Enter your goal finish time (hours, minutes, seconds) and unit preference (miles or kilometers) to find the exact pace per mile/km you need to run a marathon. Your results include required pace, split times at key distances, and a full mile-by-mile breakdown so you can plan your race strategy.
Required Pace
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Goal Finish Time
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Half Marathon Split
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Pace per Kilometer
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Pace per Mile
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Average Speed
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A marathon pace calculator tells you the exact per-mile or per-kilometer pace you need to maintain in order to finish a marathon in your target time. You enter your goal finish time, and the calculator divides the total marathon distance (26.2 miles / 42.195 km) to give you a required pace and split schedule.
Pace is expressed as the time it takes to cover one unit of distance — for example, 9:09 per mile. For a marathon, multiply your pace by 26.2 (miles) or 42.195 (km) to get your total finish time. Maintaining a consistent pace is typically more efficient than going out fast and slowing down later.
To finish a marathon in exactly 4 hours, you need to run at approximately 9:09 per mile or 5:41 per kilometer. Your half marathon split should land around 1:59:57 to stay on target.
For most beginners, finishing a marathon in under 5 hours (a pace of about 11:27/mile or 7:06/km) is considered a solid achievement. Elite amateur runners often target sub-3:30 (8:00/mile), while competitive runners aim for sub-3:00 (6:52/mile).
Even pacing — running each mile at the same speed — is the most reliable strategy for most runners. Negative splits (running the second half slightly faster than the first) can be effective for experienced runners. Going out too fast in the first half is the most common mistake and often leads to a dramatic slowdown after mile 18–20.
A marathon pace chart lists your pace per mile or km in one column and the corresponding finish time across race distances. Find your goal finish time, trace back to the required pace, and use that figure for each mile of your race. Our split table shows you the cumulative elapsed time at every mile marker.
The half marathon split (around mile 13.1) is a key checkpoint that tells you whether you're on pace for your goal finish time. Ideally your half split should be exactly half your goal time. If you reach the halfway mark too fast, you risk burning out; too slow and you'll need to make up significant time in the harder back half.
This calculator is optimized for the full marathon (26.2 miles / 42.195 km), but the split table includes key checkpoint distances like 5K, 10K, and half marathon so you can cross-reference your training race times against your marathon goal pace.