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How Far Is A Half Marathon And Other Interesting Half Marathon FAQs

Last Updated on February 1, 2024 by Amanda Bowden

How Long Is A Half Marathon And What’s The Average Time It Takes To Run One?

Are you wondering if you could take on a half marathon, but not sure how far it is? Or has your friend committed to a half and is trying to get you to sign up too? If so, you’ve come to the right place to find out How far is a half marathon? and other frequently asked questions.

Here are the FAQs covered in this article:

How Far Is A Half Marathon In KMs?

People often call a half marathon the “21K” or “half”. It’s actual distance in kilometers is 21.0975km. This distance has historical significance, as it’s exactly half the length of the full marathon distance, which is 42.195 kilometers.

The half marathon is an immensely popular race distance, scoring 2nd in popularity after the 5K (according to The State of Running 2019). They attract runners of all skill levels as they are challenging, but no-where near as challenging as a full marathon!

How Far Is A Half Marathon In Miles?

A half marathon is 13.1 miles, which is exactly half the distance of a marathon!

If you think in miles, a half marathon spans exactly 13.1 miles. This measurement is a good reference point if you’re more used to the the imperial system of measurement. It is half the length of a marathon, which is 26.2 miles.

Running a half marathon provides a nice and balanced blend of endurance and speed. This makes it a very attractive option for both beginners, as a first target race, and for more experienced runners.

Related: How Far Is 10K In Miles And Other 10K Run FAQs

How Fast Do I Need To Be To Run A Half Marathon?

You don’t need to run it at any particular speed. Elite runners tackle it at an amazing pace, but it’s still an achievement if you take the run-walk (jeff it) approach.

Regardless of this, if you want to run a half marathon, setting a time goal can help motivate you to train and follow a race strategy.

Here’s a pace chart to help you understand how fast you need to run to achieve different finish time goals:

Half Marathon Time GoalMinutes Per KMMinutes Per Mile
Sub 1 hour and 30 minutes4 minutes and 16 seconds6 minutes and 51 seconds
Sub 1 hour and 45 minutes4 minutes and 58 seconds7 minutes and 59 seconds
Sub 2 hours5 minutes and 40 seconds9 minutes and 7 seconds
Sub 2 hours and 15 minutes6 minutes and 23 seconds10 minutes and 16 seconds
Sub 2 hours and 30 minutes7 minutes and 4 seconds11 minutes and 22 seconds
Sub 2 hours and 45 minutes7 minutes and 47 seconds12 minutes and 32 seconds
Sub 3 hours8 minutes and 27 seconds13 minutes and 36 seconds
Half Marathon Pace Chart

These paces are of course approximate, as you won’t be able to sustain exactly the same pace throughout the entire run. You are likely to slow down on the hills and speed up on the descents, but these paces are good averages to work towards.

To get an idea of how fast you’re running it’s a good idea to invest in a GPS running watch. When you use one to track your runs you can see the pace you’re hitting as you go.

What Is The Average Time It Takes To Run A Half Marathon?

This image from 'How Far Is A Half Marathon?' is a man waving while running a half surrounded by other runners.
Image from Pexels. Credit: Run 4 FFWPU

The average time to complete a half marathon varies based on so many factors, including the terrain, whether it’s trail or road, hilly or flat. Also, the average time of a beginner runner is a lot longer than for an elite.

Beginner runners might take around 2 and a half to 3 hours to finish, but runners who have more experience can sometimes complete the race in under 2 hours.

There is even a big difference between average half marathon finish times in different countries. According to The State of Running 2019 the fastest half marathon runners are in Russia, where men finish the race in an average time of 1 hour and 40 minutes. Russian women finish the race in average time of 1 hour and 40 minutes.

In the US the half marathon average finish times are quite a bit slower! The average time for a woman in the US is 2 hours and 16 minutes. The average time a US man takes to run a half marathon is 2 hours and 2 minutes.

In the UK the average time for a woman to run a half marathon is 2 hours and 11 minutes. The average time a man takes is 1 hour and 55 minutes.

All these times are averages, remember many people run half marathons much faster, and much slower, than this. In fact, in each country about 50% of people run slower than these times. So if you think the average times are fast, don’t be intimidated, you don’t need to be able to run a half marathon in those times to enter a race.

What Is A Good Time To Run A Half Marathon In?

This image from How far is a half marathon? is a crowd of runners running a half marathon.
Image from Pexels. Credit: Run 4 FFWPU

What’s a good time to run a half marathon in is very subjective and personal. A good time for you might be getting a PB (personal best), or getting a faster time than average. See above: What is the average time it takes to run a half marathon?

Many runners think running a half marathon in less than 2 hours is a good time, and are very pleased if they achieve this. It’s quite a common thing for a runner to announce on social media that they have run a half marathon and hit their 2 hour target.

For an elite runner what’s considered a good time is much faster than this! But only one male and one female have achieved the world record times below.

What Is The Half Marathon World Record For A Woman?

The female half marathon world record is 1 hour, 2 minutes and 52 seconds. It was set by Letesenbet Gidey at the Valencia Half Marathon on the 24th October 2021.

What Is The Half Marathon World Record For A Man?

The male world record for running a half marathon is an amazingly speedy time of 57 minutes and 31 seconds. It was run by Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda on November 21st 2021, and he achieved this at the Lisbon Half Marathon.

Running A Half Marathon Is A Fantastic Achievement

The half marathon race isn’t just about the distance – it’s also a journey where you discover what you can achieve, and find strength you didn’t know you had.

You may be a competitive runner who’s always looking to push your limits, or you may be seeking a new fitness challenge. Regardless of your goals and aspirations, running a half marathon is an immensely rewarding experience that most people never complete in their lives.

If you want to run a half marathon don’t let any fears hold you back, get training straight way!

Good luck!