To finish a half marathon in 2:00:00, you need to average 5:41/km (9:09/mile). Every other goal time follows the same arithmetic: a half marathon is 21.0975 km (13.1094 miles), so finish time equals your average pace per kilometer multiplied by 21.0975. The rest of this page is the chart.
The headline benchmarks
If you only remember six numbers, remember these. Each one is the average pace required to just break the round-number barrier.
- Sub-1:30 half marathon → 4:15/km (6:50/mile). Strict line is 4:15.95/km, so 4:16/km gets you 1:30:01 — a one-second miss. Run 4:15/km flat and you finish in 1:29:40.
- Sub-1:45 half marathon → 4:58/km (8:00/mile). Strict line is 4:58.61/km. Round up to 4:59/km and you finish in 1:45:08 — over the line.
- Sub-2:00 half marathon → 5:41/km (9:09/mile). Strict line is 5:41.27/km, so this is the rare benchmark where the rounded pace is still safe: 5:41/km lands you at 1:59:54. The most popular goal in the distance.
- Sub-2:15 half marathon → 6:23/km (10:16/mile). Strict line is 6:23.93/km. Run a flat 6:24/km and you finish in 2:15:01 — one second over. Aim for 6:23/km to bank the buffer.
- Sub-2:30 half marathon → 7:06/km (11:26/mile). Strict line is 7:06.59/km. A flat 7:07/km finishes in 2:30:09.
- Sub-3:00 half marathon → 8:31/km (13:42/mile). Strict line is 8:31.91/km. A flat 8:32/km finishes in 3:00:02 — two seconds over.
A worked example so you can audit the rest of this page: a 2:00:00 half marathon is 7,200 seconds. Divide by 21.0975 km and you get 341.27 seconds per kilometer, or 5 minutes and 41.27 seconds per kilometer. The decimal matters. Round it to 5:41/km and you lose 0.27 seconds per kilometer, which over 21 kilometers is about 6 seconds in your favour — hence 1:59:54. Round the other way, to 5:42/km, and you've added 15 seconds to your finish and you're a 2:00:15 runner. That's why the chart below uses the exact unrounded math and shows the resulting finish time to the nearest second.
Notice that the sub-1:30 half marathon pace (4:15.95/km) is the same number as the sub-3:00 marathon pace. That's not a coincidence — a half marathon is exactly half the distance, so every half marathon goal maps to a marathon goal at twice the time at the same pace. Nobody runs the marathon at their half marathon pace, though, which is what the marathon pace chart and the FAQ at the bottom of this page are for.
The reverse direction is just as useful. If you know the pace you can hold, you can read off the finish time without doing arithmetic on race morning. A runner who can comfortably run 5:00/km in training is, all else equal, looking at a 1:45 half marathon. Not 1:44, not 1:46 — 1:45:29. The math doesn't negotiate.
Half marathon pace chart (metric)
Pace per km from 3:30 to 8:00 in 5-second increments. Finish times calculated as pace × 21.0975 km. 10K and 5K splits calculated as pace × 10 and pace × 5. Mile pace calculated as pace × 1.609344.
| Pace per km | Half marathon finish | Pace per mile | 10K split | 5K split |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:30 | 1:13:50 | 5:38 | 35:00 | 17:30 |
| 3:35 | 1:15:36 | 5:46 | 35:50 | 17:55 |
| 3:40 | 1:17:21 | 5:54 | 36:40 | 18:20 |
| 3:45 | 1:19:07 | 6:02 | 37:30 | 18:45 |
| 3:50 | 1:20:52 | 6:10 | 38:20 | 19:10 |
| 3:55 | 1:22:38 | 6:18 | 39:10 | 19:35 |
| 4:00 | 1:24:23 | 6:26 | 40:00 | 20:00 |
| 4:05 | 1:26:09 | 6:34 | 40:50 | 20:25 |
| 4:10 | 1:27:54 | 6:42 | 41:40 | 20:50 |
| 4:15 | 1:29:40 | 6:50 | 42:30 | 21:15 |
| 4:20 | 1:31:25 | 6:58 | 43:20 | 21:40 |
| 4:25 | 1:33:11 | 7:06 | 44:10 | 22:05 |
| 4:30 | 1:34:56 | 7:15 | 45:00 | 22:30 |
| 4:35 | 1:36:42 | 7:23 | 45:50 | 22:55 |
| 4:40 | 1:38:27 | 7:31 | 46:40 | 23:20 |
| 4:45 | 1:40:13 | 7:39 | 47:30 | 23:45 |
| 4:50 | 1:41:58 | 7:47 | 48:20 | 24:10 |
| 4:55 | 1:43:44 | 7:55 | 49:10 | 24:35 |
| 5:00 | 1:45:29 | 8:03 | 50:00 | 25:00 |
| 5:05 | 1:47:15 | 8:11 | 50:50 | 25:25 |
| 5:10 | 1:49:00 | 8:19 | 51:40 | 25:50 |
| 5:15 | 1:50:46 | 8:27 | 52:30 | 26:15 |
| 5:20 | 1:52:31 | 8:35 | 53:20 | 26:40 |
| 5:25 | 1:54:17 | 8:43 | 54:10 | 27:05 |
| 5:30 | 1:56:02 | 8:51 | 55:00 | 27:30 |
| 5:35 | 1:57:48 | 8:59 | 55:50 | 27:55 |
| 5:40 | 1:59:33 | 9:07 | 56:40 | 28:20 |
| 5:45 | 2:01:19 | 9:15 | 57:30 | 28:45 |
| 5:50 | 2:03:04 | 9:23 | 58:20 | 29:10 |
| 5:55 | 2:04:50 | 9:31 | 59:10 | 29:35 |
| 6:00 | 2:06:35 | 9:39 | 1:00:00 | 30:00 |
| 6:05 | 2:08:21 | 9:47 | 1:00:50 | 30:25 |
| 6:10 | 2:10:06 | 9:55 | 1:01:40 | 30:50 |
| 6:15 | 2:11:52 | 10:04 | 1:02:30 | 31:15 |
| 6:20 | 2:13:37 | 10:12 | 1:03:20 | 31:40 |
| 6:25 | 2:15:23 | 10:20 | 1:04:10 | 32:05 |
| 6:30 | 2:17:08 | 10:28 | 1:05:00 | 32:30 |
| 6:35 | 2:18:54 | 10:36 | 1:05:50 | 32:55 |
| 6:40 | 2:20:39 | 10:44 | 1:06:40 | 33:20 |
| 6:45 | 2:22:24 | 10:52 | 1:07:30 | 33:45 |
| 6:50 | 2:24:10 | 11:00 | 1:08:20 | 34:10 |
| 6:55 | 2:25:55 | 11:08 | 1:09:10 | 34:35 |
| 7:00 | 2:27:41 | 11:16 | 1:10:00 | 35:00 |
| 7:05 | 2:29:26 | 11:24 | 1:10:50 | 35:25 |
| 7:10 | 2:31:12 | 11:32 | 1:11:40 | 35:50 |
| 7:15 | 2:32:57 | 11:40 | 1:12:30 | 36:15 |
| 7:20 | 2:34:43 | 11:48 | 1:13:20 | 36:40 |
| 7:25 | 2:36:28 | 11:56 | 1:14:10 | 37:05 |
| 7:30 | 2:38:14 | 12:04 | 1:15:00 | 37:30 |
| 7:35 | 2:39:59 | 12:12 | 1:15:50 | 37:55 |
| 7:40 | 2:41:45 | 12:20 | 1:16:40 | 38:20 |
| 7:45 | 2:43:30 | 12:28 | 1:17:30 | 38:45 |
| 7:50 | 2:45:16 | 12:36 | 1:18:20 | 39:10 |
| 7:55 | 2:47:01 | 12:44 | 1:19:10 | 39:35 |
| 8:00 | 2:48:47 | 12:52 | 1:20:00 | 40:00 |
A note on rounding: pace columns are rounded to the nearest second. Finish time and split columns are computed from the unrounded pace and then rounded to the nearest second. That's why a 5:00/km pace shows an 8:03/mile pace but the 8:00/mile row in the imperial chart below produces a slightly different finish. They're the same race plan viewed through two different rounding lenses — and on race day, neither will land you within a second of the displayed time anyway, because GPS watches drift, courses run long, and you'll slow through at least one aid station. Treat the chart as the target, not the prophecy.
Half marathon pace chart (imperial)
Pace per mile from 5:30 to 13:00 in 10-second increments. Half marathon distance in miles = 21.0975 / 1.609344 = 13.1094 mi. The 10-mile split is where most people find out whether the goal was honest.
| Pace per mile | Half marathon finish | Pace per km | 10-mile split |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5:30 | 1:12:06 | 3:25 | 55:00 |
| 5:40 | 1:14:17 | 3:31 | 56:40 |
| 5:50 | 1:16:28 | 3:37 | 58:20 |
| 6:00 | 1:18:39 | 3:44 | 1:00:00 |
| 6:10 | 1:20:50 | 3:50 | 1:01:40 |
| 6:20 | 1:23:02 | 3:56 | 1:03:20 |
| 6:30 | 1:25:13 | 4:02 | 1:05:00 |
| 6:40 | 1:27:24 | 4:09 | 1:06:40 |
| 6:50 | 1:29:35 | 4:15 | 1:08:20 |
| 7:00 | 1:31:46 | 4:21 | 1:10:00 |
| 7:10 | 1:33:57 | 4:27 | 1:11:40 |
| 7:20 | 1:36:08 | 4:33 | 1:13:20 |
| 7:30 | 1:38:19 | 4:40 | 1:15:00 |
| 7:40 | 1:40:30 | 4:46 | 1:16:40 |
| 7:50 | 1:42:41 | 4:52 | 1:18:20 |
| 8:00 | 1:44:53 | 4:58 | 1:20:00 |
| 8:10 | 1:47:04 | 5:04 | 1:21:40 |
| 8:20 | 1:49:15 | 5:11 | 1:23:20 |
| 8:30 | 1:51:26 | 5:17 | 1:25:00 |
| 8:40 | 1:53:37 | 5:23 | 1:26:40 |
| 8:50 | 1:55:48 | 5:29 | 1:28:20 |
| 9:00 | 1:57:59 | 5:36 | 1:30:00 |
| 9:10 | 2:00:10 | 5:42 | 1:31:40 |
| 9:20 | 2:02:21 | 5:48 | 1:33:20 |
| 9:30 | 2:04:32 | 5:54 | 1:35:00 |
| 9:40 | 2:06:43 | 6:00 | 1:36:40 |
| 9:50 | 2:08:55 | 6:07 | 1:38:20 |
| 10:00 | 2:11:06 | 6:13 | 1:40:00 |
| 10:10 | 2:13:17 | 6:19 | 1:41:40 |
| 10:20 | 2:15:28 | 6:25 | 1:43:20 |
| 10:30 | 2:17:39 | 6:31 | 1:45:00 |
| 10:40 | 2:19:50 | 6:38 | 1:46:40 |
| 10:50 | 2:22:01 | 6:44 | 1:48:20 |
| 11:00 | 2:24:12 | 6:50 | 1:50:00 |
| 11:10 | 2:26:23 | 6:56 | 1:51:40 |
| 11:20 | 2:28:34 | 7:03 | 1:53:20 |
| 11:30 | 2:30:45 | 7:09 | 1:55:00 |
| 11:40 | 2:32:57 | 7:15 | 1:56:40 |
| 11:50 | 2:35:08 | 7:21 | 1:58:20 |
| 12:00 | 2:37:19 | 7:27 | 2:00:00 |
| 12:10 | 2:39:30 | 7:34 | 2:01:40 |
| 12:20 | 2:41:41 | 7:40 | 2:03:20 |
| 12:30 | 2:43:52 | 7:46 | 2:05:00 |
| 12:40 | 2:46:03 | 7:52 | 2:06:40 |
| 12:50 | 2:48:14 | 7:58 | 2:08:20 |
| 13:00 | 2:50:25 | 8:05 | 2:10:00 |
Goal time to pace
The charts above start from pace. This table starts from the goal — the number most people actually walk in with — and gives you the pace plus the checkpoint times you should see on the course clocks at 5K, 10K, 15K and 20K if you're running dead even. Pace is the unrounded value rounded to the nearest second; checkpoints are computed from the unrounded pace.
| Goal time | Pace per km | Pace per mile | 5K | 10K | 15K | 20K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:20:00 | 3:48 | 6:06 | 18:58 | 37:55 | 56:53 | 1:15:50 |
| 1:25:00 | 4:02 | 6:29 | 20:09 | 40:17 | 1:00:26 | 1:20:35 |
| 1:30:00 | 4:16 | 6:52 | 21:20 | 42:40 | 1:03:59 | 1:25:19 |
| 1:35:00 | 4:30 | 7:15 | 22:31 | 45:02 | 1:07:33 | 1:30:03 |
| 1:40:00 | 4:44 | 7:38 | 23:42 | 47:24 | 1:11:06 | 1:34:48 |
| 1:45:00 | 4:59 | 8:01 | 24:53 | 49:46 | 1:14:39 | 1:39:32 |
| 1:50:00 | 5:13 | 8:23 | 26:04 | 52:08 | 1:18:12 | 1:44:17 |
| 1:55:00 | 5:27 | 8:46 | 27:15 | 54:31 | 1:21:46 | 1:49:01 |
| 2:00:00 | 5:41 | 9:09 | 28:26 | 56:53 | 1:25:19 | 1:53:45 |
| 2:10:00 | 6:10 | 9:55 | 30:49 | 1:01:37 | 1:32:26 | 2:03:14 |
| 2:15:00 | 6:24 | 10:18 | 32:00 | 1:03:59 | 1:35:59 | 2:07:59 |
| 2:20:00 | 6:38 | 10:41 | 33:11 | 1:06:22 | 1:39:32 | 2:12:43 |
| 2:30:00 | 7:07 | 11:27 | 35:33 | 1:11:06 | 1:46:39 | 2:22:12 |
| 2:45:00 | 7:49 | 12:35 | 39:06 | 1:18:12 | 1:57:19 | 2:36:25 |
| 3:00:00 | 8:32 | 13:44 | 42:40 | 1:25:19 | 2:07:59 | 2:50:38 |
The pace column here is rounded to the nearest second, which for 1:30, 1:45, 2:15, 2:30 and 3:00 rounds up and puts you a few seconds over the line (see the headline benchmarks above). If you're chasing an exact barrier, use the pace from the benchmarks section, not this table. If you're using the table to plan checkpoint times, it's exact.
How to use the chart on race day
Pick the goal time a recent race result says is realistic — not the one you'd like in a perfect world. Find the row. Memorize the pace and the 10K checkpoint. Those two numbers are the whole plan.
- Even splits are the default. For a first or second half marathon, the right plan is the same number on the watch every kilometer. If you've raced the distance a few times and want to run your fastest one, the answer is a slight negative split: the first 10K at 3–5 seconds per kilometer slower than goal pace, the last 11K at 3–5 seconds faster. The half is short enough that a big positive split (going out hard and hanging on) costs you less than it does in a marathon, but it still costs. The split shapes are the same as in the full distance, and the marathon pacing guide covers them in detail.
- Assume the GPS is wrong in cities. Tall buildings, tunnels and underpasses push a GPS watch to read long — often by 1–2% over a city half, which means your watch will show a faster pace than you're actually running on the measured course. Trust the course kilometer markers and the checkpoint column above, not the lap pace on your wrist. If the markers say you're 20 seconds behind the watch at 10K, the markers are right.
- Bank nothing. The oldest mistake in the distance is running the first 5K at 10 seconds per kilometer faster than goal "to have something in hand." You'll spend it back with interest between 15K and 19K. The buffer you actually need is the one for extra distance: tangents, weaving and GPS drift mean most people cover 21.2–21.3 km on a 21.0975 km course, so a sub-2:00 goal measured on your watch needs about 5:39/km, not 5:41/km. Build that buffer into your pace from kilometer one, not into a fast opening 5K.
What the chart doesn't say is how to arrive at the start line ready to run it. For that, see race week: the 7-day taper. If some of your goal-pace work happens indoors, treadmill pace conversion explains why the belt number isn't the road number.
What's a realistic half marathon goal?
The honest way to pick a row is from a recent 5K or 10K result, using the Riegel formula: T2 = T1 × (D2 / D1)^1.06. The 1.06 exponent is the fatigue factor — it's what makes a half marathon more than 2.11 times a 10K.
Two worked examples:
- A 22:00 5K. 21.0975 / 5 = 4.2195, and 4.2195^1.06 = 4.6002. 22:00 is 1,320 seconds × 4.6002 = 6,072 seconds = 1:41:12, which is 4:48/km (7:43/mile) on the chart. The sub-1:40 row (4:44/km) is a stretch from a 22-minute 5K; the 1:45 row is conservative.
- A 50:00 10K. 21.0975 / 10 = 2.10975, and 2.10975^1.06 = 2.2064. 50:00 is 3,000 seconds × 2.2064 = 6,619 seconds = 1:50:19, which is 5:14/km (8:25/mile). A 50-minute 10K runner chasing sub-2:00 has about 10 minutes of margin; chasing sub-1:45 is a different training block.
Riegel assumes you're trained for the longer distance. A 5K runner who has never run more than 12 km in training will not hit the Riegel prediction, because the formula describes fitness, not endurance. If your long run is already 16–18 km, trust it. For the full picture of where any given time sits by age and sex, see what is a good half marathon time. And for the top of the chart — where the men's world record is Yomif Kejelcha's 56:51 in Buenos Aires on August 23, 2026 (pending ratification), and the women's is Letesenbet Gidey's 1:02:52 from Valencia 2021 — see the half marathon world record page. Both are faster than the top row of the metric chart by a wide margin: Kejelcha's pace was 2:42/km.
FAQ
What pace is a 2 hour half marathon?
A 2:00:00 half marathon is 5:41/km or 9:09/mile. The strict pace is 5:41.27/km, so running an even 5:41/km finishes in 1:59:54 and breaks two hours with six seconds to spare. Running 5:42/km finishes in 2:00:15. On a GPS watch in a city race, plan for 5:39/km to absorb the extra distance.
What pace is a 1:45 half marathon?
A 1:45:00 half marathon is 4:58.61/km, which is 4:58/km or 8:00/mile on the watch. An even 4:58/km finishes in 1:44:47. Rounding up to 4:59/km finishes in 1:45:08, eight seconds over, so if sub-1:45 is the goal, 4:58/km is the number — not 4:59. For the same reason, 1:30 needs 4:15/km (not 4:16) and 1:50 needs 5:12/km (not 5:13).
What is a good half marathon pace?
It depends on who's asking. For a first-timer, finishing is the goal and 6:30–7:30/km (2:17–2:38) is typical. A regular recreational runner who trains three or four times a week usually lands between 5:15/km and 6:00/km (1:51–2:07). Breaking 1:45 (4:58/km) puts you in the faster end of most club fields, and breaking 1:30 (4:15/km) is a serious amateur benchmark that takes years of consistent training for most people. The full breakdown by age and sex is in the good half marathon time guide.
How do I convert half marathon pace to marathon pace?
Not by doubling. Marathon pace is typically 15–25 seconds per kilometer slower than half marathon pace for a well-trained runner, and the gap widens if your long runs are short. A 2:00 half marathoner (5:41/km) is realistically a 5:56–6:06/km marathoner, which is a 4:10–4:17 marathon, not 4:00. A 1:45 half marathoner (4:58/km) maps to 5:14–5:24/km and a 3:41–3:48 marathon. The shorthand is that a marathon takes 2.1 to 2.2 times your half marathon time. Once you have the pace, read off the finish time on the marathon pace chart.
Build your own splits
The chart above gives you a single average pace. The race itself rarely cooperates — a hill at 8K, a headwind on the exposed section, a crowded first kilometer that costs you 20 seconds before you've found your rhythm. Tweak per-kilometer paces and model splits at runpace.co. Build the race shape you actually want to run, then put the watch on the wrist that has to deliver it.