Planning your next goal race? Here's how long it takes to run every race distance, from a 1 mile surge to the 100 mile ultra.
Chasing down your next running goal starts with honing in on your target pace. Sub 20 minute 5k? Get comfortable with 6:30 minute per mile pace. Sub 3 hour marathon? Start working those tempo sessions at 6:50. Sub 2 hour half? Let's do some long runs at 9:10 pace. Below, we've got the paces for all of those goals and more, so you can structure your next training block to set you up for success.
Depending on your genetics and fitness level, it can take anywhere from under 4 minutes for the most elite among us to 15+ minutes to run a mile. Most healthy and relatively fit adults can run a mile somewhere between 6 and 10 minutes. If you're looking to improve your mile time and don't have a lot of experience with structured training, building your aerobic base through consistent low-intensity runs is a great place to start.
You can use a recent 5k result or a one mile time trial to estimate your two-mile race pace. Elite athletes in peak form will finish the two mile distance between 8 and 9 minutes. Professional runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen just set the new two-mile world record in Paris in June 2023, running a blazing 7:54.10, an average of sub-4 minute mile pace. Here's how long it will take to finish two miles for some common pace levels.
If you have a recent 5k result, you'll be able to know your three-mile capability pretty easily. Subtract 15 to 45 seconds from that 5k finish time and you'll have a pebble's-roll close estimate, as the 5k distance is 3.1 miles. Below are some 3 mile finish times for common pace ranges.
If you're starting a half marathon or marathon training block, you'll want to get comfortable with the 5 mile distance. For most runners, this will be the bread and butter of your training week: easy runs of 3 to 6 miles to stimulate aerobic development. Throughout the course of a training season, you'll likely see your effort decrease and your pace increase as you build fitness. Here's how long it takes to run 5 miles for different fitness levels.
If you've got a few 5ks under your belt, the 10k is the perfect race distance to take on next. For more experienced runners, the 10k is a great tune-up race for a marathon or a general test of fitness. It's short enough where the pace you'll have to hold is fast and furious and long enough to be a good benchmark for your endurance. Here are some finish times for the 10k for varying paces.
The 10 mile distance is a common long run length during marathon and half marathon training. Once you've built up your aerobic base through consistency, the 10 weekend miler will start to feel more comfortable over time. The 10 mile race distance isn't as popular as the 10k and half marathon lengths, but there are some notable 10 milers throughout the US each year, like the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in DC each spring. Here are 10 mile finish times for different paces.
The half marathon is our favorite race distance here at Supwell. It's long enough to be a true test of endurance, where you need to put in serious work to get results—but it's not as long the marathon, where variables beyond your control can dictate your performance. Below are half marathon finish times.
The world record marathon time of 2:01:09 requires a speedy pace of 26.2 consecutive 4:37 minute miles, set by Eliud Kipchoge at the 2022 Berlin Marathon. For most fit adults, a marathon finish time between 2:30 and 4:30 is an achievable—and commendable—result. On the faster end of that spectrum, you'll see recreational runners who have put in years of training to maximize their potential. It takes a few cracks to truly master the distance, so don't be surprised if your first at-bat doesn't go as planned. Below are marathon finish times for a range of pace levels.
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