Marathon Pace Chart
Turn your goal marathon finish time into the exact pace per mile and km, plus a full 5K split chart to follow on race day.
9:09
min / mile
5:41
min / km
Split Chart (even pacing)
| Checkpoint | Cumulative Time |
|---|---|
| 5 km | 28:26 |
| 10 km | 56:53 |
| 15 km | 1:25:19 |
| 20 km | 1:53:45 |
| Half (21.1 km) | 2:00:00 |
| 25 km | 2:22:12 |
| 30 km | 2:50:38 |
| 35 km | 3:19:05 |
| 40 km | 3:47:31 |
| Finish (42.195 km) | 4:00:00 |
Note: This chart assumes even pacing across the full 42.195 km. Real races vary with terrain, weather, and fatigue. Many runners aim for a slightly negative split to finish strong.
Get Weekly Training Tips
Join our newsletter for expert insights, training advice, and performance tips delivered to your inbox.
No spam, unsubscribe anytime. We respect your privacy.
About the Marathon Pace Chart
Learn more about the calculator and its creator
Jonas
I have been a runner for over 10 years and I built this calculator to help runners like you and me with training and racing.
A marathon pace chart turns a single goal — your target finish time — into the steady pace you must hold across all 42.195 km (26.2 miles), plus a checkpoint-by-checkpoint table you can read off your watch on race day. Instead of doing mental math at 30 km while your legs burn, you glance at the chart and know instantly whether you are on, ahead of, or behind schedule.
How the Required Pace Is Found
The maths is simple division. Your required pace is your goal time divided by the marathon distance:
Pace (per mile) = Goal time ÷ 26.2188
A 4:00:00 marathon is 14,400 seconds. Divided by 42.195 km that is roughly 341 s/km = 5:41 per km, or about 9:09 per mile. Every 5 km checkpoint is then just that pace multiplied by the distance covered.
Goal Time to Pace Reference
| Goal Finish | Pace /km | Pace /mile | Halfway |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3:00:00 | 4:16 | 6:52 | 1:30:00 |
| 3:30:00 | 4:59 | 8:01 | 1:45:00 |
| 4:00:00 | 5:41 | 9:09 | 2:00:00 |
| 4:30:00 | 6:24 | 10:18 | 2:15:00 |
| 5:00:00 | 7:07 | 11:27 | 2:30:00 |
Reading the Split Table
The chart lists the cumulative clock time you should see as you cross each 5 km marker, the halfway point, and the finish. If you reach 25 km a minute ahead of the chart, you have banked time — but in the marathon, going out too fast almost always backfires in the closing 10 km.
- 0–10 km: aim to be right on pace or a few seconds slow. The effort should feel easy.
- Halfway: exactly half your goal time is the gold standard for even pacing.
- 30 km onward: this is where the race is won or lost; staying on chart pace here takes the deepest fitness.
Even Pacing vs. the Real World
An even-pace chart is the ideal, but courses are rarely flat. On hilly courses, plan to run hills by effort rather than pace and make up small differences on descents. Heat, wind, and crowded start corrals also cost time, so build a little buffer into your early splits rather than chasing the chart from the gun.
Note: This pace chart is a planning and training aid, not a guarantee of performance. Your real finish time depends on training, fueling, weather, terrain, and pacing discipline. Consult a coach or healthcare professional before undertaking marathon training.
Frequently Asked Questions
Divide your goal finish time by the marathon distance. For a 4:00:00 goal, 14,400 seconds ÷ 42.195 km ≈ 5:41 per km, or about 9:09 per mile.
Even pacing is the safest foundation; a slight negative split (1–3%) is ideal. Going out too fast almost always costs more time in the final 10K than it saved.
A 4:00:00 marathon requires roughly 5:41 per km or 9:09 per mile, with a 2:00:00 halfway split.
How do I calculate marathon pace?
Should I run even or negative splits in a marathon?
What pace is a 4-hour marathon?
Related Calculators
Other helpful calculators for Running
Marathon Pace Calculator
Calculate the pace you need to run a marathon based on your goal time.
Running Pace Calculator
Our easy-to-use running pace calculator helps you estimate your pace based on your training and fitness level.
Pace Chart
Enter any running pace and instantly see the finish times it produces for 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon.
Marathon Split Calculator
Break your goal marathon time into even or negative km/mile splits with a full per-unit split table.
Negative Split Calculator
Plan a negative split by setting your goal time, distance, and split percentage to get first-half and second-half targets.