What’s a Good Half Marathon Time? Averages by Age and Sex

There are two ways to answer this question. One compares your time with everyone else who ran a half marathon, and that answer is a number: in 2024, the typical U.S. finisher took about 2:13. The other compares your time with what your training says you’re capable of, and that’s the one that should set your next goal. Both are below, along with the benchmarks runners reach for when the median isn’t the point.

The average half marathon time

Brian Rock analyzed roughly a million U.S. half marathon results from 2024 for Outside. The median finisher, the runner exactly in the middle of the field, took about 2:13, or 10:09 per mile. The men’s median was 2:03:28, which is 9:25 per mile, and the women’s was 2:21:42, or 10:49 per mile (Outside).

An older and much larger dataset lands in the same neighborhood. RunRepeat’s study of 107.9 million race results from 1986 to 2018 put the average half marathon pace at 5:40 per kilometer for men and 6:22 per kilometer for women (RunRepeat), which works out to roughly 1:59:30 and 2:14:20 for the full distance.

The results also show what runners aim for. Finish times bunch up just under round numbers, with the biggest spike between 1:57 and 1:59 and smaller ones among men around 1:30, 1:45, 2:00 and 2:15 (Outside).

Half marathon times by age and sex

These are median finish times by age group from the same 2024 data (Outside).

Age costs less through the middle decades than most runners expect. The men’s median slows by under five minutes from the 20s to the 40s, and the women’s by under eight. The steps get bigger after 50, and the largest one comes after 60, when both medians slow by 17 to 20 minutes over a decade.

Keep in mind who’s in these numbers. They’re the people who signed up for a half, trained for it and finished, which is already a fitter group than the population at large. Beating the median for your age is a solid result. Missing it on your first try is normal.

Benchmarks beyond the median

The median tells you where the middle of the field is. These are the marks runners actually chase.

Breaking two hours. The most popular goal in the sport asks for 9:09 per mile. It’s about 13 minutes faster than the overall median and about three and a half minutes faster than the men’s, and it’s the reason so many results land between 1:57 and 1:59. The half marathon pace chart has the splits and a plan for running them.

A New York City Marathon qualifier. New York Road Runners accepts half marathon times for guaranteed entry, but only when you run them at an NYRR half such as the NYC Half or the Brooklyn Half (NYRR). The standards make a useful yardstick for what counts as fast at your age. They start at 1:21:00 for men 18 to 34 and 1:32:00 for women and non-binary runners in the same group, and loosen to 1:41:00 and 2:02:00 at 60 to 64. The NYC Marathon entry guide has the full table.

Age grading. Age grading compares your time with the standard for your age, sex and distance and turns it into a percentage, so runners of different ages can be compared fairly. World Masters Athletics describes a score above 60 percent as local class, above 70 as regional class, above 80 as national class and above 90 as world class, with 100 percent at roughly world-record level (World Masters Athletics). It’s the fairest way to compare a 2:05 at 58 with a 1:52 at 30, and the clearest way to see if you’re still improving as you get older.

The world record. Yomif Kejelcha ran 56:51 in Buenos Aires on August 23, 2026, which is 4:20 per mile. The mark is subject to ratification (World Athletics). The women’s world record is Letesenbet Gidey’s 1:02:52 from Valencia in 2021, or 4:48 per mile (World Athletics), and Agnes Ngetich set a women-only record of 1:05:15 at the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen in September 2026 (World Athletics).

How long does it take to run a half marathon?

For most people, a little over two hours. The median 2024 finish was 2:03 for men and 2:22 for women.

Walking takes considerably longer. At 15 minutes per mile a half takes 3:16:38, at 18 minutes it takes 3:55:58, and at 20 minutes it takes 4:22:11. If you plan to walk much of it, check the course time limit before you sign up. The runDisney races, for example, require a 16-minute-mile pace (ESPN Press Room), which works out to 3:29:45 for the half.

What’s a good time for you

The medians are useful context, but they’re the wrong way to pick your own goal. A good time for you is the one your current fitness supports, run evenly from the start. The quickest way to find it is a recent race: Greg McMillan’s rule of thumb is to double your 10K time and add 10 to 15 minutes (McMillan Running), and the pace chart guide covers two other ways to check the number before race day.

Then give it time. Rock himself went from 1:55 to 1:27 over roughly ten years (Outside). Gains that size come from training stacked over seasons: a base of easy running, threshold work, a long run that builds, and enough consistency to start each training block a little fitter than the last. The half marathon training guide shows how those pieces fit together, and the 18-week plan sets every pace from a recent race.

FAQ

Is a 2-hour half marathon good?

Yes. It’s faster than the 2024 median of about 2:13, which puts it ahead of more than half of all finishers. It also beats the men’s median of 2:03:28 and the women’s median of 2:21:42.

What is the average half marathon time for women?

The median for U.S. women in 2024 was 2:21:42, or 10:49 per mile. Women in their 20s had the fastest median, at 2:16:29.

What is the average half marathon time for men?

The median for U.S. men in 2024 was 2:03:28, or 9:25 per mile. Men in their 20s had the fastest median, at 1:59:14.

What is a good half marathon time for a beginner?

One you can run at an even effort from start to finish. To put a number on it, double a recent 10K time and add 10 to 15 minutes, then start the race a little slower than that pace.

How long does it take to walk a half marathon?

Between about 3:15 and 4:20 at a steady 15 to 20 minutes per mile. Check the course time limit first, since some races close the course sooner than that.