Marathon Training Paces
Derive all training zones from a target time
Marathon target time
For more precise paces → use the VDOT calculator
One goal time, every pace
You know the time you want to run. From that follows not only race pace, but also how fast you should train.
The calculator gives you the key paces at a glance: the easy pace for most sessions, race pace, a steady pace and the fast pace for short intervals.
How it is calculated
Marathon pace = target time / 42.195 km. Training paces are percentages of that: easy runs 120 to 130 %, long run 115 to 125 %, tempo 94 %, speedwork 88 % of marathon pace (percent of seconds per kilometre, so above 100 means slower).
The spread follows what marathon programmes have learned: the long run sits well above race pace on purpose, because it trains duration, not speed — run it at race pace and you are tired on Saturday and no better on Sunday.
Example: target 3:30:00 = 12600 s. Marathon pace = 12600 / 42.195 = 299 s = 4:59 min/km. Tempo = 299 × 0.94 = 281 s = 4:41. Easy runs = 299 × 1.20 to 1.30 = 358 to 388 s = 5:58 to 6:28 min/km.
To calculate a marathon pace worth training for, derive the target from a recent half marathon (race predictor), not from a wish.
The thing that matters most
Easy means genuinely easy — clearly slower than race pace. This is where most marathon builds fall apart: steady runs that are too fast make you tired without making you faster.
Set a realistic goal. Picking a time twenty minutes beyond your current form means months of training too fast.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I find a realistic goal time?
- Ideally from a recent 10K or half marathon. The race predictor turns that into a marathon estimate.
- How often should I run at race pace?
- Once or twice a week as part of a longer session is enough. Full runs at race pace belong in the race, not in training.
- What matters more, long runs or speed?
- For the marathon, long runs. Speed helps, but if you are not used to the distance you will fade in the final kilometres.