Good Finishing Times for Running a Half-Marathon

Finishing times for most half-marathons (13.1 miles) range from a little over an hour (for elite runners) to over three hours. There is a huge variation among runners depending on running experience, gender, age, and race course.

A male professional runner might win a half-marathon in under an hour and the women's race might be won in under 1 hour and 10 minutes. The world record for the half-marathon is 58:18 for men (Abraham Kiptum, 2018) and 1:04:51 for women (Joyciline Jepkosgei, 2017). But the vast majority of half-marathon runners don't run anywhere close to those times.

The average times for half-marathons in the U.S. in 2016 were 2:05:15 for males and 2:23:48 for females, according to Running USA's Annual Half Marathon Report. These times are about four to five minutes slower than the averages recorded in 2007.

For most first-time half-marathoners, the goal is usually to finish, rather than achieving a specific finishing time. Your first half is an automatic personal record (PR)! Runners who run subsequent half marathons usually find that their time improves as they train more and gain more race experience. Once you have one half-marathon under your belt, you can focus on trying to beat your PR, rather than worrying about what other runners are doing.

For those with some half-marathon experience, breaking 2:00 (9:09 minutes per mile pace) is a common goal, and that time is considered a decent half marathon time among runners. Highly competitive runners aim for other time barriers, like 1:30 (6:51 minutes per mile pace). Or, they try to break a pace barrier, such as sub-7:00 per mile pace (1:31 half-marathon time) or sub-8:00 per mile pace (1:45 half-marathon time).

If you're curious about the range of typical finishing times for a half-marathon that you've done or you're planning to run, look at the race results, which should be listed on the race's website. You can see the times of the age group winners, those who finished in the middle of the pack, and those who finished in the back of the pack.

The time to finish a half-marathon can vary greatly based on several factors. Gender plays a big part, as male half-marathoners tend to be faster than women in their age bracket. Although many half-marathon runners continue to improve their times into their late 30s, most find that their times start to slow down after age 40. To provide fair and equal opportunities, most half-marathons give awards for overall male and female winners, as well as age groups winners.

If you'd like to see a fair comparison of your half-marathon time versus other runners' times, you can use an age-grading calculator, which puts all race participants on a level playing field, regardless of their age and gender. Many half-marathons list all the race participants' age-graded finish times next to their net finish times.

Weather and course terrain also are also huge variables. A half-marathoner will get a much faster time on a flat versus hilly course, and in comfortable weather conditions versus uncomfortable or unfamiliar ones. It can be tough to race in the cold if you live and train in the heat, and vice versa. For most distance runners, 45 degrees F might be considered perfect, but if you're not used to running in that weather it is not perfect for you.

Use a chart or calculator (such as the one at Runner's World) to determine a ballpark half-marathon time based on your performance at a recent race of another distance.

Keep in mind that your half-marathon time prediction is just an estimate of what you might achieve if you do the appropriate training. In most cases, only experienced half marathoners will achieve their predicted time. If it's your first half-marathon, focus on completing the race, which is an incredible achievement.

Note that many half-marathons have time limits, such as three hours. If you're a slower runner or walker, this is an important number to know before registering.

Aside from choosing a flat race during a cool season, here are some other tips to improve your next half-marathon time:

• Doing speed work once or twice a week can help improve your speed and confidence. Tempo runs, hill repeats, and interval training will make you stronger, as well as improve your running efficiency and increase your lactate threshold. All of that translates into faster running.
• Many half-marathoners fade in the final two or three miles of the race, slowing their overall time significantly. Work on finishing strong.
• It helps to figure out a plan for your race to avoid going out too fast or not racing to your full potential. Once you determine your predicted time, plan to run that pace for the entire race, making slight adjustments for the course terrain.
• Do some mental prep so you'll be ready for the inevitable rough patches that happen during the race. Try some of these mental tips and strategies for dealing with discomfort when racing.

If you're planning to train for and run a half-marathon, here are training schedules to choose from, based on your experience and fitness level:

• Basic Half-Marathon Training Schedule for Beginners: This 12-week training schedule is perfect for beginner runners.
• Run/Walk Half-Marathon Training Schedule: This 12-week training program is designed to help you run/walk to the finish line of your half-marathon.
• Advanced Beginner Half-Marathon Training Schedule: This 12-week training schedule is geared toward advanced beginner runners. You should be running at least four days a week and can run up to 4 miles.
• Intermediate Half-Marathon Training Schedule: This 12-week training schedule is for runners who have already run at least one half-marathon and are hoping to run a personal record.
• Advanced Half-Marathon Training Schedule: If you're an experienced runner and you're hoping to take your half-marathon training to the next level, use this 12-week training schedule to help you run a personal record.

The half-marathon distance is an excellent endurance challenge for runners of all levels. It is a very popular distance and you will have many races to choose from. Find the one that will work best for your level and put in the training needed to finish strong.