Pacing guide
42.2km · 26.2 miles · The ultimate test of endurance and pacing discipline.
Choose your goal time below to get a personalized pace plan and printable wristband.
Build a custom plan →Sub 3 Hour Marathon
Breaking 3 hours puts you in the top 3% of marathon finishers globally. At 4:16/km you have almost no margin for error. Negative splits are strongly recommended — most runners who go out at goal pace blow up after km 30.
Sub 3:30 Marathon
Sub 3:30 means running 4:58/km for 42.2km — a serious competitive goal achieved by roughly the top 10% of finishers. Consistent pacing and nutrition are the difference between hitting the goal and falling apart in the final 10km.
Sub 4 Hour Marathon
Sub 4 hours is the most popular marathon goal in the world — and one of the most common DNFs. At 5:41/km it feels very comfortable early on, which is exactly the trap. Nearly 40% of runners targeting sub-4 miss it because they go out too fast in the first half.
Sub 4:30 Marathon
Sub 4:30 is a fantastic goal for runners completing their second or third marathon. At 6:23/km the pace is manageable but the distance is not — the final 10km will test you regardless of fitness level.
Sub 5 Hour Marathon
Sub 5 hours means finishing ahead of the majority of first-time marathon runners. At 7:06/km there's enough time to manage the distance well — the key is not starting too fast and keeping moving in the final quarter.
Sub 3:15 Marathon
Sub 3:15 (4:37/km) is an excellent club-level marathon time — top 5% of finishers globally. It sits in the sweet spot between pure speed work and endurance, requiring both consistent base training and disciplined race-day execution.
Sub 3:45 Marathon
Sub 3:45 (5:19/km) is a strong recreational marathon goal — typically achievable for runners who can comfortably run a sub-1:50 half marathon. The pace feels very manageable early on, which is the main danger.
Don't see your goal time?
The planner supports any goal time — enter your exact target and get a fully personalized plan.
Enter a custom goal time →A marathon pace plan is one of the most valuable tools you can carry on race day. Running 42.2km at an even effort requires knowing your exact split times at every checkpoint — not just your average pace. The plans below give you a free downloadable pace wristband for each goal time, so you can glance at your wrist at every marker and know exactly where you stand.
For most recreational runners, a good marathon pace is between 5:00/km (3:31 finish) and 7:00/km (4:55 finish). Elite runners target sub-4:15/km. The right pace for you is one you can sustain for 42.2km without blowing up.
Most coaches recommend even splits or a mild negative split (running the second half 1–3% faster than the first). Positive splitting — going out fast and slowing down — is the most common reason runners miss their goal time.
Print your pace wristband and tape it to your non-watch wrist. At each km marker, check the race clock against the time shown on your band. If you're ahead, ease off slightly. If you're behind, don't panic — the goal is even effort, not even clock time.