What’s A Good Marathon Time? Average Marathon Times By Age, Sex + Ability

As runners, we’re often interested in comparing our 1-mile, 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon times to see how they stack up against peers and others in their age group.

We dug into a data set of 19,614,975 marathon results in 32,335 races worldwide, which suggests a “good” marathon time across all sexes and ages is 3:48:20.

‌Breaking it down by sex, 3:34:56 is a good time for men, and 4:08:09 is a good time for women.

So, how do you stack up to these “good” 26.2-mile marathon times?

In this guide, we will delve into more detail about marathon finish times based on age, sex, and experience level and give you some expert tips on how to work towards your next marathon PR.

Average Marathon Times: Male Runners

Age Group	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate Recreational	High-Level Recreational	Sub-Elite	National Class	Elite	World Record
	VDOT 35 Level 1	VDOT 40 Level 2	VDOT 50 Level 4	VDOT 60 Level 6	VDOT 70 Level 8	VDOT 75 Level 9	VDOT 80 Level 10	–
18-39	4:16:00	3:50:00	3:11:00	2:43:30	2:23:00	2:15:00	2:07:30	2:00:35
40+	4:24:00	3:57:00	3:16:30	2:48:30	2:27:00	2:19:00	2:11:30	2:04:19
45+	4:45:30	4:16:00	3:32:30	3:02:00	2:39:30	2:30:30	2:22:30	2:14:23
50+	4:56:00	4:26:00	3:40:30	3:09:00	2:45:30	2:36:00	2:27:30	2:19:29
55+	5:10:00	4:38:00	3:51:00	3:18:00	2:53:30	2:43:30	2:34:30	2:25:56
60+	5:32:30	4:58:00	4:07:30	3:32:00	3:06:00	2:55:00	2:45:30	2:36:30
65+	5:44:00	5:08:30	4:16:30	3:39:30	3:12:30	3:01:00	2:51:00	2:41:57
70+	6:10:00	5:32:00	4:36:00	3:56:00	3:27:00	3:15:00	3:04:30	2:54:19
75+	6:32:30	5:52:30	4:52:30	4:10:30	3:39:30	3:27:00	3:15:30	3:04:53
80+	6:56:00	6:13:30	5:10:00	4:25:30	3:52:30	3:39:00	3:27:30	3:15:54

Average Marathon Times: Female Runners

Age Group	Beginner	Novice	Intermediate Recreational	High-Level Recreational	Sub-Elite	National Class	Elite	World Record
	VDOT 31.4 Level 1	VDOT 35.8 Level 2	VDOT 44.6 Level 4	VDOT 53.4 Level 6	VDOT 62.2 Level 8	VDOT 66.6 Level 9	VDOT 71 Level 10	–
18-39	4:39:00	4:11:30	3:30:00	3:00:30	2:38:30	2:29:30	2:21:30	2:09:56
40+	5:01:30	4:31:30	3:47:00	3:15:00	2:51:00	2:41:30	2:33:00	2:22:27
45+	5:15:30	4:44:00	3:57:00	3:24:00	2:59:00	2:49:00	2:40:00	2:29:00
50+	5:20:00	4:48:00	4:00:30	3:27:00	3:01:30	2:51:00	2:42:00	2:31:05
55+	5:51:00	5:16:00	4:24:00	3:47:00	3:19:30	3:08:00	2:58:00	2:45:51
60+	5:59:30	5:23:30	4:30:30	3:52:30	3:24:00	3:12:30	3:02:00	2:49:45
65+	6:37:30	5:58:00	4:59:00	4:17:00	2:45:30	3:33:00	3:21:30	3:07:51
70+	7:36:00	6:51:00	5:43:00	4:55:00	4:19:00	4:04:00	3:54:00	3:35:29
75+	8:02:30	7:15:00	6:03:00	5:12:00	4:34:00	4:18:30	4:04:30	3:48:02
80+	8:53:00	8:00:00	6:41:00	5:44:30	5:02:30	4:45:30	4:30:00	4:11:45

How We Produced This Data

The tables above have been carefully created to give our readers performance benchmarks and to enable comparisons of relative performance adjusted for age and sex.

As mentioned above, we used Jack Tupper Daniels’ VDOT Levels and associated predicted performances in our table as the benchmark times for the 18-39 age range.

For the age-graded world records, we’ve used the official records ratified by the World Association of Masters Athletes (WMA), correct as of 18 March 2024.

To translate the times for ability levels across different age grades, we used our 18-39 benchmark times to establish each ability level as a percentage of the world record for a given age group.

For example, our “elite” men’s marathon time for the 18-39 range was 2:07:39, which is 105.86% of the late Kelvin Kiptum’s world record of 2:00:35.

So, when calculating the “elite” times for other age grades, we multiplied the respective world records by 105.86%. We replicated this approach across all of the listed ability levels.

It should be noted that this method does create some inconsistencies, with the performance gaps between certain age groups being larger than others because a particular world record happens to be an outlier.

However, we found the resulting data more reliable and with a more accurate representation of performance drop relative to age than we achieved when comparing our results to existing age-grade calculators.

For readability, we rounded all times to the nearest 30 seconds, except for world records which we left in their original form.

What’s A Typical Marathon Time?

Let’s backpedal a bit and take a look at the typical marathon times.

According to Run Repeat’s investigation, the overall average time for a marathon worldwide is 4:29:53.

Breaking it up by sex, the average time to run a marathon for men is 4:21:03, and the average time to run a marathon for women is 4:48:45. 

The goal of this study was to look at recreational runners. Therefore, elite runners were omitted when compiling these averages. 

This study also shows that there has been an increase in average total marathon times over the past years. It seems we are getting a bit slower overall, but this could result from the sheer increase in participants. 

Defining What Makes A “Good” Marathon Time

While looking at the above information, it’s important to consider a few things.

A “good’ marathon time for one runner can vary greatly from runner to runner, taking into account a few key factors, including a runner’s:

• Current fitness level
• Running experience
• Training Schedule 
• Nutritional Regiment 
• Age

Let’s break it down even further!

Defining Running Ability Levels

To define the ability levels we’ve included, we used Jack Tupper Daniels’ VDOT Levels (based on VO₂ max).

Daniels provides predicted times across different distances for each of the VDOT Levels for men and women (available here), which we’ve used in our table as the benchmark times for the 18-39 age range.

Here’s how we’d define each of the levels listed in our table, along with the VDOT that Daniels assigns to them:

• Beginner (Male VDOT 35/Female VDOT 31.4): By beginner, we’re not referring to somebody straight off the couch who’s shown up to their first race with no training, as there’s too much variation in terms of baseline fitness and physique to provide a useful guideline time. Instead, in this sense, we’d consider a beginner to be somebody who’s relatively new to distance running, perhaps entering their first race, but who is taking their training fairly seriously and has a decent base level of fitness. However, they lack experience in building an effective training program and in pacing themselves during a race.
• Novice (VDOT 40/35.8): You’re still running casually, but with increasing experience and commitment to training. You’ve completed several races at this distance, and are looking to improve your PB in each one. The vast majority of runners will fall into one of these first two categories. For context, just 4% of male runners and 1% of female runners finish a marathon in under three hours.
• Intermediate Recreational (VDOT 50/44.6): You’re taking running increasingly seriously, and it’s getting more difficult to beat your previous PBs. You might have joined an athletics club or started training with a running coach, and while you’re unlikely to be competing for local race victories, you’d be hoping to finish high up the field.
• High-Level Recreational (VDOT 60/53.4): You train seriously with a professional coach, and are among the top-performing runners in your athletics club competing for victories in local races. You are likely approaching the peak of your potential performance, with a substantial time investment in training each week.
• Sub-Elite (VDOT 70/62.2): You are one of the strongest runners in your region, and may even compete nationally, although you’re unlikely to compete for the top positions.
• National Class (VDOT 75/66.6): You are one of the finest runners in your country, competing for victories against all but the very best athletes in the sport. You likely run either full-time as a professional, or you make a flexible job fit around your training.
• Elite (VDOT 80/71): You are at the pinnacle of the sport, competing for victories at the most prestigious races and representing your country at major international events.

A counterintuitive point worth mentioning – which isn’t reflected in the data – is that among amateur long-distance runners, performances tend to improve until the age of around 50.

Because non-elite runners are unlikely to be running at their maximum genetic potential, the drop-off in their maximum potential is outweighed by their increased experience, which both enables them to pace themselves more effectively through a race and means they better understand how to build an effective training regime that works for them as an individual.

What Are The Current Fastest Marathon Times?

Per World Athletics, the current men’s world record holder for the marathon is Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum, who has an astonishing time of 2:00:35.¹Marathon – men – senior – outdoor. (n.d.). Worldathletics.org. https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/road-running/marathon/outdoor/men/senior This marathon world record was set at the Chicago marathon, on October 8, 2023.

This Kenyan elite ran at an average pace of 2:51 per kilometer!

On the women’s side, Ruth Chepngetich holds the current world record for the marathon with an incredible time of 2:09:56. This record was set at the Chicago marathon 2024.

As runners, we want to strive to do our very best and continue to smash our PRs. Now that you’ve seen how you compare to the average and “good” race times around the globe, let’s look at 8 ways to improve your marathon time to get you ready for your next big race.

8 Tips To Improve Your Marathon Time

#1: Know Your Training Paces & Estimated Race Pace

If you already have a previous marathon time, or this will be your first one, it is important to know which paces you should be training at and what pace you are shooting for come race day.

Even if you have a previous marathon time that you are looking to beat, your current fitness level could have varied from that time depending on the training you have been doing recently.

Therefore, it is important to take a 3k or a 5k test so you can calculate your training paces, estimated race pace, and total time according to your current fitness level.

Knowing what to shoot for takes the guesswork out of training and can give you clear guidance on how to work toward your goal.

As mentioned, the results of these tests will give you your estimated marathon race pace (along with 5k, 10k, and half marathon time estimates as well) and your specific training zones.

These training zone paces are what you will use for your everyday workouts specified by your running coach or training plan, depending on the daily goal, whether it be speed, endurance, or a recovery day. 

Let’s get into how to take those tests.

If you are newer to running tests to calculate paces, I suggest taking the shorter of the two because it is easier to manage your effort level covering a shorter distance. In this case, that would be the 3k test.

3k Test:

My advice as a running coach myself is that when running this test, start out a bit slower than you think you can run the 3 kilometers and increase your speed as you finish each lap, running your last lap all out! 

You need to be careful not to burn out by starting out too fast. However, you don’t want to finish with a lot of gas still in the tank. You want to get as close to your maximum effort for this distance as possible to get an accurate reading.

It takes a while to get the hang of these tests, but let’s try it!

Use a track to measure your 3k instead of running counting on a GPS watch, as the GPS can sometimes fail and will not be as accurate as a measured course.

You also want to take this test in a place where you will not run into obstacles such as stop signs, lights, or traffic. You want to be able to run continuously to give your absolute best effort.

On a standard 400-meter lap track, you must run seven and ½ laps to complete the 3 kilometers. 

1. Warm up for 15 minutes with a slow, easy jog.
2. Do 5 minutes of dynamic stretching exercises such as leg swings, Frankensteins, butt kicks, tabletops, hurdles, and walking on your tiptoes and then on your heels. 
3. Run 3 kilometers as fast as you can without burning out. 
4. Take your total 3k time and plug it into this pace calculator.

If you prefer to take the 5k test, follow the same instructions; just replace the third step with 5k.

Let’s take a look at an example of the results of an intermediate level 3k test, the estimated marathon race pace, and training paces: 

3k total test time: 17:00 (5:40 pace per kilometer or 9:07 pace per mile) 

This would mean the estimated total marathon race time would be 4:34:56.

3k total test time: 17:00
	Pace Per Kilometer	Pace Per Mile
Marathon Race Pace Estimate:	6:31/km	10:29/mile
Easy Pace	6:53-7:33/km	11:04 – 12:08/mile
Marathon Pace	6:31/km	10:29/mile
Threshold Pace	5:55/km	9:31/mile
Interval Pace	5:18/km	8:32/mile
Repetition Pace	4:58/km	8:00/mile

Now that we have our estimated marathon race time and training paces let’s improve our marathon time by using this data for our training.

#2: Include Interval Training In Your Running Program 

Adding interval training to your marathon training plan will make you faster. Whether it be shorter intervals that work your Vo2 Max or longer intervals such as threshold runs, they each have a particular objective to make you a better runner.

Commonly, shorter speedwork for marathon training takes place at the beginning of the marathon cycle. Workouts such as 400, 600, 800, kilometer, and mile repeats are excellent ways to start. 

As we continue to advance in our training plan, we can move on to longer speedwork, such as threshold runs, that will make you more tolerant of holding faster paces for longer periods of time. 

Some examples of interval workouts for marathon training are:

• 5 x 800m at interval pace with 2-3 minutes of complete rest in between
• 4 x 1k at threshold pace with a 2-minute recovery jog in between
• 2 x 2 miles at 10 seconds faster than marathon pace (half marathon pace) with 3-minute rest in between
• 4 x 2 miles at marathon pace with a 3-minute rest in between
• 2 x 5 miles at marathon pace with a 5-minute jog between each one

Of course, you will want a well-thought-out marathon training plan with all workouts carefully calculated according to your fitness level and goal.

#3: Improve Running Form

Interval training is a great way to improve your speed, but it also will develop a quicker turnover and better running form. If you have good running form, you will, in turn, have better running economy, which will help you run faster with less effort expended.

Running form can sometimes be a bit overwhelming, especially if you are an experienced runner and have formed some bad habits.

When thinking of the laundry list of tips and tricks to improve your running form, don’t try to change everything at once, but take it one step at a time by looking at a different aspect each day.

Let’s take a look at the key aspects of proper running form:

• Keep your body stacked in a straight line from head to toe.
• Lean slightly forward, but do not hinge at the hips.
• Keep your shoulders back and relaxed at all times, trying to avoid tension or shrugging your shoulders up toward your ears.
• Keep your gaze straight ahead, always looking 3-6 meters ahead.
• Keep your arms at 90 degrees and swing them back and forth naturally with your footfall. Do not swing them across the front of your body, as this will waste precious energy.
• Hold your hands in a very light fist, relaxed as if holding a baby chick in each one. You don’t want to hold them so loose that you may drop them, but you don’t want to squish them either! It’s a happy medium.
• Keep your legs underneath you. You want the weight of your body falling directly underneath you. Try to either fall on your mid-foot or forefoot as your footstrike to avoid unnecessary pounding on your joints.

I find it best to practice running form during easy or slow, long-distance runs, so the focus is on form, not speed or pace.

#4: Practice Your Race Pace 

After taking your 3k or 5k test and having your estimated race pace, slowly work your marathon race pace into your long runs. Gradually adding race pace is the key to avoiding overuse injuries and, more importantly, frustration. 

Start with a mile or two with long recoveries in between, and work your way up from there. This pace will not be easy to hit, especially at the beginning of your training cycle.

You also may be wondering how in the heck you’re supposed to maintain it for the entirety of a marathon. Increasing the time and distance run at this pace will make it more tolerable.

#5: Nail Down Your Nutrition and Hydration 

During your long runs, especially those closer to the end of your training, you need to practice your race nutrition and hydration strategy. 

To run a strong, fast marathon, you must be adequately fueled and hydrated to have a constant energy flow.

Put together a nutrition strategy according to your weight and fluid loss while running, and practice it tirelessly during your long runs. 

For a quick reference, the number of carbohydrates per hour that you should consume while racing can be calculated with the following formula:

• Weight in kilos = grams of carbohydrates per hour that should be consumed

Therefore, if you weigh 65 kilos, you should shoot for 65 grams of carbs for each hour of your race.

This can include any energy source containing carbs, such as energy gels, gummies, carb-filled sports drinks, or even solid food. It all depends on what works for you, gives you energy, and doesn’t upset your stomach.

As for hydration, you can take a sweat test to calculate how much you sweat per hour. There, you can estimate how much you should rehydrate throughout your race.

Be sure that when you take your sweat test, you try to do so in conditions that will be similar to those of your race, such as heat and humidity, so the results are accurate.

Remember, just drinking water is not often enough, as we also need to replenish our electrolytes. Sports drinks are usually packed with the electrolytes necessary to help us rehydrate adequately.

Keeping on top of your race nutrition and hydration will help you avoid hitting the famous “wall” and stay strong until that last mile! 

#6: Include Strength Training In Your Program

As a coach, I am a stickler for strength training and find it imperative for any runner, beginner or seasoned, young or mature. 

Be sure your strength training sessions are running-specific and are not so strenuous that they tire you out for your runs. Running is your priority, and you always want to be in tip-top shape for your running sessions. 

Two strength-training sessions of 30-40 minutes a week are plenty. You can even do this from the comfort of your own home with a few resistance bands and a set of adjustable dumbbells. 

Here is a list of some of the exercises runners can include in their strength training plan:

• Lunges (bodyweight, front, reverse, side, weighted by adding dumbells) 
• Squats (bodyweight, goblet, isometric, weighted by adding dumbells) 
• Glute Bridges (bodyweight, single-leg, resistance bands) 
• Calf Raises (bodyweight, on stairs, both legs, single-leg, weighted by adding dumbells) 
• Deadlifts (bodyweight, both legs with kettlebell, single-leg, weighted by adding dumbells) 
• Planks (full, elbow, side, up-downs, shoulder taps, spiderman) 
• Push-ups, pull-ups, rows, pull aparts, shoulder presses, and chest presses

You can check out our complete runner’s guide to weightlifting for more ideas and workouts!

The most important thing is that you add strength training to your routine and that you focus on compound, functional exercises that will specifically help you run.

When you get to the second half of the marathon, you’ll be delighted you added those strength training sessions in as your legs, back, and, well, your entire body will be able to hold up against all odds. 

#7: Respect Your Rest Days 

Many runners think that more is better, but with all the research out there, we should know by now that this is not always the case. Your improvement and fitness gains are directly linked to your recovery. We must respect our recovery days to become better runners. 

Allow your body to improve, and rest and recuperate on those days off. Get sports massages, take care of those callouses, and sleep and eat well. All of this will aid in your preparation for a marathon as you will become a stronger, more efficient runner. 

#8: Follow a Training Plan 

Last but by no means least, follow a well-thought-out training plan put together by a professional. Yes, we have all heard of amazing runners who crush races and claim not to have a structured training plan or coach, but the majority of us need this structure and guidance. 

Following a training plan ensures you are not overdoing it and risking injury.

It will also appropriately spread out the different types of workouts you need to include, such as speedwork, long runs, marathon-specific training sessions, recovery runs, cross-training, and strength training. 

If you have a seasoned coach guiding you along, even better! 

So, how do you stack up to the average intermediate marathon runner? Whether you are on the road to qualifying for the Boston Marathon or are ready to take the leap to run your very first, check out our marathon training plans so we can get you to that finish line.

Let’s do this! 

References

• 1
  Marathon – men – senior – outdoor. (n.d.). Worldathletics.org. https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/road-running/marathon/outdoor/men/senior