How long is a half marathon?
21.0975 kilometres, or 13.1 miles. Here's what that means in laps, steps and minutes.
How long does a half marathon take?
Walking takes about 4 to 4.5 hours; jogging about 2 to 3 hours; a strong club runner about 1 h 25 min to 1 h 40 min. Most recreational half marathon runners finish somewhere between about 2 and 2 hours 30 minutes, and many first-timers who use walk breaks take closer to 3 hours. Big-city races typically have course cut-offs of around 3 to 3.5 hours; check your race’s rules.
Exactly half of the 42.195 km marathon distance, the half marathon is often called the perfect distance: a real endurance challenge that doesn’t take over your life to train for.
Finish time by pace
| Pace per km | Per mile | half marathon finish | Feels like |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5:00 | 8:03 | 1:45:29 | Experienced runner |
| 6:00 | 9:39 | 2:06:35 | Steady jog |
| 7:00 | 11:16 | 2:27:41 | Steady jog |
| 8:00 | 12:52 | 2:48:47 | Easy jog / run-walk |
| 9:00 | 14:29 | 3:09:53 | Easy jog / run-walk |
| 10:00 | 16:06 | 3:30:59 | Run-walk |
| 12:00 | 19:19 | 4:13:10 | Brisk walk |
Can I do one?
Almost certainly, with enough weeks. The half marathon training plan builds you up from where you are now, and the pace calculator converts any time goal into a pace.
Converting other distances? A 5K is 3.1 miles and a 10K is 6.2 miles.
Questions first-timers ask
How many miles is a half marathon?
A half marathon is 21.0975 kilometres, which is 13.1 miles.
How long does it take to run a half marathon?
Walking takes about 4 to 4.5 hours; jogging about 2 to 3 hours; a strong club runner about 1 h 25 min to 1 h 40 min.
How many laps of a track is a half marathon?
On a standard 400 m track, a half marathon is about 52.7 laps.
How many steps is a half marathon?
Roughly 23,000–32,000 steps when running, depending on your height and stride length. Walking takes more steps.