Marathon Pacing Strategy Calculator

Create a personalized pacing strategy based on your goal time, course profile, and weather conditions

Marathon Goal Time

Format: H:MM:SS or H:MM

Marathon Course

Temperature (°F)

Humidity (%)

Experience Level

We use race-pace models and your unique physiology to help you use energy wisely and run steady splits.

We tailor your plan to your goal, fitness level, and the course, so you can race with confidence.

You'll get simple, step-by-step instructions for each mile or kilometer of your race.

• Start to Mile 5 (Warm-Up Zone): Run at 10–15 seconds slower than goal pace to settle in and gauge conditions.
• Mile 6 to 15 (Steady State): Lock into your target pace, maintaining even effort. Adjust by 5–10 seconds if the course undulates (features rolling hills).
• Mile 16 to 20 (Threshold Push): Start to pick up your pace by 2 to 3 seconds per mile as your energy stores start to run low.
• Final 10K (Finish Strong): If you've paced yourself well, try to speed up by 5 to 10 seconds per mile for a strong finish.

Use Effort, Not Just Pace: In windy or hilly sections, lean on heart rate or perceived exertion to stay on target when GPS can lag. Adjust your splits for hills by adding or subtracting 5 to 8 seconds per mile to maintain a steady effort.
Practice in Training: Rehearse your planned start-to-finish pacing on long runs and tune-up races to build confidence.
Stay Flexible: Know your plan, but be ready to adjust your pace by a few seconds if conditions change.
Break It Into Chunks: Try dividing the race into segments, like 10K blocks, and focus on just the next split.

Running even or slightly faster splits in the second half can boost your performance by 1 to 3 percent and help you avoid hitting the wall.

Segment	Target Pace	Notes
Miles 1–5	8:10 / mile	Warm up and check how you feel
Miles 6–15	8:00 / mile	Settle into your steady pace
Miles 16–20	7:57–7:55 / mile	Push slightly as you stay controlled
Miles 21–26.2	7:50–7:45 / mile	Finish strong, giving your best effort

Going Out Too Fast: If you start 10 to 20 seconds per mile faster than your goal pace, you'll use up your energy too soon.
Neglecting Course Profile: Not adjusting for hills can make your splits uneven and leave you feeling more tired.
Ignoring Conditions: If you don't account for heat, humidity, or wind, even a good pacing plan can become tough to follow.

A: Yes—running the second half 1–2% faster than the first helps you avoid burnout and finish strong.

A: Add 5–8 seconds per mile on uphill miles and subtract the same on downhill miles to keep effort even.

A: Use perceived exertion or heart-rate guidance to tweak your splits on the fly—our plan flags how much to adjust.

Use the calculator above to create your own pacing plan and finish your race right on target!