Marathon Finish Time
Finish-time percentiles for London Marathon finishers across the 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023 editions, by age bracket and sex. The figures describe finishers only, not entrants: non-finishers (DNF) and elite athletes are excluded by the dataset authors, and all times come from a single course and climate, so they may not generalise to every marathon. Data are derived directly from the raw per-runner rows of the London Marathon open dataset (CC-BY-4.0); see the derivation methodology for the full method and where to find finisher data for other races. The 2020 race was cancelled and the COVID-affected 2021 edition is excluded as atypical. The oldest brackets (75-79 and 80+) are omitted because too few finishers in those groups remain to publish stable percentiles.
Data source: London Marathon Open Data About this study
Reference population: London Marathon finishers from the 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023 editions. The 2020 race was cancelled (COVID-19) and the COVID-affected 2021 edition is excluded as an atypical field. Elite runners and non-finishers are excluded by the dataset authors.
Marathon Finish Time Norms Chart by Age and Sex (h:mm:ss)
| Age | Sex | Percentile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 95th | ||
| 18-39 | Male | 2:49:29 | 3:35:59 | 4:11:58 | 4:54:52 | 6:02:00 |
| Female | 3:23:45 | 4:08:27 | 4:50:21 | 5:35:07 | 6:43:33 | |
| 40-44 | Male | 2:50:51 | 3:29:07 | 4:07:41 | 4:51:40 | 6:00:58 |
| Female | 3:25:09 | 4:05:26 | 4:48:37 | 5:33:06 | 6:43:11 | |
| 45-49 | Male | 2:55:59 | 3:33:50 | 4:10:37 | 4:55:43 | 6:01:37 |
| Female | 3:28:36 | 4:05:27 | 4:49:28 | 5:34:38 | 6:42:37 | |
| 50-54 | Male | 3:02:33 | 3:41:12 | 4:17:52 | 5:01:36 | 6:09:59 |
| Female | 3:35:03 | 4:12:53 | 4:55:08 | 5:40:21 | 6:48:03 | |
| 55-59 | Male | 3:10:43 | 3:50:34 | 4:27:32 | 5:09:55 | 6:18:26 |
| Female | 3:44:18 | 4:20:48 | 5:01:07 | 5:47:47 | 6:49:39 | |
| 60-64 | Male | 3:20:22 | 3:54:10 | 4:34:46 | 5:18:36 | 6:25:41 |
| Female | 3:48:25 | 4:25:31 | 5:03:49 | 5:47:32 | 6:59:25 | |
| 65-69 | Male | 3:32:02 | 4:04:10 | 4:46:51 | 5:34:00 | 6:42:27 |
| Female | 4:00:57 | 4:36:24 | 5:14:00 | 5:57:53 | 7:10:46 | |
| 70-74 | Male | 3:46:30 | 4:30:42 | 5:01:04 | 5:50:30 | 6:57:51 |
| Female | 4:20:44 | 4:58:26 | 5:37:19 | 6:15:06 | 7:05:36 | |
What to expect by age group
| Age | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| 18-39 | 3:35:59 to 4:54:52 | 4:08:27 to 5:35:07 |
| 40-44 | 3:29:07 to 4:51:40 | 4:05:26 to 5:33:06 |
| 45-49 | 3:33:50 to 4:55:43 | 4:05:27 to 5:34:38 |
| 50-54 | 3:41:12 to 5:01:36 | 4:12:53 to 5:40:21 |
| 55-59 | 3:50:34 to 5:09:55 | 4:20:48 to 5:47:47 |
| 60-64 | 3:54:10 to 5:18:36 | 4:25:31 to 5:47:32 |
| 65-69 | 4:04:10 to 5:34:00 | 4:36:24 to 5:57:53 |
| 70-74 | 4:30:42 to 5:50:30 | 4:58:26 to 6:15:06 |
Detailed Breakdowns
Select an age group and sex below for detailed percentile charts, tables, and ratings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good marathon time, and what is the average by age?
Among these London finishers, the median time at age 18-39 is 4:11:58 for men and 4:50:21 for women, rising to 5:01:04 and 5:37:19 by age 70-74. A time at the 25th percentile for an age and sex is faster than about three-quarters of finishers in that group. Use the table above to read the average marathon time by age and see where a given time falls.
Whose times are these?
London Marathon finishers from the 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023 editions. Elite runners and non-finishers are excluded by the dataset, and the 2021 (COVID-affected) edition is excluded as atypical.
Why only the London Marathon?
London is the openly-licensed (CC-BY) dataset with per-runner age, sex, and finish time. Other big-city races such as New York and Berlin differ in course profile and conditions, so their results are not pooled in. The methodology page explains the derivation in full and points to where finisher data for other races, such as Boston, can be found.
Why are the oldest age groups missing?
The 75-79 and 80+ brackets had too few finishers (under 100 per sex) to publish stable percentiles, so they are omitted.