Goal time · Marathon
A 3:10:00 marathon works out to 7:15 per mile, or 4:30 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
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 | 7:20 | 7:20 |
| 2 | 7:19 | 14:39 |
| 3 | 7:19 | 21:58 |
| 4 | 7:19 | 29:17 |
| 5 | 7:18 | 36:35 |
| 6 | 7:18 | 43:53 |
| 7 | 7:17 | 51:10 |
| 8 | 7:17 | 58:27 |
| 9 | 7:17 | 1:05:44 |
| 10 | 7:16 | 1:13:00 |
| 11 | 7:16 | 1:20:16 |
| 12 | 7:15 | 1:27:32 |
| 13 | 7:15 | 1:34:47 |
| Halfway (13.1) | 7:15 | 1:35:34 |
| 14 | 7:15 | 1:42:01 |
| 15 | 7:14 | 1:49:16 |
| 16 | 7:14 | 1:56:29 |
| 17 | 7:13 | 2:03:43 |
| 18 | 7:13 | 2:10:56 |
| 19 | 7:13 | 2:18:09 |
| 20 | 7:12 | 2:25:21 |
| 21 | 7:12 | 2:32:33 |
| 22 | 7:11 | 2:39:44 |
| 23 | 7:11 | 2:46:55 |
| 24 | 7:11 | 2:54:06 |
| 25 | 7:10 | 3:01:16 |
| 26 | 7:10 | 3:08:26 |
| Finish (26.2) | 7:10 | 3:10:00 |
Measured against the latest published results of 214 marathons on RunSesh.
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.
These are the paces for a runner who can already race a 3:10:00 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.
Most of your weekly miles, including the long run.
A steady run of about 20 minutes, or longer repeats with short rests.
Repeats of 3 to 5 minutes, with easy jogs between.
Smyth's 2018 analysis of 1.7 million recreational marathoners, published in the Journal of Sports Analytics, found that starting too quickly can result in poorer finish times. That finding shapes why this plan carries a slight speed reserve into the back half rather than burning it early. Use the halfway marker as your primary checkpoint: if you arrive there feeling controlled, the plan is working as intended.
Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas treat a 41:11 10K as the same performance as a 3:10 marathon. Comparing that benchmark against a recent 10K result tells you whether your current fitness supports this goal or points toward a different one.
The RRCA pace chart is pointed on where to begin: "don't begin with a future goal time." Basing paces on a recent race result gives you a more honest starting point than projecting forward from a target you haven't yet run.
USATF certification measures courses along the "Shortest Possible Route," making the official distance a minimum. Pobiruchin et al. (2017) found GPS sport watches logged 42.33 km against the official 42.195 km, 135 meters extra. At this goal's pace that gap is worth 36 seconds, so a watch could show a faster average than 7:15 while you are exactly on target.
Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas treat a 1:31:12 half marathon as equivalent to a 3:10 marathon. Placing that mark against a half marathon you've run recently lets you gauge how well your aerobic fitness currently matches the demands of the full distance at this pace.
El Helou et al. (2012) found that above the optimum air temperature for a given performance level, speeds fell and withdrawals rose. Ely et al.'s study of seven marathons found progressive slowing as WBGT, a heat-stress index combining temperature, humidity, sun, and wind, climbed from 5 to 25 degrees Celsius, with finishers from 25th to 300th place slowing more than faster runners as WBGT rose.
