Sub-3:30 Marathon — Training Paces and Fitness Profile
Sub-3:30 marathon marks the transition from recreational to competitive marathon running. Runners here have built serious aerobic capacity through consistent structured training and have the endurance to sustain pace for 3+ hours.
Quick answer: To break Sub-3:30:00 in the Marathon (RPI 44.6), your training paces are: easy 9:08/mi, threshold 7:17/mi, interval 6:23/mi. Equivalent fitness: Half Marathon 1:41:01, 10K 45:34.
Training paces for Sub-3:30:00 Marathon
RPI 44.6 · Goal: 3:29:59 · All paces in min/mile
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 44.6 — assuming comparable training for each distance.
Half Marathon
1:41:01
7:42/mi
10K
45:34
7:20/mi
5K
21:58
7:04/mi
Training approach for Sub-3:30:00 Marathon
For sub-3:30 marathon, the training pillars are high easy volume, 20-mile long runs, and threshold work. Threshold training once per week (25–35 minutes at threshold pace) builds the lactate clearance that makes marathon pace feel controlled. Long runs at easy pace (to 20 miles) develop the fat-oxidation and glycogen economy that prevents the wall. 35–50 miles per week of consistent training is the typical volume range.
Calculate your current training paces
The table above shows paces for Sub-3:30:00 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.
Common questions
What training paces does a sub-3:30 marathon runner use?
For sub-3:30:00 (3:29:59): Easy 9:08/mi, Marathon 7:43/mi, Threshold 7:17/mi, Interval 6:23/mi. RPI 44.6. If your easy runs at 9:08/mi feel genuinely easy, you have the aerobic base for sub-3:30. If they feel like moderate effort, build your base further before targeting this standard.
How do I train for sub-3:30 if I've been running sub-4:00?
The jump from sub-4:00 to sub-3:30 is significant. It requires 6–18 months of increased volume and more structured quality work. The key additions: weekly long runs building to 20 miles (sub-4:00 runners often cap at 16–18), threshold tempo sessions (most sub-4:00 runners do insufficient threshold work), and more total weekly mileage (targeting 40–50 miles consistently). Training exclusively for sub-3:30 for 18–24 weeks typically produces 15–25 minute improvements from sub-4:00 fitness.
What half marathon does sub-3:30 marathon fitness predict?
Sub-3:30 marathon fitness (RPI 44.6) projects to approximately 1:41:01 half marathon potential. If you are running near this half time and have built 20-mile long runs, you are in sub-3:30 shape for the full marathon.
Other goal pace guides
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).