Free Tool

Marathon Pace Calculator

Enter your goal finish time — marathon, half marathon, 10K, or 5K — and instantly get your target pace, even-split checkpoints, and training zones.

Goal Finish Time
Target Pace
5:41
min/km
Per mile
9:09
min/mile
Even-Split Checkpoint Times
5 km
0:28:26
10 km
0:56:53
21.1 km
2:00:00
30 km
2:50:38
40 km
3:47:31
Finish
4:00:00
Training Pace Zones (per km)
Easy / Recovery
6:50
+20% of RP
Long Run
6:32
+15% of MP
Marathon Pace
5:41
Race pace
Tempo
5:17
−7% of MP

How to Use This Marathon Pace Calculator

Enter your goal finish time in hours, minutes, and seconds. The calculator instantly shows you the average pace you need to maintain per kilometre or mile to achieve that time. Below the main pace, you'll see even-split checkpoint times — the exact clock times you should see at 5 km, 10 km, the half marathon point, 30 km, and 40 km if you're running perfectly even splits.

The training pace zones are calculated relative to your goal marathon pace (MP): easy runs at MP +20%, long runs at MP +15%, and tempo runs at MP −7%. These are the three most important paces to train at during a 16–20 week marathon build.

What Is Marathon Pace?

Marathon pace (MP) is the average speed you need to sustain across 42.195 km (26.2 miles) to hit your goal finish time. It's one of the most important numbers in distance running — your entire marathon training plan is structured around it.

How marathon pace is calculated:

Marathon pace (sec/km) = goal finish time in seconds ÷ 42.195

Quick reference for common marathon targets:

Goal timePace per kmPace per mile
3:00:004:16/km6:52/mi
3:30:004:59/km8:01/mi
4:00:005:41/km9:10/mi
4:30:006:24/km10:19/mi
5:00:007:07/km11:27/mi

Not sure if your goal time is realistic? Use our race time predictor to convert your current 10K or half marathon fitness into a realistic marathon target before calculating your splits.

Marathon Pace Chart — Common Goal Times

Reference table for the most common marathon targets. Paces are calculated for even splits across 42.195 km.

Goal TimePer kmPer mile10K splitHalf split
3:00:004:16 min/km6:52 min/mi42:391:30:00
3:15:004:37 min/km7:27 min/mi46:131:37:30
3:30:004:59 min/km8:01 min/mi49:461:45:00
3:45:005:20 min/km8:36 min/mi53:191:52:30
4:00:005:41 min/km9:10 min/mi56:532:00:00
4:15:006:03 min/km9:44 min/mi1:00:262:07:30
4:30:006:24 min/km10:19 min/mi1:03:592:15:00
4:45:006:46 min/km10:53 min/mi1:07:332:22:30
5:00:007:07 min/km11:27 min/mi1:11:062:30:00
5:30:007:49 min/km12:36 min/mi1:18:122:45:00
6:00:008:32 min/km13:44 min/mi1:25:193:00:00

Even Splits vs. Negative Splits

The calculator shows even-split times — running the exact same pace from start to finish. Most coaches recommend negative splits in practice: running the second half 1–3 minutes faster than the first. Starting too fast burns through glycogen reserves before km 30. A practical negative split strategy for a 4-hour goal:

Training Paces Explained

An effective marathon training plan uses three core paces anchored to your marathon goal pace (MP):

For a full 16–20 week plan built around these paces, see our marathon training guide. For adaptive coaching that adjusts targets as fitness improves, see how an AI running coach works.

Common Marathon Pacing Mistakes

  1. Going out too fast in the first 10 km. Aim to run the first 5 km 20–30 seconds per km slower than goal pace.
  2. Skipping nutrition until you feel depleted. Start fuelling at km 15 and take a gel every 45 minutes. See our marathon nutrition guide.
  3. Running long runs too fast. Your long run pace should be 15–20% slower than marathon goal pace — roughly 50–80 seconds per km slower depending on your target time. The training zone calculator above shows your exact long run pace.
  4. Ignoring weather adjustments. For every 5°C above 15°C, expect your comfortable pace to slow by 6–8 seconds per km.

What to do next with your marathon pace

Your marathon pace is the starting point. Here's the logical path from pace to race:

  1. Race Time Predictor — if you're not certain your goal time is realistic, plug in a recent 10K or half marathon to get a data-based marathon estimate first
  2. 16–20 Week Marathon Training Plan — a periodised plan structured around the training zones your pace calculator just produced
  3. AI Marathon Coach — adapts the plan every week based on your actual runs, missed sessions, and wearable data; answers training questions 24/7 using your specific pace targets

Related Running Tools

Frequently Asked Questions

Marathon pace is the average speed you need to maintain across 42.195 km (26.2 miles) to hit your goal finish time. For example, a 4-hour marathon requires an average pace of 5:41 per km (9:09 per mile). Most coaches recommend training at various intensities relative to your goal marathon pace.
Research consistently shows that negative splits — running the second half slightly faster than the first — produce the best results for most recreational runners. Aim to run the first half 1–2 minutes slower than your goal half-marathon pace, then progressively speed up from km 30 onwards. Even splits are also valid; avoid positive splits (going out too fast) at all costs.
This calculator gives you the theoretical even-split pace based on your goal time. Real race performance is affected by course elevation, weather, nutrition, pacing strategy, and your fitness on race day. Use this as your starting target, then adjust based on conditions.
Your long run pace should be approximately 15–20% slower than your goal marathon pace — which in practice works out to roughly 50–80 seconds per km slower depending on your target time. For a 5:41/km goal (4:00 marathon), that means long runs at around 6:32–6:49/km. This builds aerobic endurance and fat adaptation without excessive fatigue. Running long runs at marathon pace or faster is one of the most common marathon training mistakes.
The wall (glycogen depletion) typically hits between km 30–35. To avoid it: (1) start slower than goal pace for the first 5 km; (2) take gels every 45 minutes from km 15 onwards; (3) hydrate at every station; (4) do not run faster than marathon pace in the first half. An AI coach like PacecraftAI can build a personalised race-day pacing strategy based on your training.
A 4-hour marathon requires an average pace of 5:41 per km (9:10 per mile). Your even-split half marathon checkpoint is exactly 2:00:00. During training, run easy sessions at ~6:49/km, long runs at ~6:33/km, and tempo sessions at ~5:17/km. A recent half marathon around 1:54–1:58 is a good fitness indicator.

Want a personalised marathon training plan?

PacecraftAI builds an adaptive 16–20 week marathon plan around your goal time, adjusts it every week, and coaches you 24/7 — including race-day pacing strategy.

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