Recreational milestones
The targets most runners chase.
| Benchmark | Pace / km | Pace / mile |
|---|---|---|
| Sub-30 5K 30:00 over 5 km, the point where a jog becomes a run | 6:00 | 9:39 |
| Sub-25 5K 25:00 over 5 km, solid recreational | 5:00 | 8:03 |
| Sub-60 10K 60:00 over 10 km, the classic 10K threshold | 6:00 | 9:39 |
| Sub-2:00 half marathon 1:59:59 over 21.1 km, most amateurs’ headline goal | 5:41 | 9:09 |
| Sub-4:00 marathon 3:59:59 over 42.2 km, the same pace as the sub-2 half | 5:41 | 9:09 |
| Sub-3:00 marathon 2:59:59 over 42.2 km, the elite-amateur barrier | 4:16 | 6:52 |
Boston Marathon qualifying
Marathon standards to enter Boston (2026/2027), by age and sex.
| Benchmark | Pace / km | Pace / mile |
|---|---|---|
| BQ, Men 18-34 2:55:00 marathon · Boston 2026/2027 standard | 4:09 | 6:41 |
| BQ, Women 18-34 3:25:00 marathon · Boston 2026/2027 standard | 4:52 | 7:50 |
| BQ, Men 50-54 3:20:00 marathon · Boston 2026/2027 standard | 4:44 | 7:37 |
| BQ, Women 50-54 3:50:00 marathon · Boston 2026/2027 standard | 5:27 | 8:46 |
Military fitness standards
Run standards from armed-forces fitness tests.
| Benchmark | Pace / km | Pace / mile |
|---|---|---|
| US Army AFT, pass 21:00 over 3.2 km · 60-point minimum, sex-neutral | 6:31 | 10:29 |
| USMC PFT, max score 18:00 over 4.8 km · perfect score, males 17-26 | 3:44 | 6:00 |
| British Army Infantry 2 km 8:15 over 2 km · Role Fitness Test infantry standard | 4:08 | 6:39 |
World records
The fastest humans have run these distances.
Records as tracked in the app, mid-2026, and marked where ratification is pending. Records fall often, so check World Athletics for the current mark.
| Benchmark | Pace / km | Pace / mile |
|---|---|---|
| Marathon · Men Sabastian Sawe (KEN) · London 2026 · 1:59:30 Pending World Athletics ratification. | 2:50 | 4:34 |
| Marathon · Women (mixed) Ruth Chepngetich (KEN) · Chicago 2024 · 2:09:56 | 3:05 | 4:58 |
| Marathon · Women-only Tigst Assefa (ETH) · London 2026 · 2:15:41 | 3:13 | 5:11 |
| Half marathon · Men Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) · Lisbon 2026 · 57:20 | 2:43 | 4:22 |
| Half marathon · Women Letesenbet Gidey (ETH) · Valencia 2021 · 1:02:52 | 2:59 | 4:48 |
| 10 km road · Men Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) · Castellón 2024 · 26:31 | 2:39 | 4:16 |
| 10 km road · Women (mixed) Agnes Ngetich (KEN) · Valencia 2024 · 28:46 | 2:53 | 4:38 |
| 5 km road · Men Berihu Aregawi (ETH) · Barcelona 2021 · 12:49 | 2:34 | 4:08 |
| 5 km road · Women Beatrice Chebet (KEN) · Barcelona 2024 · 13:54 | 2:47 | 4:29 |
| Mile · Men Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) · Rome 1999 · 3:43.13 The longest-standing men’s distance world record. | 2:19 | 3:44 |
| Mile · Women Faith Kipyegon (KEN) · Monaco 2023 · 4:07.64 | 2:34 | 4:08 |
Iconic runs
Barriers and firsts that changed the sport.
| Benchmark | Pace / km | Pace / mile |
|---|---|---|
| Sub-2 marathon · Kipchoge Eliud Kipchoge · INEOS 1:59 Challenge, Vienna 2019 Exhibition format with rotating pacers; not ratified, but the first marathon ever run under two hours. | 2:50 | 4:34 |
| First sub-4 mile · Bannister Roger Bannister · Oxford 1954 · 3:59.4 | 2:29 | 4:00 |
For scale
Everyday paces, for perspective.
| Benchmark | Pace / km | Pace / mile |
|---|---|---|
| Bolt at 100 m pace Usain Bolt 9.58 (Berlin 2009), extrapolated for fun Wildly unsustainable. Listed because runners ask. | 1:36 | 2:34 |
| Average walking pace ~5 km/h · the speed a healthy adult walks | 12:00 | 19:19 |
| Brisk walking pace ~6.5 km/h · CDC threshold for moderate exercise | 9:14 | 14:52 |
Every goal pace
Chasing a round-number goal instead of a benchmark? Each of these breaks down the exact pace, a split table, and equivalent times at other distances.
10K goals
Half marathon goals
How is running pace measured here?
Every benchmark is shown as the pace you'd have to hold the whole way, in minutes per kilometre and per mile. A world-record marathon and a Sunday jog are the same kind of number, just far apart. To see what any finish time means as a pace, use the pace calculator or the pace charts.
Set any of these benchmarks as your target in Steady Pace and hold the pace by ear with a tone that rises when you slow and falls when you speed up.
Sources
World Athletics (world records); Boston Athletic Association (qualifying standards 2026/2027); USMC PFT scoring and British Army Role Fitness Test (military standards); the INEOS 1:59 Challenge and World Athletics Heritage (iconic runs). Paces are computed from official times and were verified against these sources in 2026.