To run a 3:05 hour marathon you need to run at a pace of 7:03 per mile or 4:23 per kilometer.
Following the splits below (and shaving off a second), you’ll run a sub-3:05 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.
3:05 Marathon Pace in Miles
| Mile | Split |
|---|---|
| 1 | 7:03 |
| 2 | 14:07 |
| 3 | 21:10 |
| 4 | 28:13 |
| 5 | 35:17 |
| 6 | 42:20 |
| 7 | 49:24 |
| 8 | 56:27 |
| 9 | 1:03:30 |
| 10 | 1:10:34 |
| 11 | 1:17:37 |
| 12 | 1:24:40 |
| 13 | 1:31:44 |
| 14 | 1:38:47 |
| 15 | 1:45:50 |
| 16 | 1:52:54 |
| 17 | 1:59:57 |
| 18 | 2:07:00 |
| 19 | 2:14:04 |
| 20 | 2:21:07 |
| 21 | 2:28:11 |
| 22 | 2:35:14 |
| 23 | 2:42:17 |
| 24 | 2:49:21 |
| 25 | 2:56:24 |
| 26 | 3:03:27 |
| 26.2 | 3:05:00 |
3:05 Marathon Pace in KM
| KM | Split |
|---|---|
| 1 | 4:23 |
| 2 | 8:46 |
| 3 | 13:09 |
| 4 | 17:32 |
| 5 | 21:55 |
| 6 | 26:18 |
| 7 | 30:41 |
| 8 | 35:05 |
| 9 | 39:28 |
| 10 | 43:51 |
| 11 | 48:14 |
| 12 | 52:37 |
| 13 | 57:00 |
| 14 | 1:01:23 |
| 15 | 1:05:46 |
| 16 | 1:10:09 |
| 17 | 1:14:32 |
| 18 | 1:18:55 |
| 19 | 1:23:18 |
| 20 | 1:27:41 |
| 21 | 1:32:04 |
| 22 | 1:36:27 |
| 23 | 1:40:50 |
| 24 | 1:45:14 |
| 25 | 1:49:37 |
| 26 | 1:54:00 |
| 27 | 1:58:23 |
| 28 | 2:02:46 |
| 29 | 2:07:09 |
| 30 | 2:11:32 |
| 31 | 2:15:55 |
| 32 | 2:20:18 |
| 33 | 2:24:41 |
| 34 | 2:29:04 |
| 35 | 2:33:27 |
| 36 | 2:37:50 |
| 37 | 2:42:13 |
| 38 | 2:46:36 |
| 39 | 2:51:00 |
| 40 | 2:55:23 |
| 41 | 2:59:46 |
| 42 | 3:04:09 |
| 42.2 | 3:05:00 |
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 3:05 Marathon
Is 3:05 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 3:05 marathon compares against age and gender for the races recorded:
| Overall | You’re faster than 97.4% of all runners. |
| Male | You’re faster than 96.0% of males. |
| Female | You’re faster than 99.3% of females. |
| <20 | You’re faster than 95.1% of under 20s. |
| 20-29 | You’re faster than 95.4% of 20-29 year olds. |
| 30-39 | You’re faster than 96.4% of 30-39 year olds. |
| 40-49 | You’re faster than 98.2% of 40-49 year olds. |
| 50-59 | You’re faster than 99.5% of 50-59 year olds. |
| >60 | You’re faster than 99.9% of over 60s. |
Training Runs and Paces for a 3:05 Marathon
To break a 3:05 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 19:15 mins
- A 10k in 40:10 mins
- A half marathon in 1 hour 25 mins
Pace for Training
| Pace | Mins per Mile | Mins per KM |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 7:57 | 4:56 |
| Steady | 7:03 | 4:23 |
| 10k | 6:28 | 04:01 |
| 5k | 6:12 | 03:51 |
| 1 Mile | 5:45 | 03:36 |
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 8:00/mile or 4:58/km). Next 1 mile (1.6 km): Fast pace at 6:00/mile (3:44/km). Next 5 miles (8 km): Medium effort, heart rate around 160 bpm (approximately 7:00/mile or 4:21/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 3:00 per interval (3:45/km). – Aim for 6-12 repetitions with equal time for recovery. |
| Mile Repeats: | – 1 mile repeats at 6:00 per mile (3:44/km). – Aim for 6-12 repetitions with a 1-2 minute recovery jog. |
| Longer Intervals: | – 2 mile repeats at 6:10 per mile (3:44/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 3:05 Marathon
Periodization
Incorporate periodization into your training plan, which involves cycling through different training phases that have specific focuses.
Start with a base-building phase to increase aerobic capacity and general endurance.
Follow this up with a strength phase, focusing on hill workouts and tempo runs to enhance muscular endurance.
Then finally transition to a peak phase, working on your speedwork and focusing on your race-pace runs.
This is going to work your body in all the areas you need to make sure you’re completing the full pie of your training needs.
Nutrition and Hydration
The training regimen I’ve set out above is pretty intense, so to make sure you are supporting your body, make sure to pay close attention to your nutrition and hydration.
Aim for a balanced diet rich in carbohydrates for energy, proteins for muscle repair, and fats for long-term energy.
Hydrate properly before and during long runs, to maintain performance and prevent dehydration.
Practice your race-day nutrition strategy during long runs to ensure your body is accustomed to the gels, drinks, or snacks you plan to use during the marathon.
Mental
If you’ve completed the training above your body is probably in a spot where it can physically run a 3:05 marathon.
And so, the only thing that can stop you from achieving your goal is your mind.
Mental fortitude is often the hidden factor between average marathon runners and great ones.
Incorporate mental training techniques such as visualization, where you mentally rehearse running the race, focusing on maintaining pace and overcoming challenges.
When it gets really tough during runs, I find it helps to set incremental goals by picking a point in the distance, running to it, and then setting yourself the next one.
This simple process can make what feels undoable, doable.
On race day, consider mindfulness practices like meditation to reduce race-day anxiety, helping you stay calm throughout the marathon.
Injury Prevention
Given the high weekly mileage and intense workouts required for a 3:05 marathon, staying injury-free needs to be very high on your list if you want to train for a long period.
Give strength training a go, focusing on core stability, and lower body exercises to help with running efficiency and reduce injury risk.
Regularly perform flexibility and mobility exercises to maintain muscle elasticity and joint range of motion.
I also like to use recovery tools like foam rollers and my trusty massage gun.
But there are also other bits of supportive gear like compression gear that other runners really vouch for. If you’ve got repeat injuries that keep showing up, i’d really recommended having a deeper look into this as the gear has come a long way in the last few years.
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.
