What is the average marathon time?

What is the average women’s marathon time?

The average time for a marathon, of course, simply looks at everyone who has completed 42.2K in an event. In reality, it’s more useful to look at average marathon time by age and gender, to get a more realistic representation of how fast people in your specific category are running. 

So, then, what’s the women’s marathon time? According to the RunRepeat data, it’s 4:48:45. Women have actually become faster over the last few years, with times increasing by 0.08%, from 4:48:31 in 2008. 

That means that the average pace for women, over marathon distance, is 6'51 minutes per kilometer. 

What is the average men’s marathon time?

When it comes to the guys, the men’s marathon time averages 4:21:03. That’s a slight increase from 2008, when the average finishing time for men was 4:14:45. 

What is the average time to run a marathon by age?

As well as gender, age can have an impact on the average times for marathon finishers. It’ll be no surprise that older runners tend to be slower runners – although there are, of course, always exceptions to the rule! 

We’ve broken down the average marathon times by age categories below:

It seems that 30-50 is the sweet spot when it comes to running faster marathon times – but we’re delighted to see a wide range of ages running marathons. It’s also particularly exciting that the data shows the number of older participants is increasing, with more runners in the age 40-50 age bracket than ever before. 

Here’s to long, healthy and happy running careers!

What is a good marathon time?

Ah, the million-dollar question. A good marathon time is subjective: what may be good for one person might seem slow to another. That’s why it’s important to focus on your own run, and not get too distracted by how fast other people are going. After all, a marathon is a huge achievement, no matter how quickly you get to the finish line! 

However, there are some standards we can look at to help us answer the question around good times.

One such standard is marathon world records. The world’s fastest marathon time currently stands at an incredible 2:01:09. This was set by Eliud Kipchoge at the 2022 Berlin Marathon, when he broke his own previous record of 2:01:39, set at the same race in 2018.

There are two officially recognised women’s world records: one women’s only record, and one in which men and women are racing together. The women only record is 2:17:01, set by Mary Keitany in the 2017 London Marathon, and the other is 2:14:04, set by Brigid Kosgei in the 2019 Chicago Marathon. There’s no denying that these are incredible times – but they’re not achievable for most runners!  

Amateur athletes, then, often look to the Boston Marathon qualifying times as ‘good’ marathon times. If you can run a Boston qualifying time (or BQ, as it’s usually known), then it’s safe to say that you’re a pretty good runner.

For many of us, the real satisfaction in running comes not from being faster than others, but from beating our own personal bests. 

Try not to put too much pressure on yourself, especially if you’re running your first marathon. Once you’ve ran your first marathon, you’ll know how to nail your marathon preparation process, what to expect on race day and – of course – you’ll have a time to beat! 

Which factors influence the average marathon pace?

That being said, there are a few things that can impact your marathon time. Some of these are things that are within your control (like your choice of race) and others you can do nothing about (like your age).

• Age: As we saw above, your age can have an impact on your marathon average pace. Runners aged between 30 and 50 tend to run faster marathon times, while those younger than 30 and older than 50 tend to run slightly slower. But there’s nothing you can do about your age, so just focus on choosing the right training plan to ensure you’re preparing as well as you possibly can.
• Experience: If this is your first marathon, you shouldn’t necessarily expect to smash it out of the park, time-wise. Most people improve their marathon times as they do more marathons and learn from the experience.
• Training: Your training also has a lot to answer for. Fail to prepare and prepare to fail, as the old saying goes!
• Course and terrain: Flat routes are much more likely to produce fast and good marathon times than hilly or off-road courses. If you’re looking for a PB, then choose your race wisely!
• Weather: Too hot. Too cold. Too windy. Too rainy. The weather can have a surprisingly big effect on how fast you run, so be sure to check out what the weather is typically like when signing up for a race.
• Cadence: Your running cadence may have an impact on how fast you can get through 42.2 kilometers. Cadence isn’t the be-all-and-end-all when it comes to fast running, but typically, faster runners do have a higher cadence.
• Fuelling: Taking on adequate fuel is important when you’re running long distances. If you don’t get your nutrition quite right, it could have a big impact on your marathon times.