What pace do I need to run a sub-2 hour half marathon?

A sub-2:00 half marathon requires holding 5:41/km (9:09/mi) for 21.0975 km. A sub-1:45 needs 4:58/km (8:00/mi). A sub-1:30 needs 4:16/km (6:52/mi). The full table is shown above for finish times from 1:15 to 3:00 in 5-minute increments.

How long is a half marathon in kilometers and miles?

A half marathon is exactly 21.0975 kilometers, or 13.1094 miles — half the IAAF-standard marathon distance of 42.195 km.

What's a good half marathon pacing strategy?

On flat courses, target even splits or a slight negative split. A 5-second-per-km positive split costs roughly 1:45 over 21.1 km. Start no faster than goal pace for the first 2 km, settle in at goal pace through 18 km, and push the final 3 km if your effort allows.

How does the half marathon pace compare to marathon pace?

Half-marathon race pace is typically 15–25 seconds per kilometer faster than marathon race pace for the same runner. A 1:45 half marathon runner (4:58/km) usually races a marathon around 3:40 (5:13/km) — close to a 1.06 Riegel projection.

Does this calculator account for elevation?

The pace table assumes a flat course in neutral conditions. For hilly half marathons, run by even effort, not even pace — uphills slow you down, downhills speed you up. The Heat & Altitude calculator handles temperature and elevation adjustments separately.

Half Marathon Pace Calculator

The pace, splits, and 5K/10K/halfway checkpoints for any half marathon finish time from 1:15 to 3:00. Half marathon distance is fixed at 21.0975 km (13.1094 mi). Pick your goal, hold the pace, run an even split.

HALF MARATHON PACE TABLE · EVEN SPLITS · 21.0975 KM

Finish	/ km	/ mi	5K split	10K split	Halfway
1:15:00	3:33	5:43	17:46	0:35:33	0:37:30
1:20:00	3:48	6:06	18:58	0:37:55	0:40:00
1:25:00	4:02	6:29	20:09	0:40:17	0:42:30
1:30:00	4:16	6:52	21:20	0:42:40	0:45:00
1:35:00	4:30	7:15	22:31	0:45:02	0:47:30
1:40:00	4:44	7:38	23:42	0:47:24	0:50:00
1:45:00	4:59	8:01	24:53	0:49:46	0:52:30
1:50:00	5:13	8:23	26:04	0:52:08	0:55:00
1:55:00	5:27	8:46	27:15	0:54:31	0:57:30
2:00:00	5:41	9:09	28:26	0:56:53	1:00:00
2:05:00	5:55	9:32	29:37	0:59:15	1:02:30
2:10:00	6:10	9:55	30:49	1:01:37	1:05:00
2:15:00	6:24	10:18	31:60	1:03:59	1:07:30
2:20:00	6:38	10:41	33:11	1:06:22	1:10:00
2:25:00	6:52	11:04	34:22	1:08:44	1:12:30
2:30:00	7:07	11:27	35:33	1:11:06	1:15:00
2:35:00	7:21	11:49	36:44	1:13:28	1:17:30
2:40:00	7:35	12:12	37:55	1:15:50	1:20:00
2:45:00	7:49	12:35	39:06	1:18:12	1:22:30
2:50:00	8:03	12:58	40:17	1:20:35	1:25:00
2:55:00	8:18	13:21	41:28	1:22:57	1:27:30
3:00:00	8:32	13:44	42:40	1:25:19	1:30:00

Splits assume even pacing on a flat course. For a smart first-half / second-half plan, see our negative-split guide. Targeting a sub-2 half? The sub-2 pace plan breaks it down by 5K and 10K splits.

Half marathon pace calculator — custom goals

Need a finish time that isn't in the table, want negative-split pacing, or working in custom units? The calculator below defaults to the half marathon distance — change it, swap units, or recompute from a goal pace.

METHODOLOGY

How this calculator works

VDOT and equivalent training paces
VDOT is a single number that summarizes your aerobic fitness from a recent race performance. Daniels' tables map VDOT to equivalent times at every standard distance and to recommended paces for easy, marathon, threshold, interval, and repetition work. PaceCalc estimates VDOT from your inputs, then surfaces those equivalent paces.
Jack Daniels, Daniels' Running Formula, 3rd edition, Human Kinetics, 2013. Tables for VDOT and zone-based pacing.
Even-split and negative-split pacing
Pacing the first half of a race no faster than the second half ("even split") or slightly slower ("negative split") consistently outperforms going out hard. PaceCalc surfaces split tables that assume even pacing by default; you can toggle to a negative-split structure where it makes sense.
Empirical analysis of major-marathon finishers consistently shows fastest finishers ran even or slightly negative splits; positive splits correlate with slower finishes. Standard pacing guidance across coaching literature.

NOTES

Half marathon distance is fixed at 21.0975 km (13.1094 mi) per IAAF specification. The pace table assumes even pacing on a flat course.
A 5-second-per-km positive split in a half marathon costs roughly 1:45 over 21.1 km. Practice goal-pace work in your training so your watch-pace and effort-pace converge before race day.

FAQ

Frequently asked

What pace do I need to run a sub-2 hour half marathon?: A sub-2:00 half marathon requires holding 5:41/km (9:09/mi) for 21.0975 km. A sub-1:45 needs 4:58/km (8:00/mi). A sub-1:30 needs 4:16/km (6:52/mi). The full table is shown above for finish times from 1:15 to 3:00 in 5-minute increments.
How long is a half marathon in kilometers and miles?: A half marathon is exactly 21.0975 kilometers, or 13.1094 miles — half the IAAF-standard marathon distance of 42.195 km.
What's a good half marathon pacing strategy?: On flat courses, target even splits or a slight negative split. A 5-second-per-km positive split costs roughly 1:45 over 21.1 km. Start no faster than goal pace for the first 2 km, settle in at goal pace through 18 km, and push the final 3 km if your effort allows.
How does the half marathon pace compare to marathon pace?: Half-marathon race pace is typically 15–25 seconds per kilometer faster than marathon race pace for the same runner. A 1:45 half marathon runner (4:58/km) usually races a marathon around 3:40 (5:13/km) — close to a 1.06 Riegel projection.
Does this calculator account for elevation?: The pace table assumes a flat course in neutral conditions. For hilly half marathons, run by even effort, not even pace — uphills slow you down, downhills speed you up. The Heat & Altitude calculator handles temperature and elevation adjustments separately.