What is a Good Marathon Time? Benchmarks by Age, Gender, and Ability

Benchmarking your marathon time by age, gender, and ability

So, how can you work out what a good marathon time is for you?

To do this, you need to compare your performance (or target performance) with like-for-like age- and ability-based data.

For the table below, we’ve used marathon running data which breaks down ability categories as follows:

• Beginner: faster than 5% of runners.

• Novice: faster than 20% of runners. 

• Intermediate: faster than 50% of runners. 

• Advanced: faster than 80% of runners. 

Gaining an intermediate or advanced time for your age group would certainly be classed as a good marathon time: it means you’re better than more than half of similarly-aged runners. And that’s something to be proud of.

Setting your target marathon time

While it’s always helpful to have an accurate benchmark for a good marathon time, the above figures don’t take into account the nuances of your personal marathon journey.

Over and above your age and ability, the time you complete a marathon in can be influenced by several other factors, including:

• Training volume and consistency

• Whether you’ve been ill

• Whether you are carrying any injuries

• Your marathon racing experience

• How you cope with race-day nerves and the mental challenge of a marathon

So, when you’re setting a target time for your next marathon, it’s important that the goal is based on your current fitness level and takes into account the factors above.

And, while it’s brilliant to be ambitious, your target time, and necessary pacing, needs to be realistic; otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. 

Use your VDOT score to predict your marathon time

VDOT is a running fitness score created by Dr Jack Daniels. It’s based on your recent race performances (or training runs) and uses mathematical formulas to predict what times you could achieve for different distances, including the marathon.

To work out your VDOT score, go for an all-out test run over 3km, 5km, or 10km (or use a recent race time) and then use an online VDOT calculator to input your time and personal credentials. The tool will then work out a predicted marathon time.

From there, you can then benchmark your VDOT against other runners and use your VDOT score to work out your ideal marathon race pace.

For example, if you are a 40-year-old male with a 10km personal best of 45 minutes, your VDOT score will be around 46. This means you could run a marathon in 03:27:00, and would need to average 7:54 per mile pace to achieve that.

You can also use VDOT data to benchmark your existing marathon time, if you have one.

Pacing your marathon training runs

Using the VDOT data for your predicted marathon time, you can work out what pace you should be running at during training:

• Complete most of your runs at 10-20% slower than your goal marathon pace, building endurance while keeping fatigue levels manageable.

• Gradually speed up during your longer runs, so the final miles are closer to 10% slower than marathon pace. This will simulate that late-race fatigue.

• Include 8-14 miles at your target marathon pace within selected long runs (ideally every three weeks). This will teach your body – and your mind – what race pace feels like.

How to improve your marathon time

Now that you understand what a good marathon time is, you need to know how to achieve it.

There are many ways to improve your marathon time, from streamlining your running form to being strategic with your rest days.

Add interval training and speedwork to your training

Following a marathon training plan doesn’t just involve running at the same pace day in, day out until you can cover 26.2 miles. 

Instead, try a variety of running sessions, including fartlek training, or interval training, which offers numerous benefits for long-distance runners.

Adding interval sessions – which include short, high-speed run repeats – to your training plan will help you run a marathon faster by making your normal pace feel easier. It will also improve your lactate threshold, so your muscles can sustain speed without fatiguing quickly, and boost your VO₂ max, increasing the efficiency with which your body uses oxygen. 

Improve your running form

Making sure you’re running with the correct form is crucial to clocking a PB in your next marathon. 

A solid technique improves your balance and stride mechanics, helping you conserve energy, delay the onset of fatigue, and cover the ground more easily. Running will feel smoother and easier, and you’ll be able to maintain your marathon pace more comfortably.

The simplest ways to improve your running form are to add basic running technique drills like high knees, bounding, skipping, and butt kicks to your training warm-up, and to do strength training.

Add strength and resistance workouts to your training

Regular strength training helps you run a faster marathon by making your muscles stronger and more efficient. 

Research shows that adding regular functional strength training sessions to your marathon running plan will improve your running technique and muscular endurance, meaning you use less energy to maintain your pace – even in those final few miles where you feel like you’ve got nothing left to give.

Master your nutrition and hydration

It can be a real balancing act between eating and drinking enough so that you’re well fuelled for your 26.2-mile endeavour, without consuming so much that you feel sluggish and lethargic.

So, you need to experiment. Your long training runs are the ideal opportunity to practise your marathon nutrition and hydration strategy. Use these sessions to play around with how much liquid you take on board, how many grams of carbs you consume per hour, and whether you prefer gels or chews to keep you going.

Taper and rest properly

Proper rest before race day is non‑negotiable if you want to run a good marathon time.

Research shows that a disciplined taper – gradually reducing running volume for 2-3 weeks before your marathon – helps your body recover from your training plan and restores your muscles’ energy before the big day. Find out why tapering is important in our detailed guide.

The findings of this study were stark: recreational runners who followed a strict taper ran, on average, between five and six minutes quicker than those who didn’t.

Devise a race pace strategy

Make sure you go into race day with a pace plan in your head. You can always adjust it as the race progresses if needed, but knowing what to do when the gun goes off will mean you can head into the event with confidence.

Research shows that runners who pace marathons evenly or run a negative split – starting slower and then increasing the pace in the second half – typically cross the finish line in a better time than those who start too fast.

This is because running the first half of a marathon slightly conservatively helps you maintain energy, conserve glycogen, and reduce fatigue, meaning you’ve got energy stores to dip into when things get tough.

Achieving a good marathon time for your age, ability, and gender

Ultimately, a “good” marathon time is different for every runner, so try not to compare your training marks and race times to others’.

However, if you do want a guide on how you are faring, use benchmarks that include gender, age, and ability data, and tools like your VDOT score to set yourself a realistic target.

When it comes to achieving a good marathon time, make sure your training plan includes speedwork, intervals, and strength training, and that you’re using your long runs to practise hydration, nutrition, and pacing strategies.

Ultimately, whether you hit a personal best, beat your age-group average, or simply cross the finish line, completing a marathon is a huge achievement. It’s estimated that only 0.17% of the population runs a marathon, so it’s something you should be proud of regardless of your time.