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Marathon Pace Calculator

Calculate running pace, race time, and speed for marathon training and race planning

Calculate Marathon Pace & Time

Distance: 42.195 km

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

Race Results

Pace Analysis

Example Calculation

4-Hour Marathon Goal

Race: Full Marathon (42.195 km)

Goal Time: 4:00:00

Total Seconds: 14,400 seconds

Calculation

Pace = Time ÷ Distance

Pace = 14,400 ÷ 42.195 = 341 seconds

Pace = 5 minutes 41 seconds per km

Required Pace: 5:41 min/km

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Marathon Time Standards

Elite< 2:30
Excellent2:30 - 3:00
Good3:00 - 3:30
Average3:30 - 4:00
Beginner+4:00 - 5:00
Beginner> 5:00

Training Tips

Easy runs should be 1-2 minutes slower per mile than race pace

Tempo runs at 15-30 seconds faster than marathon pace

Long runs should include some miles at goal marathon pace

Practice pacing in training to avoid going out too fast

Negative splits: run second half slightly faster

Understanding Marathon Pace and Speed

What is Marathon Pace?

Marathon pace is the average time it takes to run one kilometer or mile during a marathon. It's expressed in minutes and seconds per unit distance (e.g., 5:41 min/km for a 4-hour marathon).

Pace vs. Speed

  • Pace: Time per unit distance (min/km or min/mile)
  • Speed: Distance per unit time (km/h or mph)
  • Pace is more intuitive for runners planning splits
  • Speed is useful for comparing with other activities

Calculation Formulas

Pace = Total Time ÷ Distance

Time = Pace × Distance

Speed = 60 ÷ Pace (in minutes)

Marathon Training Zones

  • Easy Pace: MP + 1-2 min/mile
  • Marathon Pace (MP): Goal race pace
  • Tempo Pace: MP - 15-30 seconds/mile
  • Interval Pace: MP - 30-60 seconds/mile
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