A 3:00:00 marathon works out to 6:52 per mile, or 4:16 per kilometer. Below are the mile splits for a slightly faster second half, the halfway time to aim for, and the training paces that go with this goal.
The numbers
3:00:00 Marathon Pace at a Glance
6:52Average pace per mile
4:16Average pace per kilometer
1:30:32First half
1:29:28Second half
Mile Splits for a 3:00 Marathon
This plan starts about 1% slower than goal pace and finishes about 1% faster, so the second half is slightly quicker than the first. The elapsed column is what your watch should read as you pass each marker.
Mile
Pace for That Mile
Elapsed Time
1
6:57
6:57
2
6:56
13:53
3
6:56
20:49
4
6:56
27:44
5
6:55
34:40
6
6:55
41:34
7
6:54
48:29
8
6:54
55:23
9
6:54
1:02:16
10
6:53
1:09:10
11
6:53
1:16:03
12
6:53
1:22:55
13
6:52
1:29:47
Halfway (13.1)
6:52
1:30:32
14
6:52
1:36:39
15
6:51
1:43:31
16
6:51
1:50:22
17
6:51
1:57:12
18
6:50
2:04:02
19
6:50
2:10:52
20
6:50
2:17:42
21
6:49
2:24:31
22
6:49
2:31:20
23
6:48
2:38:08
24
6:48
2:44:56
25
6:48
2:51:44
26
6:47
2:58:31
Finish (26.2)
6:47
3:00:00
Is a 3:00 Marathon Good? How It Compares with Real Marathons
Measured against the latest published results of 214 marathons on RunSesh.
99%Faster than the median finisher at 212 of 214 races
54%Fast enough for the overall top three at 112 of 208 races
41%Fast enough to win outright at 87 of 214 races
One edition per race, from RunSignup races with published results. Fields include walkers and charity entrants, so this describes these races, not every runner in the country.
Training Paces for a 3:00 Marathon
These are the paces for a runner who can already race a 3:00:00 marathon, worked out with Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas, the method behind the training tables in Daniels' Running Formula. If your most recent race is slower, train at the paces on the page for that time.
Easy
8:04per mile · 5:01 per km
Most of your weekly miles, including the long run.
Tempo
6:29per mile · 4:01 per km
A steady run of about 20 minutes, or longer repeats with short rests.
Interval
5:58per mile · 3:42 per km
Repeats of 3 to 5 minutes, with easy jogs between.
Sub 3 Marathon Pace: Holding Back Early
Santos-Lozano et al. (2014), studying 190,228 New York City Marathon finishes from 2006 to 2011 in the International Journal of Sports Medicine, found that runners at every level slowed as the race went on, and the top runners varied their speed least across each 5K segment. A plan that reserves effort for the second half reflects that pattern. Treat the halfway marker as your primary pacing checkpoint.
Checking Your Fitness Against a 3:00 Goal
Daniels and Gilbert's formulas treat a 38:59 10K as the same performance as a 3:00 marathon. If your recent 10K result is close to that time, your current fitness aligns with this goal.
The RRCA pace chart, developed by Amby Burfoot, is direct: "don't begin with a future goal time." Start from what you've actually raced. If your recent results sit closer to a 3:10 finish, that gap is worth considering before committing to this plan.
3 Hour Marathon Pace Questions
Should I run faster than 6:52 per mile for a 3:00 marathon?
USATF certification measures courses along the "Shortest Possible Route," so the official distance is a minimum for anyone holding that line. Pobiruchin et al. (2017) found GPS sport watches averaged 42.33 km against the official 42.195 km, which is 135 meters extra. If a watch logged that much additional distance, it could read a slightly faster average than 6:52 while you are running exactly on goal pace, accounting for about 35 seconds across the race.
What half marathon time do I need for a 3:00 marathon?
Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas treat a 1:26:16 half marathon as equivalent to a 3:00 marathon. Comparing that mark against your most recent half marathon result tells you how closely your current fitness matches what the full distance demands at this pace.
