3:45 marathon pace
| Per mile | 8:35 |
|---|---|
| Per km | 5:20 |
| Halfway | 1:52:30 |
| Speed | 11.3 km/h |
A 3:45:00 marathon averages 8:35 per mile or 5:20 per kilometre — 11.3 km/h (7.0 mph) — held for all 26.2 miles (42.195 km). It is a fast recreational time, roughly the top quintile of a big-city field.
Run evenly, you reach halfway in 1:52:30. On a flat course that is the target: a first half a shade slower costs very little, while banking time early is the most reliable way to lose it, and more, in the last 10 km.
Riegel's race-prediction formula puts the equivalent half marathon at 1:46:26, the 10K at 47:31 and the 5K at 22:29. Treat those as the minimum rather than the target: the formula assumes marathon-specific endurance, and runners on lower weekly mileage — first-timers especially — usually need to be faster over the shorter distances to hold this pace for the full marathon.
These are even splits for a flat course. On a hilly one the same finish time needs a different target for every kilometre; the course pages below grade-adjust 3:45 for each marathon's own elevation profile.
Kilometre checkpoints for 3:45:00
| Distance | Elapsed |
|---|---|
| 5 km | 26:40 |
| 10 km | 53:19 |
| 15 km | 1:19:59 |
| 20 km | 1:46:39 |
| Half | 1:52:30 |
| 25 km | 2:13:19 |
| 30 km | 2:39:58 |
| 35 km | 3:06:38 |
| 40 km | 3:33:18 |
| Finish | 3:45:00 |
Mile splits for 3:45:00
| Mile | Elapsed |
|---|---|
| 1 | 8:35 |
| 2 | 17:10 |
| 3 | 25:45 |
| 4 | 34:20 |
| 5 | 42:54 |
| 6 | 51:29 |
| 7 | 1:00:04 |
| 8 | 1:08:39 |
| 9 | 1:17:14 |
| 10 | 1:25:49 |
| 11 | 1:34:24 |
| 12 | 1:42:59 |
| 13 | 1:51:34 |
| 14 | 2:00:09 |
| 15 | 2:08:43 |
| 16 | 2:17:18 |
| 17 | 2:25:53 |
| 18 | 2:34:28 |
| 19 | 2:43:03 |
| 20 | 2:51:38 |
| 21 | 3:00:13 |
| 22 | 3:08:48 |
| 23 | 3:17:23 |
| 24 | 3:25:58 |
| 25 | 3:34:32 |
| 26 | 3:43:07 |
| 26.2 | 3:45:00 |
Race times that predict 3:45
Riegel's formula with the distance-dependent exponent the race predictor uses. Treat these as a floor, not a target.
| Race | Time | Pace /km |
|---|---|---|
| 5K | 22:29 | 4:30 |
| 10K | 47:31 | 4:45 |
| Half marathon | 1:46:26 | 5:03 |
3:45 splits adjusted for each course
- Boston Marathon in 3:45
- London Marathon in 3:45
- Berlin Marathon in 3:45
- Chicago Marathon in 3:45
- New York City Marathon in 3:45
- Tokyo Marathon in 3:45
- Sydney Marathon in 3:45
- Vancouver Marathon in 3:45
- Barcelona Marathon in 3:45
- Austin Marathon in 3:45
- California Marathon in 3:45
- Toronto Marathon in 3:45
- Grandma's Marathon in 3:45
- Chevron Houston Marathon in 3:45
- Charlotte Marathon in 3:45
- Philadelphia Marathon in 3:45
- Twin Cities Marathon in 3:45
- Bayshore Marathon in 3:45
- Mesa Marathon in 3:45
- Detroit Free Press Marathon in 3:45
- Honolulu Marathon in 3:45
- Los Angeles Marathon in 3:45
- Paris Marathon in 3:45
- Rome Marathon in 3:45
- Osaka Marathon in 3:45
- Valencia Marathon in 3:45
- Marine Corps Marathon in 3:45
- Manchester Marathon in 3:45
- Dublin Marathon in 3:45
- Athens Marathon in 3:45
- Mexico City Marathon in 3:45
- Amsterdam Marathon in 3:45
Frequently asked questions
What pace is a 3:45 marathon?
8:35 per mile, or 5:20 per kilometre, for the full 26.2 miles. That is 11.3 km/h or 7.0 mph.
What is the halfway split for a 3:45 marathon?
1:52:30 at even pace. On a flat course, arriving a little later than that is safer than arriving early; on a hilly course the right halfway time depends on where the climbing sits.
What half marathon time do I need for a 3:45 marathon?
Riegel's formula says 1:46:26 (5:03/km). Most runners need to be somewhat quicker than that — the prediction assumes you have the long-run endurance to hold pace for twice the distance, and it is optimistic for runners on modest weekly mileage.
What 5K and 10K times match a 3:45 marathon?
About 22:29 for 5K and 47:31 for 10K by the same formula. Shorter races are a weaker guide to the marathon than a half is, because they depend much less on endurance.
Is 3:45 a good marathon time?
It is a fast recreational time, roughly the top quintile of a big-city field. Whether it is the right goal for you depends on your recent race results and training, not on where it sits in the field.