3:30 Marathon Pace

8:01 per mile · 4:59 per km

Finish 3:30:00 at an even pace: halfway in 1:45:00, 20 miles in 2:40:11.

To finish under 3:30:00, hold 8:00 per mile or faster (3:29:45). For a margin, 7:56 per mile finishes in 3:28:00.

Mile splits for a 3:30:00 marathon

Clock time at each mile marker. Even pace is 8:01 every mile; the 2% negative split runs 8:05 per mile to halfway (1:46:04) and 7:56 per mile after.

3:30:00 marathon: elapsed time at each mile
MileEven pace2% negative split
18:018:05
216:0116:11
324:0224:16
432:0232:22
540:0340:27
648:0348:33
756:0456:38
81:04:051:04:43
91:12:051:12:49
101:20:061:20:54
111:28:061:29:00
121:36:071:37:05
131:44:071:45:11
141:52:081:53:07
152:00:092:01:03
162:08:092:08:59
172:16:102:16:54
182:24:102:24:50
192:32:112:32:46
202:40:112:40:42
212:48:122:48:37
222:56:132:56:33
233:04:133:04:29
243:12:143:12:24
253:20:143:20:20
263:28:153:28:16
26.23:30:003:30:00

Kilometer splits

Every 5K, halfway and the finish. Even pace is 4:59 per km; the negative split runs 5:02 then 4:56 per km.

3:30:00 marathon: elapsed time every 5K
MarkerEven pace2% negative split
5K24:5325:08
10K49:4650:16
15K1:14:391:15:24
20K1:39:321:40:33
Half1:45:001:46:04
25K2:04:252:05:17
30K2:29:182:29:55
35K2:54:112:54:33
40K3:19:053:19:11
Finish (42.2)3:30:003:30:00

Other goals: 3:00:00 · 3:45:00 · 4:00:00 · 4:30:00 · 5:00:00

Use this next

A 3:30 marathon is 8:01 per mile, or 4:59 per kilometer, held for 26.2 miles: halfway in 1:45:00, 20 miles in 2:40:11 and 30K in 2:29:18.

For this goal the rounding works against you. The exact pace is 8:00.6 per mile, which a chart rounds up to 8:01, and holding 8:01 all the way finishes in 3:30:11, just over. To break 3:30 you need 8:00 per mile (3:29:45) or faster; 7:56 per mile gives 3:28:00. Kilometers have the same trap: 4:59 per km finishes in 3:30:16, and 4:58 per km in 3:29:34.

The tables give the clock time at each marker for an even pace and for a 2% negative split. The negative-split plan starts at 8:05 per mile, passes halfway in 1:46:04, and then needs 7:56 per mile for the second half: the same pace that would bring an even runner home in 3:28:00, now asked of tired legs. If that sounds like too much, the even plan at 8:00 per mile is simpler to follow.

Before you commit to the goal, compare it with a recent race. Riegel's formula, which the race predictor and the marathon time calculator use, puts a 3:30:00 marathon level with a 1:40:43 half marathon and a 45:39 10K. It is a prediction for a runner trained for the marathon distance, not a guarantee.

Check yourself against the course markers rather than a GPS watch, which usually reads a little long because courses are measured along the shortest possible route. At 8:01 per mile, every extra tenth of a mile on your watch is about 0:48 of running.

Frequently asked questions

What pace per km is a 3:30 marathon?

4:59 per kilometer, rounded. Held exactly, 4:59 per km finishes in 3:30:16, so to break 3:30 run 4:58 per km or faster (3:29:34).

Is 8:00 per mile fast enough for a 3:30 marathon?

Yes, just. 8:00 per mile finishes in 3:29:45. 8:01 per mile, the rounded 3:30 pace, finishes in 3:30:11.

What half marathon time is level with a 3:30 marathon?

About 1:40:43 by Riegel's formula. The marathon time calculator works it the other way, from your half marathon time to a marathon prediction.

What is a 3:30 marathon 10K split?

49:46 at an even pace. With a 2% negative split, 10K comes at 50:16.