /km | 3:31:00 | 5:00 | 25:00 | 50:00 | 1:45:29 |
5:05 /km | 3:34:31 | 5:05 | 25:25 | 50:50 | 1:47:15 |
5:10 /km | 3:38:02 | 5:10 | 25:50 | 51:40 | 1:49:00 |
5:15 /km | 3:41:33 | 5:15 | 26:15 | 52:30 | 1:50:46 |
5:20 /km | 3:45:04 | 5:20 | 26:40 | 53:20 | 1:52:31 |
5:25 /km | 3:48:35 | 5:25 | 27:05 | 54:10 | 1:54:17 |
5:30 /km | 3:52:06 | 5:30 | 27:30 | 55:00 | 1:56:02 |
5:35 /km | 3:55:37 | 5:35 | 27:55 | 55:50 | 1:57:48 |
5:40 /km | 3:59:08 | 5:40 | 28:20 | 56:40 | 1:59:33 |
5:45 /km | 4:02:39 | 5:45 | 28:45 | 57:30 | 2:01:19 |
5:50 /km | 4:06:10 | 5:50 | 29:10 | 58:20 | 2:03:04 |
5:55 /km | 4:09:41 | 5:55 | 29:35 | 59:10 | 2:04:50 |
6:00 /km | 4:13:12 | 6:00 | 30:00 | 1:00:00 | 2:06:35 |
6:05 /km | 4:16:43 | 6:05 | 30:25 | 1:00:50 | 2:08:21 |
6:10 /km | 4:20:14 | 6:10 | 30:50 | 1:01:40 | 2:10:06 |
6:15 /km | 4:23:45 | 6:15 | 31:15 | 1:02:30 | 2:11:52 |
6:20 /km | 4:27:16 | 6:20 | 31:40 | 1:03:20 | 2:13:37 |
6:25 /km | 4:30:47 | 6:25 | 32:05 | 1:04:10 | 2:15:23 |
6:30 /km | 4:34:18 | 6:30 | 32:30 | 1:05:00 | 2:17:08 |
6:35 /km | 4:37:49 | 6:35 | 32:55 | 1:05:50 | 2:18:54 |
6:40 /km | 4:41:20 | 6:40 | 33:20 | 1:06:40 | 2:20:39 |
6:45 /km | 4:44:51 | 6:45 | 33:45 | 1:07:30 | 2:22:24 |
6:50 /km | 4:48:22 | 6:50 | 34:10 | 1:08:20 | 2:24:10 |
6:55 /km | 4:51:53 | 6:55 | 34:35 | 1:09:10 | 2:25:55 |
7:00 /km | 4:55:24 | 7:00 | 35:00 | 1:10:00 | 2:27:41 |
7:05 /km | 4:58:55 | 7:05 | 35:25 | 1:10:50 | 2:29:26 |
7:10 /km | 5:02:26 | 7:10 | 35:50 | 1:11:40 | 2:31:12 |
7:15 /km | 5:05:57 | 7:15 | 36:15 | 1:12:30 | 2:32:57 |
7:20 /km | 5:09:28 | 7:20 | 36:40 | 1:13:20 | 2:34:43 |
7:25 /km | 5:12:59 | 7:25 | 37:05 | 1:14:10 | 2:36:28 |
7:30 /km | 5:16:30 | 7:30 | 37:30 | 1:15:00 | 2:38:14 |
7:35 /km | 5:20:01 | 7:35 | 37:55 | 1:15:50 | 2:39:59 |
7:40 /km | 5:23:32 | 7:40 | 38:20 | 1:16:40 | 2:41:45 |
7:45 /km | 5:27:03 | 7:45 | 38:45 | 1:17:30 | 2:43:30 |
7:50 /km | 5:30:34 | 7:50 | 39:10 | 1:18:20 | 2:45:16 |
7:55 /km | 5:34:05 | 7:55 | 39:35 | 1:19:10 | 2:47:01 |
8:00 /km | 5:37:36 | 8:00 | 40:00 | 1:20:00 | 2:48:47 |
FAQ
How do I work out my marathon pace?
Divide your goal time by the marathon distance, 42.195 km. A 4-hour marathon works out to 5:41 per km (9:09 per mile). The marathon pace calculator does this for you and adds 5K-by-5K splits.
What is a good marathon pace?
The average marathon finish time is around 4:20 to 4:30, which is roughly 6:10–6:24 per km (9:55–10:18 per mile). Breaking 4 hours (5:41/km) is a common milestone for recreational runners, and sub-3 (4:15/km) puts you in the top few percent of finishers.
Should I run even or negative splits in a marathon?
Aim for even pace or a slight negative split — running the second half no slower, and ideally 30–90 seconds faster, than the first. Almost every marathon world record has been set with even or negative splits. Starting fast to bank time almost always costs more after 30 km than it saves early.
Why do runners hit the wall at 30 km?
Around 30 km your stored glycogen runs low, and pace that felt comfortable suddenly costs far more effort. The two defences are pacing discipline (don't run the first half faster than goal pace) and fueling early — taking carbohydrate from the first hour, before you feel you need it.
How much slower should I start a marathon?
Run the first 2–3 km about 5–10 seconds per km slower than goal pace while the crowd thins and your body settles. That costs 20–30 seconds total — cheap insurance compared to the minutes lost by going out fast and fading late.