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Hit your goal time
A precise pace target broken into mile splits beats running by feel. Your watch keeps you honest.
⚡ Free Marathon Pace Chart
Find your marathon pace in seconds
Every per-mile split from sub-2:00 to 7:00. Filter by goal, click any pace to see your full mile-by-mile pace band, then add heat, hills and altitude for a realistic race day target.
No sign-up · No subscription · Print-ready pace band
Per-mile splits
Per-km splits
5K · 10K · 10mi · HM
BQ benchmarks
Heat / hills / altitude
Negative-split planner
Calculator
Set a goal — see your splits instantly
Enter any goal finish time. Required pace per mile and kilometer, speed, and halfway split update as you type. Add Race Day Adjustments below for heat, hills, or altitude.
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:
Pace
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per mile
Pace
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per km
Speed
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mph
Halfway
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13.1 miles
🌡️ Race Day Adjustments — heat · hills · altitude
Open ↓Ideal conditions — no adjustment needed.
Why pace matters
Pacing decides the marathon
It's not just a number. It's the anchor for every decision you make from mile 1 to mile 26.
🧠
Avoid the wall
Going out 10–15 sec/mile too fast costs you minutes after mile 20. The chart shows the limit.
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Pace bands, ready
Click any row to see every mile target. Print it as a wristband for race morning.
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Race day reality
Heat, hills and altitude all slow you down. The adjustments turn ambition into a realistic target.
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BQ benchmarks
Boston-qualifying paces highlighted so you can see exactly what 3:00 or 3:30 demands.
⚡
Negative splits
Run the second half slightly faster than the first — the proven way to PR.
How to use it
Three steps to your race-day plan
From a vague goal to a printable pace band — in under a minute.
1
Set your goal time
Enter your target finish in the calculator above. Pace per mile, per km, speed and halfway split update as you type. If you're not sure what's realistic, browse the chart below by tier — Sub-4, BQ, Sub-3 — and pick the row that matches your recent training.
2
Adjust for race day reality
Open Race Day Adjustments and dial in the actual conditions: temperature, elevation gain, course altitude. Boston is hilly; Chicago is flat; Big Sur sits at sea level on a coastal road. The adjustment shows you the realistic finish time — and the pace you need to actually hit on race morning.
3
Print your pace band
Click any row in the chart to lock in that goal. The Goal Panel reveals all 26 mile splits + the finish — your pace band. Save the screenshot, print it as a wristband, or program your GPS watch. No memorizing under marathon stress.
The Chart
The interactive pace chart
Every 5-second-per-mile increment from sub-2:00 to 7:00. Click any row to lock that goal and see a full mile-by-mile breakdown below.
| Pace / mile | 5K | 10K | 10 mi | Half marathon | Marathon |
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Elite (sub-2:30)
Boston qualifier
Sub-3:00
Sub-4:00
Sub-5:00 / Beginner
Selected goal time
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Pace / mile
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Pace / km
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Speed
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Halfway split
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Mile-by-mile splits — your pace band
Levels
What's a good marathon time?
Marathon finish times span a huge range. Here's how runners typically sort by experience and weekly volume — find your level and the pace it represents.
Beginner
5:30 – 6:30 · 12:35–14:50/mi
First marathon, ~20–30 miles per week, focused on finishing. Run-walk strategies common. Goal: cross the line strong.
Recreational
4:30 – 5:30 · 10:18–12:35/mi
2nd–3rd marathon, ~30–40 mi/week, beginning structured training. Easy + tempo + one long run.
Competitive amateur
3:30 – 4:30 · 8:01–10:18/mi
40–55 mi/week, periodized training. Threshold workouts, marathon-pace long runs, real taper. Sub-4 in sight.
BQ / Sub-3 runner
2:50 – 3:30 · 6:30–8:01/mi
55–70 mi/week, 16–20 week build-ups. VO₂ work, race-specific tempos, double days. Boston is the goal.
Elite recreational
Sub 2:50 · Sub 6:30/mi
70+ mi/week, multi-block periodization, coached training. Top 5% of recreational runners worldwide.
Free with WattRun
For every level
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Frequently asked questions
What pace do I need for a 4-hour marathon?
A 4:00 marathon requires 9:09 per mile (5:41 per km). Splits: 5K in 28:25, 10K in 56:50, half marathon in 1:59:30. The chart above shows every split — click the 9:10/mile row to highlight it.
What is a Boston-qualifying (BQ) marathon pace?
Boston qualifying times depend on age and gender. The most commonly cited standard is 3:00 for open men (6:52 per mile) and 3:30 for open women (8:01 per mile). The cutoff trend means runners typically need 5–7 minutes under the official standard to actually get in.
How do I run negative splits in a marathon?
Run the second half slightly faster than the first. For a 4:00 goal, aim for 2:01–2:02 first half and 1:58–1:59 second half — about 30–60 seconds slower in the first 13.1 miles. Most marathon world records were set this way.
How much should I slow down for heat, hills, or altitude?
Roughly: add 10–20 seconds per mile for a hilly course like Boston or NYC, 15–30 seconds per mile when temperatures exceed 70°F (21°C), and 5–10 seconds per mile above 3,000 feet of altitude. The Race Day Adjustments above let you stack all three.
How accurate are marathon pace charts?
Charts assume perfectly even splits and flat terrain at sea level in cool weather. Actual times depend on training, fueling, pacing, and course profile. Use the chart to set your goal and splits, but expect to slow 2–5 percent in the final 6 miles even with perfect pacing.
Should I use a pace band on race day?
Yes. Click any row in the chart to see the full mile-by-mile splits for that goal, then print them as a wristband. GPS watches can also be programmed with target paces. Avoid relying on memory under marathon-day stress.
Can the chart predict my marathon time from a half marathon?
Find your half marathon time in the chart and read across to the marathon column. As a rule of thumb, multiply your half time by 2.1–2.2 for a realistic first-marathon goal. For more precise predictions using the Riegel formula, use a dedicated race predictor.
What is the world record marathon pace?
Men's: 2:00:35 (Kelvin Kiptum, Chicago 2023) = 4:36 per mile. Women's: 2:09:56 (Ruth Chepngetich, Chicago 2024) = 4:57 per mile. Elite recreational runners typically race 5:30–6:30 per mile.
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