How long does it take to run a half marathon

How long does it take to run a half marathon: your pace per mile times 13.1. A 9:00 mile gives 1:58, a 10:00 mile 2:11, a 12:00 mile 2:37. This page shows how finish time follows from pace, how to set a target from a recent race, and what to do with that target. The generator below turns a goal time into a training plan.

How long does it take to run a half marathon at each pace

Finish time is pace multiplied by 13.109 miles. The table gives the finish for common training paces; find the pace you can hold on a long run and read across.

For the reverse question, pace from a finish time, use the half marathon pace chart; every row there links to mile and km splits.

What finish time should you expect?

For a first race the honest target is to finish, and a time comes from your training runs rather than the other way round. If you have run a 10K or a 5K recently, the pace calculator predicts your half marathon time with the Riegel formula. Treat that prediction as the fast end of the range: it assumes you have done the long runs, and on a first half the last three miles are new territory.

Runners who have raced the distance before can aim at the prediction directly, or pick a round target and train at the paces it implies. The 2 hour half marathon page is the common example.

How long does it take to run half a marathon with walk breaks

Walking parts of the course adds time but does not change the distance, and many first-timers plan short walks at the aid stations from the start. Expect a finish closer to the slower rows of the table above. Check the course time limit in the race rules before you register; most road races list it on the event page.

Planned walk breaks are a strategy, not a failure. A minute of walking every mile from the first mile keeps the running miles at an even pace and usually beats running until you have to walk. Practice the pattern on long runs so the watch routine is automatic on race day.

Why the race takes longer than the arithmetic

The table assumes a flat course, cool weather and a pace you hold from the first step. Real races add minutes in predictable places: a crowded start, a hilly middle section, a warm morning, a stop at every aid station. The watch also reads a little long, because you do not run the shortest line. None of these are reasons to go out faster. They are reasons to pick a target from the rows above with a small cushion, and to judge the day by effort rather than by the pace on the watch.

Turning a target time into training

Once you have a number, the plan writes itself. The generator takes the goal time and sets easy, long and tempo paces from it, so every run on the schedule points at the same finish. Pick the intermediate plan if you have raced the distance before, or the beginner plan for a first finish. If the Riegel check flags your target as ambitious, the fix is a longer plan, not a faster one.

Frequently asked questions