3 Hour Marathon Pace

6:52 per mile · 4:16 per km

Finish 3:00:00 at an even pace: halfway in 1:30:00, 20 miles in 2:17:18.

To finish under 3:00:00, hold 6:51 per mile or faster (2:59:36). For a margin, 6:47 per mile finishes in 2:57:51.

Print a pace band for 3:00:00 Plan a negative split Marathon pace chart (all goals)

Mile splits for a 3:00:00 marathon

Clock time at each mile marker. Even pace is 6:52 every mile; the 2% negative split runs 6:56 per mile to halfway (1:30:55) and 6:48 per mile after.

3:00:00 marathon: elapsed time at each mile
Mile	Even pace	2% negative split
1	6:52	6:56
2	13:44	13:52
3	20:36	20:48
4	27:28	27:44
5	34:20	34:40
6	41:12	41:36
7	48:03	48:33
8	54:55	55:29
9	1:01:47	1:02:25
10	1:08:39	1:09:21
11	1:15:31	1:16:17
12	1:22:23	1:23:13
13	1:29:15	1:30:09
14	1:36:07	1:36:58
15	1:42:59	1:43:45
16	1:49:51	1:50:33
17	1:56:43	1:57:21
18	2:03:35	2:04:09
19	2:10:26	2:10:56
20	2:17:18	2:17:44
21	2:24:10	2:24:32
22	2:31:02	2:31:20
23	2:37:54	2:38:08
24	2:44:46	2:44:55
25	2:51:38	2:51:43
26	2:58:30	2:58:31
26.2	3:00:00	3:00:00

Kilometer splits

Every 5K, halfway and the finish. Even pace is 4:16 per km; the negative split runs 4:19 then 4:13 per km.

3:00:00 marathon: elapsed time every 5K
Marker	Even pace	2% negative split
5K	21:20	21:33
10K	42:40	43:05
15K	1:03:59	1:04:38
20K	1:25:19	1:26:11
Half	1:30:00	1:30:55
25K	1:46:39	1:47:23
30K	2:07:59	2:08:30
35K	2:29:18	2:29:37
40K	2:50:38	2:50:44
Finish (42.2)	3:00:00	3:00:00

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

Use this next

Race predictor Predicted times from 1 mile to the marathon from one race. Split calculator Even, negative or positive splits for any race. Marathon pace chart Pace and splits for every finish time from 2:30 to 6:30.

A 3 hour marathon is 6:52 per mile, or 4:16 per kilometer, for the full 26.2 miles. Even pace puts you at 10K in 42:40, halfway in 1:30:00 and 20 miles in 2:17:18.

"Sub-3" needs a little more than the chart pace. The exact pace is 6:51.9 per mile; holding the rounded 6:52 finishes in 3:00:02, two seconds over. 6:51 per mile finishes in 2:59:36, and 6:47 per mile in 2:57:51. In kilometers, 4:16 per km finishes in 3:00:02 and 4:15 per km in 2:59:20.

At this pace, distance you add by weaving costs time quickly: each extra tenth of a mile is about 0:41 of running. Courses are measured along the shortest route a runner could take, so run the tangents where the course allows and check your splits at the course markers, not on a GPS watch, which usually reads a little long.

The tables show the clock time at each marker for an even pace and for a 2% negative split (6:56 per mile to halfway, reached in 1:30:55, then 6:48 per mile). The 10K mark is the early check: arriving well ahead of 42:40 usually means the first miles were too quick.

Riegel's formula, used by the race predictor, puts a 3:00:00 marathon level with a 1:26:20 half marathon and a 39:08 10K. For a goal a few minutes either side of three hours, the marathon pace chart has every finish in five-minute steps.

Frequently asked questions

What pace per km is a 3 hour marathon?

4:16 per kilometer, rounded, which held exactly finishes in 3:00:02. 4:15 per km finishes in 2:59:20.

Is 6:52 per mile fast enough for a sub-3 marathon?

No. Held for 26.2 miles, 6:52 per mile finishes in 3:00:02. You need 6:51 per mile or faster, which finishes in 2:59:36.

What is a 3 hour marathon half split?

1:30:00 at an even pace. A 2% negative split passes halfway in 1:30:55 and runs the second half in 1:29:05.

What half marathon time is level with a 3 hour marathon?

About 1:26:20 by Riegel's formula, which assumes you are trained for the longer distance.