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When I first ran a half marathon, I was only focused on finishing, let alone getting a good time. However, after completing the race in 1:50 I began wondering whether this was a good time or not. This got me wondering, what is the average time that a new runner should expect to get when running a half marathon?
According to the data available, typical times for new half marathon runners are between 2 and 3 hours. Factors such as gender, age, weight, and whether or not you’ve suffered from any injuries in the past can all contribute to the time you manage to run a half marathon in.
You don’t just need to take my word for it. In this article, I am going to look into the exact stats surrounding half marathon times for beginners as well as discuss, pace, potential drawbacks, and what you can do to improve.
The Statistics Of Half Marathon Times For Beginners
Below is data that I have retrieved from the site Running Level, I have split the data up between males and females so that you can have the most accurate idea possible of what time to expect. This data represents both beginners, who have been running for at least a month and novices, who have been running for around 6 months.
For Males
| Age | Beginner | Novice |
| 10 | 03:24:32 | 02:54:11 |
| 15 | 02:58:13 | 02:31:46 |
| 20 | 02:44:13 | 02:19:51 |
| 25 | 02:42:58 | 02:18:48 |
| 30 | 02:43:01 | 02:18:50 |
| 35 | 02:44:33 | 02:20:08 |
| 40 | 02:48:23 | 02:23:24 |
| 45 | 02:54:51 | 02:28:54 |
| 50 | 03:04:28 | 02:37:06 |
| 55 | 03:16:00 | 02:46:55 |
| 60 | 03:29:05 | 02:58:03 |
| 65 | 03:44:01 | 03:10:47 |
| 70 | 04:01:16 | 03:25:28 |
| 75 | 04:21:23 | 03:42:36 |
| 80 | 04:48:33 | 04:05:44 |
| 85 | 05:35:00 | 04:45:17 |
| 90 | 06:59:49 | 05:57:32 |
For Females
| Age | Beginner | Novice |
| 10 | 03:24:32 | 02:54:11 |
| 15 | 02:58:13 | 02:31:46 |
| 20 | 02:44:13 | 02:19:51 |
| 25 | 02:42:58 | 02:18:48 |
| 30 | 02:43:01 | 02:18:50 |
| 35 | 02:44:33 | 02:20:08 |
| 40 | 02:48:23 | 02:23:24 |
| 45 | 02:54:51 | 02:28:54 |
| 50 | 03:04:28 | 02:37:06 |
| 55 | 03:16:00 | 02:46:55 |
| 60 | 03:29:05 | 02:58:03 |
| 65 | 03:44:01 | 03:10:47 |
| 70 | 04:01:16 | 03:25:28 |
| 75 | 04:21:23 | 03:42:36 |
| 80 | 04:48:33 | 04:05:44 |
| 85 | 05:35:00 | 04:45:17 |
| 90 | 06:59:49 | 05:57:32 |
The times that you will see above for half marathon runners is very similar to the data I found when writing this article on the average time it took to run a 5K, in that the fastest times you can expect to run a races like a half marathon or 5K is usually between 20 and 40 years of age. Before and after this time, runners are generally slower.
However, this should not put older or younger runners off. Running in general can do amazing things for your health regardless of your age. Check out this article I wrote on the benefits of running as little as 20 minutes a day to find out more.
Below, you’ll see two charts, one for male novice and beginner runners and the other for female, demonstrating the kind of time you can expect to get when running a half marathon based on your age.
For Males
For Females
What Runners Think About Average Half Marathon Times
When I set out to figure out what the average time to run a half marathon is for a beginner I didn’t just want to collect the stats, I also wanted to hear what other runners thought was the average time to run a half marathon based on their experience.
For this reason, I headed onto this online running forum to ask runers they thought was an average time to run a half marathon, 384 runners voted. The results are in.
| Choice | Votes |
| Under 1 Hour | 11 (2.9%) |
| 01-:00 – 1:30 Hours | 6 (1.6%) |
| 01:30 – 2:00 Hours | 63 (16.4%) |
| 2 Plus Hours | 304 (79.2%) |
Side note: It might be fair to say that under 1 hour was a foolish option to put in this poll, as there is currently nobody who can run such a time. However, this does help to show the contrast between expectations of finishing a half marathon in under 2 hours and finishing a half marathon over this time.
It seems like the majority of runners believe that a half marathon should take longer than 2 hours for a beginner. Some of the runners who weighed in had this to say:
“The average is brought down by people that just want to finish, which is respectable, but it puts the average at 2+. If your goal is a realistic time, and you put in the training, under 2 for a beginner is very achievable.”
KrakenClubOfficial
·
“2+ hours is going to be the case for a large percentage of runners-beginner or not.”
opholar
“It’s not about how experienced you are, it’s about your innate running ability.
However much I train I’ll never be as fast as Kipchoge. He is just a faster runner than me.”
wiggler303
How Age Plays Into Your Half Marathon Time
As we said above, age can have a big impact on the time you can expect to get during your half marathon, with the fastest times being achieved by people between 20 and 40 years of age. Whilst this doesn’t necessarily mean that a 50 year old runner couldn’t beat a 20 year old runner on a half marathon race, there are still a few things to consider.
Typically, You’ll Get The Best Half Marathon Time in Your Late 20’s
According to this study by Beatriz Lara, Juan José Salinero & Juan Del Coso, you’re likely to get the best performance in a marathon at 27 years of age if you’re a male and 29 years of age if you’re a female. The study worked this out by looking at male and female top-level runners between 18-70 years of age who took on the New York marathon.
Ok, so this study is referring to a full marathon and not a half marathon. It’s still some of the best data we have.
Interestingly, this study found that the difference in times between male and female runners remains pretty similar before getting greater as the runners get significantly older.
You’re Body Will Struggle More To Run a Half Marathon as You Age
Something else to think about when it comes to taking on a half marathon as an older individual is that your body might struggle to adapt to the amount of training you need to do. This study from Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise looked at the injury rates amongst older runners.
The study did this by looking at the way runners of different ages naturally ran during training. The study found that the way that older runners ran was often restricted and could even be resulting in a higher chance of injury altogether. Elements like stride length and ankle power all played into this.
Simply put, if you’re hoping to achieve a decent half-marathon time as an older adult, it might be especially important to pay attention to your overall mobility.
There Are Still Great Health Benefits To Running a Half Marathon in Old Age
Forgetting how age can impact half marathon times for a second, there are still lots of great health benefits to training for a half marathon as an older individual. According to this study from Bentham Science Publishers, exercises such as running can help reduce the cognitive decline that people experience well into old age.
The study found this by studying extensive literature on physical exercise during childhood/adolescence, adulthood, and aging.
This study also backs up this data. By looking specifically at the benefits of running and comparing it with other kinds of exercise, the study found that not only does running provide some great health benefits, but it can also increase life expectancy.
Average Half Marathon Times Based On Experience
With all the above said and done, age is not the ultimate decider of what time you will get during a half marathon. Your level of experience can also have a significant impact on the time you get.
It’s simple if you think about it. The more you practice a type of exercise, the better you get. Running is no different. For this reason, an experienced runner can usually expect to get a much better time than a beginner runner regardless of their age.
There are many different ways to figure out what your current level of experience is. For example, Running Level describes a beginner runner as someone who has been running for at least a month, a novice runner has been running for a minimum 6 months an intermediate for 2 years, an advanced runner for 5 years and an elite runner as somebody who has been running for more than 5 years and taken on competitions.
From all the data available on the web it seems like most people believe that it is how long and how experienced you are as a runner rather than how fast you can go. Check out this post on a forum for example where somebody asked a similar question to mine. One of the responders had this to say:
“I think it has to do more with experience/history than speed.
i know plenty of people i’d consider very advanced runners who aren’t “fast.” I also have a friend who, when I met him was a beginner runner who has just quit smoking and could crank out a marathon in the 2:50s, simply b/c he was genetically gifted.”
AggieOO
Simply put, if you’re somebody who has been running longer, has taken on further distances, and has conditioned their body to pack on mile after mile without going into shock then you may be able to expect a better race time and somebody who hasn’t.
By the way, if getting the best race time is something that interests you, check out this full article I wrote on getting a 5K personal best.
Practice Makes Perfect When Racing For The Best Half Marathon Time
Another factor that runners need to take into account when striving for the best half-marathon time possible is the amount of practice that they will need to do.
For example, if you are brand new to running then you need to consider how much time it takes to actually become competent in running before even beginning to consider your half marathon time. According to Run For Good, it can take a new runner anywhere between 2 to 8 weeks before they can start feeling competent in running.
Furthermore, regardless of your current level of experience, the amount you train is still going to have a very big impact. According to Laura Norris running, Elite runners train for between 500 and 700 hours a year. So it’s clear that practice makes perfect regardless of your current level of experience.
What’s a Good Pace To Run a Half Marathon?
When questioning what pace you should be running to fully complete a half marathon you want to find a pace that will allow you to run without overexerting yourself but still allow you to get the time that you’ve been aiming for.
There are many ways to figure out the correct kind of pace for a half marathon. For example, I often recommend that running beginners try running at a conversational pace which is essentially a speed where they can feel comfortable talking whilst running. I’ve written a whole article on it which you can find here.
To figure out the pace that you need to achieve your set half marathon time, first consider the time that you should push yourself to get for each individual mile. For example, If you want to complete a half marathon in under 1 hour 30 minutes then you should be aiming for approximately 9.09 minutes per mile. To put that into perspective, I usually feel as if I am sprinting at around 5 or 6 minutes per mile.
How To Improve Your Half-Marathon Time
A full guide to getting a great half-marathon time probably goes beyond the scope of this article. However, there are a few things that all beginning running should bear in mind when attempting to achieve the best half-marathon time possible. The following examples are a great place to start.
Long Runs
Carrying out lots of long runs is one of the best ways to ensure that you get the half-marathon time you’re after. It’s pretty simple if you think about it. To get good at running a long distance you need to practice running long distances. According to Very Well Fit, distance running, in general, comes with lots of benefits that can help you complete a half marathon with ease. Examples include increased muscle power, increased endurance and mental toughness.
Threshold Runs
These are great for slowly introducing you to the difficult reality of half-marathons. By being difficult but not so difficult that you want to give up, threshold runs can slowly increase your ability to tackle a half marathon.
Tempo Runs
Tempo runs help to train your body to run faster for longer distances. By switching up your speed and pace during a run, you can expect to slowly take on longer distances in a shorter amount of time.
