Sub-3:20 Marathon — Training Paces and Fitness Profile

Sub-3:20 marathon is a BQ time for several masters age groups and a competitive achievement by any recreational measure. Getting here from sub-3:30 or sub-3:45 requires systematic training investment over multiple cycles.

Quick answer: To break Sub-3:20:00 in the Marathon (RPI 47.2), your training paces are: easy 8:47/mi, threshold 7:02/mi, interval 6:10/mi. Equivalent fitness: Half Marathon 1:36:12, 10K 43:25.

Training paces for Sub-3:20:00 Marathon

RPI 47.2 · Goal: 3:19:59 · All paces in min/mile

Easy (80%+ of weekly running)
8:47/mi5:27/km
Marathon Pace
7:29/mi4:39/km
Threshold (comfortably hard)
7:02/mi4:22/km
Interval (VO2max sessions)
6:10/mi3:50/km
Repetition (short fast reps)
5:43/mi3:33/km

Calculated from Daniels/Gilbert oxygen cost equations. Easy pace means "this pace or slower."

Equivalent race fitness

These are the predicted equivalent times at other distances for a runner with RPI 47.2 — assuming comparable training for each distance.

Half Marathon

1:36:12

7:20/mi

10K

43:25

6:59/mi

5K

20:57

6:45/mi

Training approach for Sub-3:20:00 Marathon

For sub-3:20 marathon, the training structure is high easy volume (38–55 miles/week), long runs building to 20 miles, and weekly threshold work. Marathon-pace training runs (final miles of long runs at goal pace) build the specific neuromuscular and metabolic patterns that make race pace sustainable over 26.2 miles.

Calculate your current training paces

The table above shows paces for Sub-3:20:00 Marathon fitness. Enter your current race time to see where you are now and how far from the goal you sit.

Training Pace Calculator

These paces are based on your race time — not your body

The Daniels/Gilbert formula predicts training zones from a single race result. StrideIQ goes further: it tracks how your body specifically responds to threshold and interval work — which sessions produce your biggest gains, how quickly you recover, and when your fitness is peaking. Population formulas start the conversation. Your individual response data finishes it.

Training pace tables →Start free trial

Common questions

What training paces does a sub-3:20 marathon require?

For sub-3:20:00 (3:19:59): Easy 8:47/mi, Marathon 7:29/mi, Threshold 7:02/mi, Interval 6:10/mi. RPI 47.2. Your most important training run is a weekly long run (to 20 miles at easy pace) with the final 4–5 miles at marathon pace (7:29/mi). This is the most race-specific preparation available.

What half marathon predicts sub-3:20 marathon fitness?

Sub-3:20 marathon (RPI 47.2) projects to approximately 1:36:12 half marathon potential. This equivalency is reliable when both distances are comparably trained — half marathon fitness is the best single predictor of marathon aerobic capacity.

Is sub-3:20 a BQ for women?

Sub-3:20 marathon is a BQ for women 40–44 (standard 3:35, not quite), but it is within BQ range for women in the 18–34 group (standard 3:25, not quite) and close for several other groups. Specific BQ standards by age group and gender are listed at baa.org. Check the official table for your exact situation.

Other goal pace guides

Sub-20 Minute 5K →Sub-25 Minute 5K →Sub-40 Minute 10K →Sub-50 Minute 10K →Sub-2 Hour Half Marathon →Sub-4 Hour Marathon →Sub-17 Minute 5K →Sub-18 Minute 5K →Sub-19 Minute 5K →Sub-21 Minute 5K →Sub-22 Minute 5K →Sub-23 Minute 5K →Sub-24 Minute 5K →Sub-27 Minute 5K →Sub-30 Minute 5K →Sub-35 Minute 10K →Sub-36 Minute 10K →Sub-37 Minute 10K →Sub-38 Minute 10K →Sub-39 Minute 10K →Sub-42 Minute 10K →Sub-45 Minute 10K →Sub-48 Minute 10K →Sub-55 Minute 10K →Sub-60 Minute 10K →Sub-1:15 Half Marathon →Sub-1:20 Half Marathon →Sub-1:25 Half Marathon →Sub-1:30 Half Marathon →Sub-1:35 Half Marathon →Sub-1:40 Half Marathon →Sub-1:45 Half Marathon →Sub-1:50 Half Marathon →Sub-2:30 Marathon →Sub-2:45 Marathon →Sub-3 Hour Marathon →Sub-3:05 Marathon →Sub-3:10 Marathon →Sub-3:15 Marathon →Sub-3:30 Marathon →Sub-3:45 Marathon →Sub-4:30 Marathon →Sub-5 Hour Marathon →Training Pace Calculator →

Paces calculated using the Daniels/Gilbert oxygen cost equations (1979). All values derived from the same formula used by the StrideIQ training pace calculator. Goal times use the target-minus-one-second convention (e.g., sub-20 = 19:59 input).