Marathon pace

2:45 marathon pace

To run a marathon in 2:45 you need to average 3:55 per km, or 6:18 per mile, over 42.195 km. That is 15.3 km/h, and 1:22:30 at halfway.

Pace per km
3:55
Pace per mile
6:18
Speed
15.3 km/h
Halfway
1:22:30

Splits for a 2:45 marathon

The race clock at each marker at even pace, the steadiest way to run it.

KilometresRace clock
5 km19:33
10 km39:06
15 km58:39
20 km1:18:12
Half1:22:30
25 km1:37:46
30 km1:57:19
35 km2:16:52
40 km2:36:25
Finish2:45:00
MilesRace clock
1 mi6:18
5 mi31:28
10 mi1:02:56
13.1 mi1:22:30
15 mi1:34:24
20 mi2:05:52
25 mi2:37:20
26.2 mi2:45:00

Going out a little slower protects the second half. With a 1% negative split, the first half is 3:57 per km and the second 3:52 per km, for the same finish time.

Print a pace band for 2:45:00, with the race clock at every kilometre or mile.

What a 2:45 marathon takes

Riegel’s formula, the one Run 42 uses for every pace in your plan, puts these times on the same level:

  • 5K · 17:12
  • 10K · 35:52
  • Half marathon · 1:19:08

A recent 10K faster than 35:52 says the speed is there; the long runs of a plan build the rest. Slower than that, the race time predictor gives a goal to start from.

In VMA terms, a 2:45 marathon needs 18.5 to 20.5 km/h: the lower figure for a runner with strong endurance, the higher one for most amateurs. See VMA for the marathon.

Training paces for a 2:45 marathon

These are the paces Run 42 puts in a plan for this goal.

Marathon pace 3:55 /km 6:18 /mile Your goal, held for the whole race.
Easy 4:30–4:58 /km Most of your running, long runs included.
Threshold 3:40–3:47 /km The pace you could race for about an hour.
VMA 3:19–3:24 /km About your 3 km race pace, for short repeats.

Most of the week is easy running; threshold and VMA come in one or two sessions a week. See training pace zones for what each one does.

How a 2:45 marathon ranks

A 2:45 finish is faster than 100% of finishers: top 1% among men and top 1% among women, from 35 million race results analysed by RunRepeat. See Average marathon time.

Train for 2:45

Run 42 builds a 12 to 24-week plan for this goal to your own race day, with every session at these paces. For a sample, see the Sub-3 marathon plan.

Other goal times

Every goal from 2h30 to 6h00 in the marathon pace chart

Frequently asked

What pace is a 2:45 marathon?

3:55 per km, or 6:18 per mile, held for the whole 42.195 km: 15.3 km/h.

What is the halfway split for a 2:45 marathon?

1:22:30 at even pace. With a 1% negative split, you pass halfway in 1:23:20.

What 10K time do I need for a 2:45 marathon?

About 35:52, by Riegel’s formula. A 5K of about 17:12 or a half marathon of about 1:19:08 point to the same marathon.

Is a 2:45 marathon good?

It is faster than 100% of finishers: top 1% among men and top 1% among women.

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