A 3:35:00 marathon works out to 8:12 per mile, or 5:06 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
3:35:00 Marathon Pace at a Glance
8:12Average pace per mile
5:06Average pace per kilometer
1:48:09First half
1:46:51Second half
Mile Splits for a 3:35 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
8:18
8:18
2
8:17
16:35
3
8:17
24:52
4
8:16
33:08
5
8:16
41:24
6
8:15
49:39
7
8:15
57:54
8
8:15
1:06:09
9
8:14
1:14:23
10
8:14
1:22:37
11
8:13
1:30:50
12
8:13
1:39:03
13
8:12
1:47:15
Halfway (13.1)
8:12
1:48:09
14
8:12
1:55:27
15
8:11
2:03:38
16
8:11
2:11:49
17
8:10
2:20:00
18
8:10
2:28:10
19
8:10
2:36:19
20
8:09
2:44:28
21
8:09
2:52:37
22
8:08
3:00:45
23
8:08
3:08:53
24
8:07
3:17:00
25
8:07
3:25:07
26
8:06
3:33:14
Finish (26.2)
8:06
3:35:00
Is a 3:35 Marathon Good? How It Compares with Real Marathons
Measured against the latest published results of 214 marathons on RunSesh.
98%Faster than the median finisher at 209 of 214 races
31%Fast enough for the overall top three at 64 of 208 races
23%Fast enough to win outright at 49 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 3:35 Marathon
These are the paces for a runner who can already race a 3:35:00 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
9:34per mile · 5:57 per km
Most of your weekly miles, including the long run.
Tempo
7:41per mile · 4:47 per km
A steady run of about 20 minutes, or longer repeats with short rests.
Interval
7:05per mile · 4:24 per km
Repeats of 3 to 5 minutes, with easy jogs between.
How to Pace a 3:35 Marathon
Santos-Lozano et al. (2014), analyzing 190,228 New York City Marathon finishes from 2006 to 2011, found that runners at every level slowed as the race progressed, and that the fastest runners showed the least variation in speed across 5K segments. Holding back a fraction early so the second half runs a touch quicker aligns with that finding. On race day, use the halfway marker as your primary effort check, gauging whether your pace feels sustainable before pushing forward.
Checking Your Fitness Against a 3:35 Goal
Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas treat a 46:44 10K as the same performance as a 3:35 marathon.
The RRCA pace chart developed by Amby Burfoot is direct: "don't begin with a future goal time." If your most recent 10K is close to that time, your aerobic fitness supports this goal; if it's noticeably slower, the gap tells you where you stand.
3:35 Marathon Pace Questions
Should I run faster than 8:12 per mile for a 3:35 marathon?
USATF certification measures courses along the "Shortest Possible Route," so a runner covering anything other than that exact line runs farther than 26.2. Pobiruchin et al. (2017) found GPS sport watches averaged 42.33 km against the official 42.195 km, recording 135 meters extra. At this goal's pace that extra distance adds up to 41 seconds, so a watch could show a slightly faster average than 8:12 even when you're running right on goal pace.
What half marathon time do I need for a 3:35 marathon?
Daniels and Gilbert's formulas treat a 1:43:35 half marathon as equivalent to a 3:35 marathon. If you have a recent half result, setting it against that mark shows whether your current fitness supports the full-distance goal or whether a gap remains to close.
