Marathon Benchmarks for Men in Their 20s

Men in their 20s have peak aerobic capacity but often lack the marathon-specific base that produces optimal marathon performance. The aerobic engine is there — the race-specific development of long-run endurance and glycogen economy takes years to fully develop.

Quick answer: For men age 20–29 running the Marathon, a 60% age-grade (“Local Class”) at age 25 is 3:20:58. A 70% Regional Class performance is 2:52:16, requiring easy pace 7:46/mi, threshold 6:19/mi. These benchmarks are from WMA (World Masters Athletics) 2025 standards.

Men Marathon Times — Ages 20–29

AgeRecreational
50%		Local Class
60%		Regional
70%		National
80%
254:01:10
9:12/mi		3:20:58
7:40/mi		2:52:16
6:34/mi		2:30:44
5:45/mi
294:01:10
9:12/mi		3:20:58
7:40/mi		2:52:16
6:34/mi		2:30:44
5:45/mi

What each level means

  • National Class (80–89%) — Competitive at national masters championships. Requires serious, structured training over years.
  • Regional Class (70–79%) — Strong age-group placements at regional races. Consistent training with quality sessions.
  • Local Class (60–69%) — Competitive in local races. Solid fitness from regular running and some structured training.
  • Recreational (below 60%) — Running for fitness and enjoyment. Most runners start here.

Training paces by performance level

The training paces below are derived from each WMA benchmark time. If you are running at 70% age-grade, these are the training zones that produce and maintain that performance level.

AgeLevelTimeEasyThresholdInterval
25Local Class3:20:588:497:046:11
Regional Class2:52:167:466:195:34
National Class2:30:446:555:374:58
29Local Class3:20:588:497:046:11
Regional Class2:52:167:466:195:34
National Class2:30:446:555:374:58

All paces per mile. Training paces derived from the WMA benchmark time for each age and performance level.

Training at this age and distance

Marathon training for men in their 20s benefits from high volume, long runs building to 20+ miles at easy pace, and one threshold session per week. The endurance component of marathon training is build over years — runners in their 20s who commit to high mileage now are establishing the base that produces their best marathons in their 30s.

Calculate your exact age-graded score

Enter your race time below to see your precise WMA age-graded percentage and where you fall relative to these benchmarks.

Age-Grading: Calculates your performance as a percentage of the World Record standard for your specific age and gender. This creates a unified 'Level Playing Field' across all demographics. An 80% score at age 60 represents the exact same relative competitiveness as an 80% score at age 25, even though the absolute race times differ.

Population benchmarks are starting points

WMA age-grading tells you how your time compares to world-record standards for your age group. StrideIQ goes further — it tracks your individual efficiency trends, recovery patterns, and adaptation curves from your actual training data. At any age, knowing your population percentile is the beginning. Understanding your personal response to training is what drives real improvement.

Full age-grading calculator →Start free trial

Common questions

What is a good Marathon time for men in their 20s?

Using WMA age-grading standards, a 25-year-old man running 3:20:58 scores 60% ("Local Class"). A 70% "Regional Class" performance at that age is 2:52:16. These benchmarks are derived from world-record data for each age group, not population averages.

What training paces should men in their 20s use for Marathon training?

The right training paces depend on your current fitness. At 70% age-grade (2:52:16 for a 25-year-old), your training zones are: Easy 7:46/mi, Threshold 6:19/mi, Interval 5:34/mi. At 60% age-grade (3:20:58): Easy 8:49/mi, Threshold 7:04/mi. Use the calculator below to find your exact paces.

How does Marathon performance change through the 20s?

WMA data shows a gradual performance decline with each decade — typically two to five percent per five years for most distances. The age factors in the table above account for this and allow fair comparison across ages. Consistent training often offsets age-related decline significantly. Many runners in their 20s who train with structure outperform their unstructured earlier years on an age-adjusted basis.

Other demographic benchmarks

5K Benchmarks for Women in Their 40s →5K Benchmarks for Women in Their 50s →Marathon Benchmarks for Men in Their 50s →Marathon Benchmarks for Women in Their 50s →10K Benchmarks for Men in Their 60s →Marathon Benchmarks for Men in Their 60s →5K Benchmarks for Men in Their 20s →5K Benchmarks for Men in Their 30s →5K Benchmarks for Men in Their 40s →5K Benchmarks for Men in Their 50s →5K Benchmarks for Men in Their 60s →5K Benchmarks for Men in Their 70s →5K Benchmarks for Men Age 80+ →5K Benchmarks for Women in Their 20s →5K Benchmarks for Women in Their 30s →5K Benchmarks for Women in Their 60s →5K Benchmarks for Women in Their 70s →5K Benchmarks for Women Age 80+ →10K Benchmarks for Men in Their 20s →10K Benchmarks for Men in Their 30s →10K Benchmarks for Men in Their 40s →10K Benchmarks for Men in Their 50s →10K Benchmarks for Men in Their 70s →10K Benchmarks for Men Age 80+ →10K Benchmarks for Women in Their 20s →10K Benchmarks for Women in Their 30s →10K Benchmarks for Women in Their 40s →10K Benchmarks for Women in Their 50s →10K Benchmarks for Women in Their 60s →10K Benchmarks for Women in Their 70s →10K Benchmarks for Women Age 80+ →Half Marathon Benchmarks for Men in Their 20s →Half Marathon Benchmarks for Men in Their 30s →Half Marathon Benchmarks for Men in Their 40s →Half Marathon Benchmarks for Men in Their 50s →Half Marathon Benchmarks for Men in Their 60s →Half Marathon Benchmarks for Men in Their 70s →Half Marathon Benchmarks for Men Age 80+ →Half Marathon Benchmarks for Women in Their 20s →Half Marathon Benchmarks for Women in Their 30s →Half Marathon Benchmarks for Women in Their 40s →Half Marathon Benchmarks for Women in Their 50s →Half Marathon Benchmarks for Women in Their 60s →Half Marathon Benchmarks for Women in Their 70s →Half Marathon Benchmarks for Women Age 80+ →Marathon Benchmarks for Men in Their 30s →Marathon Benchmarks for Men in Their 40s →Marathon Benchmarks for Men in Their 70s →Marathon Benchmarks for Men Age 80+ →Marathon Benchmarks for Women in Their 20s →Marathon Benchmarks for Women in Their 30s →Marathon Benchmarks for Women in Their 40s →Marathon Benchmarks for Women in Their 60s →Marathon Benchmarks for Women in Their 70s →Marathon Benchmarks for Women Age 80+ →Full Age-Grading Calculator →

Data source: Alan Jones 2025 WMA Road Age-Grading Tables, approved by USATF Masters Long Distance Running Council (January 2025). Training paces derived from the Daniels/Gilbert oxygen cost equations using each WMA benchmark time as input.