2:50 Marathon Pace Chart: Achieve a Sub-2:50

To run a 2:50 hour marathon you need to run at a pace of 6:29 per mile or 4:02 per kilometer.

Following the splits below (and shaving off a second), you’ll run a sub 2:50 marathon.

I’d recommend aiming to run 1-2 minutes ahead of the split target time from 10 miles, as you’ll likely come up against crowding on race day.

2:50 Marathon Pace in Miles

Mile	Split
1	6:29
2	12:58
3	19:27
4	25:56
5	32:25
6	38:54
7	45:23
8	51:52
9	58:21
10	1:04:50
11	1:11:19
12	1:17:48
13	1:24:17
14	1:30:46
15	1:37:16
16	1:43:45
17	1:50:14
18	1:56:43
19	2:03:12
20	2:09:41
21	2:16:10
22	2:22:39
23	2:29:08
24	2:35:37
25	2:42:06
26	2:48:35
26.2	2:50:00

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2:50 Marathon Pace in KM

KM	Split
1	4:02
2	8:03
3	12:05
4	16:07
5	20:09
6	24:10
7	28:12
8	32:14
9	36:16
10	40:17
11	44:19
12	48:21
13	52:23
14	56:24
15	1:00:26
16	1:04:28
17	1:08:29
18	1:12:31
19	1:16:33
20	1:20:35
21	1:24:36
22	1:28:38
23	1:32:40
24	1:36:42
25	1:40:43
26	1:44:45
27	1:48:47
28	1:52:49
29	1:56:50
30	2:00:52
31	2:04:54
32	2:08:56
33	2:12:57
34	2:16:59
35	2:21:01
36	2:25:02
37	2:29:04
38	2:33:06
39	2:37:08
40	2:41:09
41	2:45:11
42	2:49:13
42.2	2:50:00

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Other Marathon Pace Charts

	3:00	4:00	5:00	6:00	7:00
	3:05	4:05
	3:10	4:10
	3:15	4:15	5:15	6:15
	3:20	4:20
	3:25	4:25
2:30	3:30	4:30	5:30	6:30
2:35	3:35	4:35
2:40	3:40	4:40
2:45	3:45	4:45	5:45	6:45
2:50	3:50	4:50
2:55	3:55	4:55

Training for a 2:50 Marathon

Table Of Contents

Is 2:50 a Good Marathon Time?
Training Runs and Paces for a 2:50 Marathon
My Tips to Run a Sub 2:50 Marathon

Is 2:50 a Good Marathon Time?

Well, what do the stats say?

Run Repeat conducted a study that contains 19,614,975 marathon results from more than 32,335 races across the globe, here is how a 2:50 marathon compares against age and gender for the races recorded:

Overall	You’re faster than 99.0% of all runners.
Male	You’re faster than 98.5% of males.
Female	You’re faster than 99.7% of females.
<20	You’re faster than 97.6% of under 20s.
20-29	You’re faster than 98.0%of 20-29 year olds.
30-39	You’re faster than 98.7% of 30-39 year olds.
40-49	You’re faster than 99.5% of 40-49 year olds.
50-59	You’re faster than 99.9% of 50-59 year olds.
>60	You’re faster than 100% of over 60s.

Training Runs and Paces for a 2:50 Marathon

To break a 2:50 marathon you’ll need to do some serious distance in your training, I recommend at least 35 miles (56km) per week.

You’re also going to need to make sure you’ve crossed off these milestones for other race distances:

A 5k in 17:40 mins
A 10k in 36:50 mins
A half marathon in 1 hour 19 mins

Pace for Training

Pace	Mins per Mile	Mins per KM
Easy	7:18	4:32
Steady	6:29	4:01
10k	5:56	3:41
5k	5:42	3:32
1 Mile	5:17	3:18

Weekly Mileage Targets

Target Mileage:	Gradually increase your weekly mileage from 40 miles (64 km) to a peak of 68 miles (109 km).
Incremental Increase:	Increase mileage by approximately 10% each week, with every fourth week as a recovery week where mileage is reduced by 20-30%. Make sure to taper for the last 1-2 weeks.

Long Run Structure

Total Distance:	Build up to long runs of 20-22 miles (32-35 km).
Segment Example:	First 5 miles (8 km): Easy pace, heart rate 140-150 bpm (approximately 7:30/mile or 4:39/km). Next 1 mile (1.6 km): Fast pace at 5:30/mile (3:25/km). Next 5 miles (8 km): Medium effort, heart rate around 160 bpm (approximately 6:30/mile or 4:02/km). Repeat: Repeat the segment twice (5 miles easy, 1 mile fast, 5 miles medium), you can taper the final 2 miles if required.

Why This Works: Incorporating varied paces within long runs enhances lactate tolerance, which helps on race day when you’ve got to maintain pace despite feeling fatigued. By practicing surges during a run, you can build up your physical and mental resilience (lots of elite marathon runners use these strategies during their training)

Alternating Long Runs: Alternate between structured long runs (easy/fast segments) and easier long runs. For easier long runs, maintain a steady, comfortable pace throughout, focusing on mileage rather than speed to aid recovery.

Speedwork Sessions

Short Intervals:	– 800m repeats at 2:45 per interval (3:26/km). – Aim for 6-12 repetitions with equal time for recovery.
Mile Repeats:	– 1 mile repeats at 5:30 per mile (3:25/km). – Aim for 6-12 repetitions with a 1-2 minute recovery jog.
Longer Intervals:	– 2 mile repeats at 5:40 per mile (3:31/km). – Aim for 5-8 repetitions with a 2-3 minute recovery jog.

Recovery and Rest Days

Rest Days:	You don’t need to incorporate rest days if you are using recovery runs, but I recommend taking 1 (or a max of 2) per week to allow your body to recover and prevent overtraining.
Easy Run Days:	Include 1-2 easy run days per week at a relaxed pace of 8:30/mile (5:17/km), covering 5-10 miles (8-16 km) per day. Try to keep your heart rate below 140 bpm on easy days to ensure proper recovery and aerobic development.

My Tips to Run a Sub 2:50 Marathon

Don’t try and “bank time” in the marathon. I’ve tried it and it doesn’t work. This means trying to run the first half faster, putting you ahead enough so, that even if you have slower splits for the second half, you still finish your goal. What actually ends up happening is you hit the wall around 20-22 miles, and you slow down significantly, sometimes even walking or giving up.

What you want to do on race day is run “negative splits”. This is effectively the opposite, where you run the second half of your race faster than the first half. Normally start at your slowest, and slowly increase your speed every mile. If you find this doesn’t work for you, you can try running “even splits” (the same speed the whole race). These are commonly the best 2 strategies for running a fast marathon.

Using negative splits, you will find the first half easier for 2 reasons: you’re running slower and feeling fresher. Because of this, you want to try and zone out and get comfortable with the run-up until the halfway point. This will help it fly by, getting the distance under your belt and ready for challenge of the second half.

Try and find a pack of other runners on race day that can support you throughout the run. I like to have a chat with people while we’re waiting in the pen to see what their Personal Bests are and what time they are going for. Running in a tight pack with 3 or 4 others can really help to give you a boost. However, don’t be afraid to leave a group if they are not going at the right pace, pace is by far the most important. I don’t tell people I aim to run with them, so I don’t feel bad If I need to leave them.

Row Brown

Row Brown is the founder of Refresh Row. He is a keen marathon runner, his favorite being the London Marathon. He’s now set himself the mission of Running the Entire Length of Spain, which is scheduled for late 2024.