A goal finish time only becomes useful once you turn it into a number you can check on your watch every mile: your goal pace. The tables below do that conversion both ways — pick a finish time and read off the pace, or start from a pace you already know you can hold and see what it's worth over 13.1 or 26.2 miles.
Every number here comes from simple arithmetic — total time divided by distance — so it holds regardless of your fitness level, age or experience. What it can't tell you is whether a given pace is realistic for you on race day. That comes from your training, not the chart.
How to read a marathon or half marathon pace chart
Start with the finish time you want, then read across to the matching pace per mile or pace per kilometer. If your watch is set to kilometers, use the kilometer column; if your race markers and training log are in miles, use the mile column. The chart assumes the standard distances of 26.2 miles for a marathon and 13.1 miles for a half marathon, with no stops or walking breaks.
- Use the closest row rather than pretending your goal has to land on a round half-hour or five-minute mark.
- For a course with hills, wind, heat, or congestion, treat the chart as an average target—not a promise that every mile will match.
- If your realistic goal falls between rows, use the pace calculator in RaceRove for the exact time, distance, or pace conversion.
- Build your race plan around effort and split discipline; a pace chart cannot replace a recent race result or a long-run rehearsal.
Marathon pace chart
Pace needed to finish a full marathon (26.2 miles / 42.195 km) in each goal time, assuming even pacing from start to finish.
| Goal finish time | Pace per mile | Pace per kilometer |
|---|---|---|
| 3:00:00 | 6:52/mi | 4:16/km |
| 3:15:00 | 7:27/mi | 4:37/km |
| 3:30:00 | 8:01/mi | 4:59/km |
| 3:45:00 | 8:35/mi | 5:20/km |
| 4:00:00 | 9:10/mi | 5:41/km |
| 4:15:00 | 9:44/mi | 6:03/km |
| 4:30:00 | 10:18/mi | 6:24/km |
| 4:45:00 | 10:53/mi | 6:45/km |
| 5:00:00 | 11:27/mi | 7:07/km |
| 5:30:00 | 12:36/mi | 7:49/km |
| 6:00:00 | 13:44/mi | 8:32/km |
Half marathon pace chart
The same conversion for the half marathon distance (13.1 miles / 21.1 km). Notice that a given per-mile pace always means a half marathon time exactly half of the matching marathon time above — the arithmetic is the same, just over half the distance.
| Goal finish time | Pace per mile | Pace per kilometer |
|---|---|---|
| 1:30:00 | 6:52/mi | 4:16/km |
| 1:35:00 | 7:15/mi | 4:30/km |
| 1:40:00 | 7:38/mi | 4:44/km |
| 1:45:00 | 8:01/mi | 4:59/km |
| 1:50:00 | 8:24/mi | 5:13/km |
| 2:00:00 | 9:10/mi | 5:41/km |
| 2:10:00 | 9:55/mi | 6:10/km |
| 2:20:00 | 10:41/mi | 6:38/km |
| 2:30:00 | 11:27/mi | 7:07/km |
| 2:45:00 | 12:36/mi | 7:49/km |
| 3:00:00 | 13:44/mi | 8:32/km |
Already know your pace? Convert it to a finish time
If training runs tell you a pace you can hold, but not what it's worth on race day, work it the other direction.
| Training pace per mile | Marathon finish time | Half marathon finish time |
|---|---|---|
| 6:30/mi | 2:50:18 | 1:25:09 |
| 7:00/mi | 3:03:24 | 1:31:42 |
| 7:30/mi | 3:16:30 | 1:38:15 |
| 8:00/mi | 3:29:36 | 1:44:48 |
| 8:30/mi | 3:42:42 | 1:51:21 |
| 9:00/mi | 3:55:48 | 1:57:54 |
| 9:30/mi | 4:08:54 | 2:04:27 |
| 10:00/mi | 4:22:00 | 2:11:00 |
| 10:30/mi | 4:35:06 | 2:17:33 |
| 11:00/mi | 4:48:12 | 2:24:06 |
| 12:00/mi | 5:14:24 | 2:37:12 |
These are arithmetic projections, not predictions: holding the listed pace continuously produces the listed finish time. A comfortable training pace does not convert directly into a safe race goal, and there is no universal seconds-per-mile offset between easy pace and marathon pace. Use a recent race result, a training-plan workout, and your coach's guidance (if you have one) to decide what effort is realistic.
What the average pace looks like at race checkpoints
A pace chart gives the average; a split plan turns it into checkpoints. The examples below use even pace and rounded elapsed times. Real courses have tangents, aid stations, hills, and crowds, so do not panic over a few seconds at an individual marker.
| Goal | 5K | 10K | Halfway | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marathon 4:00 | 28:30 | 56:59 | 2:00:00 | 4:00:00 |
| Marathon 4:30 | 32:04 | 1:04:07 | 2:15:00 | 4:30:00 |
| Half marathon 2:00 | 28:30 | 56:59 | 1:00:00 | 2:00:00 |
| Half marathon 2:30 | 35:37 | 1:11:14 | 1:15:00 | 2:30:00 |
These are elapsed-time checkpoints from the start, not the time shown on your watch if you crossed the start line after the gun. Use chip time when available, and remember that a half-marathon marker is 13.109 miles while a marathon is 26.219 miles; official mile markers and course timing mats are better references than GPS distance alone.
Even pacing versus a negative split
The tables assume a flat, even pace, but race-day plans can distribute effort differently. A conservative start followed by a gradual build is one option; even effort on a hilly course may mean slower uphill splits and quicker downhill splits. A negative split means the second half is faster than the first—it is a strategy, not a requirement or a guarantee of a better result. Choose a plan you have practiced, and avoid trying to bank time early.
GPS watches add their own wrinkle: satellite drift, tunnels, tall buildings and tight turns all make a watch's live pace reading jump around, and a watch's total distance for a certified course is rarely exactly 26.2 or 13.1 miles. Trust mile markers and your overall split more than a single live pace number, especially in the first mile or two before the signal settles.
- The first miles can feel unusually easy because of adrenaline; keep effort controlled instead of accelerating to reach goal pace immediately.
- On hills, adjust effort rather than forcing the flat-course split. A downhill does not always repay the time lost uphill, especially if you push too hard.
- Heat, humidity, wind, and sun affect runners differently. Check the forecast and use an effort-based adjustment; a fixed seconds-per-mile penalty is not reliable for everyone.
- A late-race fade can have several causes—including pacing, fueling, weather, or fitness. Review the full training and race context rather than assuming one explanation.
Practice the pace before you race it
A goal pace that's never been rehearsed is a guess. If your plan includes it and you are recovering well, practice controlled goal-pace segments in workouts or long runs, with easy running around them. Follow your plan's progression rather than adding a hard session or extending a workout simply to prove you can hit the number. The purpose is to learn how the effort feels—not to race a training run.
The course matters as much as the training. Choose one that plays to your goal pace — a flat, certified course makes it far easier to hold a number than one with real hills, since even a strong runner loses time on a climb faster than they can make it back on the descent. Search marathons and half marathons and filter by course profile to find one, or start from the full list of states.
Flat, fast courses aren't spread evenly across the country. Browse marathon and half marathon listings state by state — New York, Illinois and Florida are a reasonable place to start — and read each course's own profile notes before you build a goal pace around it.
Putting the chart to use
- Pick a goal finish time you can defend with your recent training, not just a round number you like.
- Find its per-mile pace in the chart above.
- Rehearse that pace — not a faster one — in your long runs over the final training weeks.
- Plan to run the first couple of miles a touch slower than goal pace, then settle in.
- Choose a flat, certified course for race day, so the pace you trained is the pace the course lets you run.