Goal-by-goal breakdownsMarathon pace chart breakdowns by goal time
The table gives you the splits. These breakdowns give you the context: who runs each time, what training supports it, and the most common pacing trap at each goal. Jump to your goal, then come back to the calculator above for your exact target.
5:43 / mile · 3:33 / km2:30 marathon pace chart
Who targets it: Elite and sub-elite marathoners. A 2:30 marathon sits below the threshold most age-group winners need at major US marathons.
A 2:30 marathon is 5:43 per mile or 3:33 per kilometer, held for 26.2 miles without a slowdown. The training that supports it usually means 90+ weekly miles for years, two quality sessions per week, and a long history of sub-1:15 half marathons. At KenyanRunning, a runner at this level is calibrating, not building; the goal is execution discipline, not new fitness. Most blowups at this goal come from going out 6 to 8 seconds too fast through halfway.
Half split target: 1:15:00. Sub-3 marathon coaching →
6:18 / mile · 3:55 / km2:45 marathon pace chart
Who targets it: Sub-elite male marathoners and elite female marathoners. A 2:45 marathon is a Boston-qualifying time for nearly every age group and a podium pace at many regional marathons.
A 2:45 marathon runs at 6:18 per mile or 3:55 per kilometer. Holding this pace requires a sub-1:23 half marathon ability with the aerobic endurance to repeat it. Most runners chasing 2:45 are coming from a 2:50 to 3:00 baseline and need help with the last 10K, where the gap between sub-2:50 and 2:45 is decided. Pacing the first half at 1:22:00 to 1:22:30 is the most reliable execution pattern; faster than that and the back half collapses.
Half split target: 1:22:30. Sub-3 marathon coaching →
6:52 / mile · 4:16 / km3:00 marathon pace chart
Who targets it: Sub-3 is a benchmark Boston qualifier for younger male age groups (18 to 34 BQ minus 10 minutes) and a strong open-class time for women.
A 3:00 marathon is 6:52 per mile or 4:16 per kilometer. Breaking three hours typically requires 60 to 80 weekly miles with one long run over 20 miles, threshold workouts in the 4:00 to 4:10/km range, and at least one marathon-pace session most weeks of the build. The wall at 35K is real and is usually a pacing problem, not a fitness problem: runners who go through halfway in 1:28:30 instead of 1:30:00 are the ones who collapse. Our coaches build the second-half discipline before they build the speed.
Half split target: 1:30:00. Sub-3 marathon coaching →
7:26 / mile · 4:37 / km3:15 marathon pace chart
Who targets it: Boston-qualifying time for most male age groups and a competitive open-class time for women.
A 3:15 marathon is 7:26 per mile or 4:37 per kilometer. Most runners at this level have a sub-1:30 half marathon and 50 to 65 weekly miles, but the failure mode is consistently late-race fade rather than insufficient fitness. The training fix is more time at goal marathon pace (3 to 8 miles per week at 7:25-ish), not more total volume. Pace the first half conservatively at 1:37:30 or slightly slower; the cost of going out at 1:35 is a 3:20+ finish.
Half split target: 1:37:30. BQ-focused coaching →
8:01 / mile · 4:59 / km3:30 marathon pace chart
Who targets it: A common Boston-qualifying time for women and a strong recreational target for men. Holds across most age-group BQ standards.
A 3:30 marathon is 8:01 per mile or 4:59 per kilometer, close to a clean 5:00/km pace. Runners targeting 3:30 usually have a 1:35 to 1:40 half marathon and weekly mileage between 40 and 55 miles. The biggest training mistake at this goal is running easy days at moderate effort, which leaves no recovery budget for marathon-pace work later in the block. Aim for a 1:45:00 half split and resist surging when the pack pulls away in the first 5K.
Half split target: 1:45:00. Sub-3:30 coaching →
8:35 / mile · 5:20 / km3:45 marathon pace chart
Who targets it: Mid-pack open-class marathoners and BQ-qualifying time for some older age groups.
A 3:45 marathon is 8:35 per mile or 5:20 per kilometer. This is the time band where weekly mileage matters most: runners stuck at 3:50 to 3:55 are usually under 35 miles per week, while breakthroughs to 3:45 almost always come with a sustained 45 to 50 mile-per-week period. Long runs should reach 20 miles at least three times in the build. Half split target: 1:52:30, with the second half ideally even or 30 seconds slower.
Half split target: 1:52:30. Sub-3:30 coaching →
9:09 / mile · 5:41 / km4:00 marathon pace chart
Who targets it: Recreational marathoner benchmark. Breaking 4:00 is the most popular sub-X goal in adult amateur road running.
A 4:00 marathon is 9:09 per mile or 5:41 per kilometer. Most first-time sub-4 runners come from a 1:50 to 1:55 half marathon background with 30 to 45 weekly miles. The biggest pacing trap: starting the first 5K at exactly 9:09/mile. Go through 5K at 9:25 to 9:30 instead, settle into 9:10 in the middle 15 miles, and hold the line. A 2:00:00 half split with a 2:00:00 second half is the model. Our coaches build the patience first, then the pace.
Half split target: 2:00:00. Sub-4 marathon coaching →
9:44 / mile · 6:03 / km4:15 marathon pace chart
Who targets it: First-marathon target for committed beginners and a steady recreational pace for experienced runners.
A 4:15 marathon is 9:44 per mile or 6:03 per kilometer. This is a realistic first-marathon goal for runners with a 2:00 to 2:05 half marathon and 25 to 35 weekly miles. The training emphasis at this level should be aerobic volume and one long run progressing past 18 miles, not speedwork. Pace the first half at 2:07:30 or even slightly slower; experienced first-marathoners often find their best execution when the second half is 1 to 2 minutes faster than the first.
Half split target: 2:07:30. First-marathon coaching →
10:18 / mile · 6:24 / km4:30 marathon pace chart
Who targets it: Common finish time for first-time marathoners and a comfortable target for runners coming back to the marathon distance.
A 4:30 marathon is 10:18 per mile or 6:24 per kilometer. This pace is sustainable for runners with a 2:10 to 2:15 half marathon and as little as 25 weekly miles, provided the long run progresses to 18 to 20 miles. The most common failure mode at this goal is not pace, but fueling: runners who skip carbohydrate intake before mile 14 routinely lose 5 to 10 minutes in the back half. A 2:15:00 half split with steady fueling is more reliable than a faster opening.
Half split target: 2:15:00. First-marathon coaching →
10:52 / mile · 6:45 / km4:45 marathon pace chart
Who targets it: Finish-line-focused marathoners, including charity-team runners and athletes building up from the half marathon.
A 4:45 marathon is 10:52 per mile or 6:45 per kilometer. At this pace the marathon becomes more of a fueling-and-stamina event than a pacing event. Most runners finishing in the 4:30 to 4:50 band have 20 to 30 weekly miles and a long run that has reached at least 16 miles three times. Walk breaks at every aid station (10 to 30 seconds) often produce a faster finish than running through them. Half split: 2:22:30 with consistent walk-break discipline.
Half split target: 2:22:30. First-marathon coaching →
11:27 / mile · 7:07 / km5:00 marathon pace chart
Who targets it: Walk-run marathoners and runners whose primary goal is finishing comfortably and uninjured.
A 5:00 marathon is 11:27 per mile or 7:07 per kilometer. This is a deliberately conservative target that prioritizes a strong finish over a fast time. Most runners at this pace use a structured run-walk approach (such as 3 minutes running, 1 minute walking) and find the back half feels almost identical to the front half, which is exactly the point. Half split: 2:30:00, but the strategy matters more than the split. A negative split here is normal, not heroic.
Half split target: 2:30:00. First-marathon coaching →
