Marathon pace

2:55 marathon pace

To run a marathon in 2:55 you need to average 4:09 per km, or 6:41 per mile, over 42.195 km. That is 14.5 km/h, and 1:27:30 at halfway.

Pace per km
4:09
Pace per mile
6:41
Speed
14.5 km/h
Halfway
1:27:30

Splits for a 2:55 marathon

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

KilometresRace clock
5 km20:44
10 km41:28
15 km1:02:13
20 km1:22:57
Half1:27:30
25 km1:43:41
30 km2:04:25
35 km2:25:10
40 km2:45:54
Finish2:55:00
MilesRace clock
1 mi6:40
5 mi33:22
10 mi1:06:45
13.1 mi1:27:30
15 mi1:40:07
20 mi2:13:30
25 mi2:46:52
26.2 mi2:55:00

Going out a little slower protects the second half. With a 1% negative split, the first half is 4:11 per km and the second 4:06 per km, for the same finish time.

Print a pace band for 2:55:00, with the race clock at every kilometre or mile.

What a 2:55 marathon takes

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

  • 5K · 18:15
  • 10K · 38:03
  • Half marathon · 1:23:56

A recent 10K faster than 38:03 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 2:55 marathon needs 17.5 to 19.3 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 2:55 marathon

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

Marathon pace 4:09 /km 6:41 /mile Your goal, held for the whole race.
Easy 4:46–5:16 /km Most of your running, long runs included.
Threshold 3:53–4:00 /km The pace you could race for about an hour.
VMA 3:31–3:37 /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 2:55 marathon ranks

A 2:55 finish is faster than 98% of finishers: top 4% among men and top 1% among women, from 35 million race results analysed by RunRepeat. See Average marathon time.

Train for 2:55

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 2:55 marathon?

4:09 per km, or 6:41 per mile, held for the whole 42.195 km: 14.5 km/h.

What is the halfway split for a 2:55 marathon?

1:27:30 at even pace. With a 1% negative split, you pass halfway in 1:28:23.

What 10K time do I need for a 2:55 marathon?

About 38:03, by Riegel’s formula. A 5K of about 18:15 or a half marathon of about 1:23:56 point to the same marathon.

Is a 2:55 marathon good?

It is faster than 98% of finishers: top 4% among men and top 1% among women.

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