Goal time · Marathon
A 3:45:00 marathon works out to 8:35 per mile, or 5:20 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 | 8:41 | 8:41 |
| 2 | 8:40 | 17:21 |
| 3 | 8:40 | 26:01 |
| 4 | 8:39 | 34:41 |
| 5 | 8:39 | 43:19 |
| 6 | 8:38 | 51:58 |
| 7 | 8:38 | 1:00:36 |
| 8 | 8:38 | 1:09:14 |
| 9 | 8:37 | 1:17:51 |
| 10 | 8:37 | 1:26:27 |
| 11 | 8:36 | 1:35:03 |
| 12 | 8:36 | 1:43:39 |
| 13 | 8:35 | 1:52:14 |
| Halfway (13.1) | 8:35 | 1:53:11 |
| 14 | 8:35 | 2:00:49 |
| 15 | 8:34 | 2:09:23 |
| 16 | 8:34 | 2:17:57 |
| 17 | 8:33 | 2:26:30 |
| 18 | 8:33 | 2:35:03 |
| 19 | 8:32 | 2:43:35 |
| 20 | 8:32 | 2:52:07 |
| 21 | 8:31 | 3:00:39 |
| 22 | 8:31 | 3:09:10 |
| 23 | 8:30 | 3:17:40 |
| 24 | 8:30 | 3:26:10 |
| 25 | 8:30 | 3:34:40 |
| 26 | 8:29 | 3:43:09 |
| Finish (26.2) | 8:29 | 3:45:00 |
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 3:45:00 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.
Santos-Lozano et al. (2014) analyzed 190,228 New York City Marathon finishes from 2006 to 2011 and found that runners at every level slowed as the race progressed, while the fastest runners showed the least variation in speed across each 5K segment. That pattern is why this plan holds a small reserve for the second half: arriving at the halfway marker feeling controlled gives you something to spend in the closing miles.
Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas treat a 48:58 10K as the same performance as a 3:45 marathon, giving you a fitness benchmark from a shorter distance. A VDOT of about 41 sits behind both figures.
Amby Burfoot's RRCA pace chart states it plainly: "don't begin with a future goal time." Paces built from a race you've already completed reflect where your fitness actually stands.
USATF certification measures certified courses by the "Shortest Possible Route," setting the official distance as a floor. Pobiruchin et al. (2017) found GPS sport watches averaged 42.33 km against the official 42.195 km, recording 135 meters extra. At this pace that surplus accounts for roughly 43 seconds, so a watch could read a little faster than 8:35 while you're exactly on goal.
Daniels and Gilbert's formulas treat a 1:48:35 half marathon as equivalent to a 3:45 marathon. Measuring your most recent half marathon result against that mark tells you how closely your current aerobic fitness reflects what the full distance requires at this pace.
