NYC Marathon Average Finish Time, Pace Chart & Course Guide
What is a good marathon time—and how should you plan for New York? Start with two benchmarks: about 4 hours, 34 minutes at U.S. marathons in a 2024 study, and 4:32:25 at the 2025 NYC Marathon. Then put your own goal into a plan: know your pace per mile, prepare for the bridges and work out your start morning.
A four-hour marathon goal calls for about 9:09 per mile; a five-hour goal calls for about 11:27. Build your goal around the preparation you can complete and the course you will run. The next NYC Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, November 1, 2026.
What is the average marathon time in the U.S.?
The national figures below come from RunRepeat’s The State of US Marathons 2025, an independent analysis. Use them as context when setting a first goal or reviewing a recent result.
| Group | Average finish time |
|---|---|
| Overall | About 4:34 |
| Men | About 4:24 |
| Women | About 4:51 |
Average marathon times by age
The study also publishes age-group averages:
| Age group | Average finish time |
|---|---|
| 18–24 | About 4:19 |
| 25–34 | About 4:27 |
| 35–44 | About 4:29 |
| 45–54 | About 4:38 |
| 55–64 | About 4:58 |
| 65+ | About 5:35 |
Source: RunRepeat, August 28, 2025; 2024 race results. Dataset definitions are in the methodology below.
What is the average NYC Marathon finish time?
The official NYRR results overview gives an overall average of 4:32:25 for the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon. That corresponds to roughly 10:23 per mile. The result total displayed at our October 15, 2026 check is 59,219 finishers.
| Division | Finishers | Average finish time |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 59,219 | 4:32:25 |
| Men | 31,925 | 4:18:55 |
| Women | 27,156 | 4:48:11 |
| Nonbinary | 138 | 4:43:07 |
NYRR’s early post-race release reported 59,226 finishers. This article uses the 59,219 displayed in the results overview; both source versions are documented below. All results figures in this section refer to 2025.
How does New York compare with the U.S. average?
Both published averages sit close to four and a half hours. The U.S. figure gives you broad context; the New York figure describes a particular race with an international field. Bring the comparison back to your own preparation: your recent races, long-run consistency and ability to maintain effort late in a marathon are the useful starting points for a goal.
Is four or five hours a good marathon time?
Four hours is 32 minutes, 25 seconds quicker than the 2025 NYC average. Five hours is 27 minutes, 35 seconds longer than that average. These comparisons help put a time into context; the goal that makes sense for you depends on your experience and preparation.
For your first marathon, a successful race might mean starting patiently, following your practiced fueling plan and reaching the final miles with enough control to keep moving. For an experienced runner, the goal might be a personal best or a better-managed second half. Decide what success looks like before the race, then use your training to set the time range.
Choose a target time, write down its pace per mile, and decide how you will respond to an uphill mile or a crowded water stop. A simple plan is easier to follow than a single finish-time number on your watch.
Marathon goal times and pace per mile
Use the table to connect a finish goal with an average pace and a halfway reference. NYC’s hills make effort management part of executing that plan.
| Finish goal | Pace / mile | Halfway reference | Pace / km |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3:30:00 | 8:01 | 1:45:00 | 4:59 |
| 4:00:00 | 9:09 | 2:00:00 | 5:41 |
| 4:30:00 | 10:18 | 2:15:00 | 6:24 |
| 5:00:00 | 11:27 | 2:30:00 | 7:07 |
| 5:30:00 | 12:35 | 2:45:00 | 7:49 |
| 6:00:00 | 13:44 | 3:00:00 | 8:32 |
Our arithmetic conversions use 42.195 km and 1 mile = 1.609344 km. “26.2 miles” is the familiar rounded race distance. For another target, use the Yama pace calculator.
According to NYRR’s course information, mile markers are posted every mile and kilometer signs every five kilometers. Keep both pace units handy if you normally train in kilometers.
Where does the NYC Marathon get challenging?
The five-borough route asks you to handle climbs early, in the middle and near the finish. The elevation profile in NYRR’s 2025 media guide helps show the sequence of the major landmarks. For this year’s routing, use the current official course page.
| Landmark | Where it fits | Planning cue |
|---|---|---|
| Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge | The opening miles | Settle into a controlled effort on the climb; keep the descent relaxed. |
| Pulaski Bridge | Around halfway, into Queens | Check how you feel before committing to the second half. |
| Queensboro Bridge | After halfway, heading into Manhattan | Allow your pace to change with the climb and resist a sudden surge onto First Avenue. |
| Willis Avenue Bridge | Later in the race, into the Bronx | Keep your effort manageable as accumulated fatigue grows. |
| Madison Avenue Bridge | The return to Manhattan | Reset your rhythm for the remaining miles. |
| Fifth Avenue | The late approach to Central Park | Keep enough in reserve for the climb toward the park. |
| Central Park and the finish approach | The closing section | Expect rolling terrain and keep working through the final stretch. |
Meb Keflezighi’s NYRR advice on the Queensboro Bridge is particularly useful: arrive with energy in reserve, then control the urge to accelerate when you hear the First Avenue crowd. Our cue is to regain a sustainable rhythm before deciding to push harder.
For a runner used to flat routes, make controlled climbs and descents familiar during preparation. Use the same idea on race day: keep your effort steady as your pace changes. Review your fueling plan alongside the course landmarks, so that checking the watch is only one part of managing the race.
Plan the start morning as carefully as the race
Your start plan has three stages: assigned transportation, time in the start village, and your wave’s corral deadline. Put all three into your schedule. NYRR assigns 2026 transport departure times based on the selected mode and the runner’s registered/best pace.
| Official option | Estimated travel time | Published arrival instruction |
|---|---|---|
| Staten Island Ferry plus shuttle | 90 minutes total | Follow your assigned departure time; the ferry journey is followed by a bus to Fort Wadsworth. |
| Midtown Manhattan bus | 90 minutes | Arrive 30 minutes before scheduled departure. |
| New Jersey bus | 60 minutes | Arrive 15 minutes before scheduled departure. |
Source: NYRR transportation to the start. Add your journey to the departure point and the time between arrival and your assigned wave. The estimates above are travel estimates, not promised start-village waiting times.
The NYRR start instructions identify your wave, color and corral on your bib. Bring permitted extra layers for the wait, know the bag rules and use the official amenities. Plan breakfast and any later snack around your own schedule and practiced routine. Your recorded finish time starts when you cross the start line.
Before leaving for the race, save your transportation assignment, corral information and the current NYRR instructions where you can find them quickly. That turns an early-morning logistics problem into a sequence you have already worked through.
Turn the statistics into your own race plan
- Choose your reference. Start with your recent race performances and training consistency. Use the published averages as context.
- Make the pace familiar. Know the minutes-per-mile pace for your goal and practice judging a controlled effort.
- Plan for the course. Mark the major bridges and late climbs. Decide in advance how you will respond when an uphill mile is slower.
- Connect logistics and fueling. Work back from your wave to transportation, waiting time and your practiced food routine.
- Review the final miles. After the bridges, reassess your effort and work toward a finish you can sustain.
A useful training plan brings those decisions together over the weeks before the race. The Yama training plan guide is a starting point for connecting your goal with the training you can consistently complete.
Sources, definitions and data cutoff
Checked October 15, 2026. RunRepeat states approximately 97% coverage of U.S. marathon results, excluding elites and specified nontraditional events. Its averages used here describe 2024 U.S. races, rather than runners selected by nationality. The 55–64 time is rounded from 4:58:04. Race-result counts describe performances, rather than unique people.
The NYC table uses NYRR’s published 2025 results overview. NYRR’s November 3, 2025 release reported 59,662 starters and 59,226 finishers, explicitly subject to final scoring verification. The results overview checked in the browser displays 59,219 finishers. The seven-result difference is kept visible through these separate source labels; the reviewed publications do not explain every individual change.
The U.S. and NYC averages use different years, selections and participant fields. They are means, not medians or percentile cutoffs. We do not calculate a course penalty, a personal time conversion or a dropout rate from them. The pace table and time differences are our own arithmetic. Course-planning cues are editorial guidance informed by the cited NYRR material, not a newly measured elevation model. The 2025 media guide includes an older elevation graphic, used here for landmark sequence rather than a certified 2026 elevation total. Check the current course and start instructions before race day; some public NYRR sections still include earlier-year material. The 2026 race remains upcoming at this data cutoff.
Sources
- RunRepeat — The State of US Marathons 2025, August 28, 2025: independent research reporting 2024 U.S. averages and its dataset methodology.
- NYRR — 2025 TCS New York City Marathon results overview: published finisher counts and overall/division average times.
- NYRR — November 3, 2025 post-race release: early starter/finisher totals and provisional status.
- NYRR — TCS New York City Marathon: 2026 race date.
- NYRR — 2025 media guide (PDF): route landmarks and the included historical elevation profile.
- NYRR — NYC with Meb: The Queensboro Bridge, October 4, 2022: advice on the bridge and the First Avenue transition.
- NYRR — The Course: current official course-information page.
- NYRR — Transportation to the Start: 2026 transport assignment rules and travel estimates.
- NYRR — The Start: bib, corral, start-village and net-timing instructions.
Checked: October 15, 2026 · U.S. averages: 2024 · NYC results: 2025 · Next race: November 1, 2026
Frequently asked questions
What is the average marathon time in the U.S.?
RunRepeat’s 2025 independent study reports approximately 4 hours, 34 minutes for its 2024 U.S. marathon results. The published averages are about 4:24 for men and 4:51 for women.
What is the average NYC Marathon time?
The NYRR 2025 results overview reports 4:32:25 overall, approximately 10:23 per mile. That figure describes the NYC race field, including international runners.
How many people finished the NYC Marathon in 2025?
The results overview displays 59,219 finishers at the October 15, 2026 check date. NYRR’s early release reported 59,226 and marked its totals as subject to scoring verification.
Is a four-hour marathon faster than average?
Four hours is below both the approximately 4:34 U.S. study average for 2024 and the 4:32:25 NYC average for 2025. It requires an average pace of approximately 9:09 per mile.
What pace do I need for a five-hour marathon?
A five-hour marathon requires approximately 11:27 per mile, or 7:07 per kilometer. An even-time halfway reference is 2:30:00.
When is the 2026 NYC Marathon?
The TCS New York City Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, November 1, 2026. Check your NYRR account for your assigned transportation and wave information.
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