Every runner who finishes a half marathon asks the same question: was that a good time?
The half marathon is the world's most popular race distance, with participation growing 93% between 2008 and 2018. With data from over 100 million race results, we can answer the question precisely.
The Global Average
RunRepeat's State of Running report puts the global half marathon averages at:
- Men: ~2:02
- Women: ~2:16
As with marathon times, these averages have been slowly increasing over time — not because runners are getting slower, but because the sport is drawing in more participants at all ends of the ability spectrum.
These global averages include all finisher levels across all race types, from elite road races to charity events with significant walk/run contingents. Competitive club runners will typically cluster well below these averages.
Finish Time Percentiles
Here is how half marathon times distribute across the full participant population:
Men
| Finish Time | Approximate Percentile |
|---|---|
| Sub 1:10 | Top 1% |
| Sub 1:20 | Top 4% |
| Sub 1:30 | Top 12% |
| Sub 1:40 | Top 25% |
| Sub 1:50 | Top 40% |
| Sub 2:00 | Top 55% |
| Sub 2:15 | Top 72% |
| Sub 2:30 | Top 84% |
| Sub 3:00 | Top 95% |
Women
| Finish Time | Approximate Percentile |
|---|---|
| Sub 1:20 | Top 1% |
| Sub 1:30 | Top 5% |
| Sub 1:40 | Top 13% |
| Sub 1:52 | Top 27% |
| Sub 2:02 | Top 43% |
| Sub 2:15 | Top 58% |
| Sub 2:30 | Top 74% |
| Sub 2:45 | Top 85% |
| Sub 3:00 | Top 93% |
Key Takeaway
Sub-1:30 for men and sub-1:45 for women puts you in the top 12–15% of all half marathon finishers globally. These are genuinely strong times that require dedicated training, despite what some running communities might imply.
Age Group Performance
Half marathon times follow a similar arc to marathon times: a performance peak in the late 20s to early 30s, followed by a gradual decline of roughly 30–60 seconds per year per decade after 40.
| Age Group | Men Average | Women Average |
|---|---|---|
| 18–24 | 1:57 | 2:14 |
| 25–29 | 1:54 | 2:11 |
| 30–34 | 1:52 | 2:09 |
| 35–39 | 1:55 | 2:12 |
| 40–44 | 2:01 | 2:18 |
| 45–49 | 2:08 | 2:26 |
| 50–54 | 2:17 | 2:36 |
| 55–59 | 2:29 | 2:51 |
| 60–64 | 2:44 | 3:08 |
The Relationship Between Half Marathon and Marathon Time
The half marathon is the most reliable predictor of marathon performance. The most widely used conversion — multiplying your half marathon time by 2.1 — assumes a moderate level of fatigue and pacing discipline over the full distance.
In practice, the data shows that most recreational runners slow more than this in the marathon:
| Half Marathon Time | Conservative Marathon Estimate | Optimistic (with targeted training) |
|---|---|---|
| 1:30 | 3:10–3:20 | 3:05 |
| 1:45 | 3:42–3:55 | 3:36 |
| 2:00 | 4:15–4:30 | 4:08 |
| 2:15 | 4:45–5:05 | 4:38 |
| 2:30 | 5:20–5:40 | 5:10 |
The "conservative" column reflects what most runners actually achieve on race day. The "optimistic" column requires specific marathon preparation including long runs, adequate weekly volume, and good race pacing.
The Half Marathon as a Goal in Itself
One useful insight from the data: runners who treat the half marathon as their primary goal — rather than a stepping stone to the marathon — tend to set faster half marathon times. Training specifically for 21km with the right mix of threshold work, tempo runs, and long runs consistently outperforms "base marathon training" for half marathon performance.
If sub-1:45 is your half marathon goal, it's worth building a program specifically around that target rather than running it as a long training run within marathon prep.
What's Next
The half marathon is a threshold event — and the right interval training can shift your threshold pace significantly. Our Interval Training for Runners guide covers the exact threshold and tempo workouts that improve half marathon performance, with goal-time pace tables from 1:20 to 2:15.
For a full programme, see our Half Marathon Training Plan — designed around the 60/40 threshold-to-VO2max split that the research supports for this distance.
Data sources: RunRepeat State of Running 2019 (107.9M results, 1986–2018); World Athletics road race statistics; major race organisers (Berlin, NYC Half, Copenhagen).