The tables below summarize typical finish times for various endurance events, by gender and ability level. They include approximate “Beginner/finisher goal,” “Intermediate/average,” and “Advanced/competitive” times (plus optional pro-level references). Pace columns show running pace (min/mile, min/km), cycling speed (mph, km/h), or swimming pace (min/100m, min/100yd).
All distances are given in both metric and imperial. These are general benchmarks only – actual times vary widely by age, course, conditions, etc. For example, the average marathon finish in one study was about 4:21:03 for men and 4:48:45 for women, whereas competitive age-groupers often run ~3:30:00 (men) or ~4:00:00 (women).
Running Events
Running (distances in miles/km)
Event
Category
Men Time
Pace (min/mi)
Pace (min/km)
Women Time
Pace (min/mi)
Pace (min/km)
Marathon (26.2 mi/42.195 km)
Beginner
5:00:00
11:26
7:07
5:30:00
12:35
7:49
Intermediate
4:21:03
9:57
6:11
4:48:45
11:01
6:50
Advanced
3:30:00
8:00
4:59
4:00:00
9:09
5:41
Elite (pro)
2:10:00
4:57
3:05
2:25:00
5:32
3:26
Half Marathon (13.1 mi/21.0975 km)
Beginner
2:15:00
10:18
6:24
2:30:00
11:26
7:07
Intermediate
1:50:15
8:25
5:13
2:00:12
9:09
5:41
Advanced
1:25:00
6:29
4:01
1:35:00
7:15
4:30
Elite (pro)
1:05:00
4:57
3:05
1:15:00
5:43
3:33
10K (6.2 mi/10 km)
Beginner
1:05:00
10:28
6:30
1:15:00
12:04
7:30
Intermediate
0:55:37
8:57
5:34
1:03:17
10:11
6:19
Advanced
0:45:00
7:14
4:30
0:50:00
8:03
5:00
Elite (pro)
0:30:00
4:50
3:00
0:35:00
5:38
3:30
5K (3.1 mi/5 km)
Beginner
0:35:00
11:16
7:00
0:40:00
12:52
8:00
Intermediate
0:23:58
7:43
4:48
0:26:07
8:24
5:13
Advanced
0:20:00
6:26
4:00
0:22:00
7:05
4:24
Elite (pro)
0:15:00
4:50
3:00
0:16:30
5:19
3:18
Triathlon Events
Sprint Triathlon (0.75 km swim / 20 km bike / 5 km run)
Overall Times:
Category
Men Total
Women Total
Beginner
~1:45:00
~1:55:00
Intermediate (Age-Group)
1:25:57
1:33:45
Advanced
~1:15:00
~1:20:00
Elite (pro)
0:53:53
1:00:43
Sprint – Swim (0.75 km):
Category
Men Time
Men Pace (min/100m, min/100yd)
Women Time
Women Pace (min/100m, min/100yd)
Beginner
~20:00
~2:40, ~2:18
~22:00
~2:56, ~2:32
Intermediate
15:39
2:05, 1:54
16:39
2:13, 2:02
Advanced
~13:00
1:44, 1:35
~15:00
2:00, 1:49
Elite (pro)
9:42
1:18, 1:12
10:39
1:25, 1:19
Sprint – Bike (20 km):
Category
Men Time
Men Speed (mph, km/h)
Women Time
Women Speed (mph, km/h)
Beginner
~1:00:00
~12.4, 20
~1:10:00
~10.6, 17.0
Intermediate
0:40:33
18.4, 29.6
0:46:24
16.1, 25.9
Advanced
~0:32:00
~23.2, 37.4
~0:38:00
~20.0, 32.2
Elite (pro)
0:26:47
27.8, 44.8
0:30:14
24.7, 39.8
Sprint – Run (5 km):
Category
Men Time
Men Pace (min/mi, min/km)
Women Time
Women Pace (min/mi, min/km)
Beginner
~0:30:00
~9:39, 6:00
~0:32:00
~10:18, 6:23
Intermediate
0:25:53
8:20, 5:10
0:25:14
8:07, 5:03
Advanced
~0:20:00
6:26, 4:00
~0:22:00
7:04, 4:24
Elite (pro)
0:15:32
4:59, 3:05
0:17:56
5:45, 3:35
Olympic Triathlon (1.5 km swim / 40 km bike / 10 km run)
Overall Times:
Category
Men Total
Women Total
Beginner
~3:30:00
~3:45:00
Intermediate
2:45:00
3:00:00
Advanced
2:30:00
2:45:00
Elite (pro)
1:50:00
2:00:00
Olympic – Swim (1.5 km):
Category
Men Time
Men Pace (min/100m, min/100yd)
Women Time
Women Pace (min/100m, min/100yd)
Beginner
~0:45:00
~3:00, ~2:44
~0:50:00
~3:20, ~3:03
Intermediate
~0:32:00
2:08, 1:57
~0:34:00
2:12, 2:01
Advanced
~0:25:00
1:40, 1:31
~0:28:00
1:52, 1:42
Elite (pro)
0:18:00
1:12, 1:04
0:21:00
1:24, 1:17
Olympic – Bike (40 km):
Category
Men Time
Men Speed (mph, km/h)
Women Time
Women Speed (mph, km/h)
Beginner
~2:00:00
12.4, 20.0
~2:10:00
11.3, 18.2
Intermediate
1:30:00
16.6, 26.7
1:35:00
15.0, 24.1
Advanced
~1:20:00
18.6, 30.0
~1:25:00
17.0, 27.4
Elite (pro)
0:53:00
28.3, 45.5
0:58:00
26.1, 42.0
Olympic – Run (10 km):
Category
Men Time
Men Pace (min/mi, min/km)
Women Time
Women Pace (min/mi, min/km)
Beginner
~1:00:00
9:39, 6:00
~1:05:00
10:27, 6:30
Intermediate
0:50:00
8:03, 5:00
0:55:00
8:52, 5:30
Advanced
~0:45:00
7:14, 4:30
~0:50:00
8:03, 5:00
Elite (pro)
0:30:00
4:50, 3:00
0:31:00
4:59, 3:06
Half Ironman / 70.3 (1.9 km swim / 90 km bike / 21.1 km run)
Overall Times:
Category
Men Total
Women Total
Beginner
~7:30:00
~8:00:00
Intermediate
6:30–6:50
6:40–7:00
Advanced
~6:00:00
~6:30:00
Elite (pro)
~4:00:00
~4:30:00
Half Ironman – Swim (1.9 km):
Category
Men Time
Men Pace (min/100m, min/100yd)
Women Time
Women Pace (min/100m, min/100yd)
Beginner
~1:00:00
~3:10, ~2:54
~1:05:00
~3:25, ~3:09
Intermediate
0:46:00
2:25, 2:13
0:48:00
2:32, 2:18
Advanced
~0:40:00
2:06, 1:56
~0:44:00
2:19, 2:05
Elite (pro)
0:23:00
1:13, 1:07
0:26:00
1:27, 1:19
Half Ironman – Bike (90 km):
Category
Men Time
Men Speed (mph, km/h)
Women Time
Women Speed (mph, km/h)
Beginner
~5:00:00
11.2, 18.0
~5:30:00
10.0, 16.1
Intermediate
3:30:00
25.7, 41.4
3:50:00
23.4, 37.7
Advanced
~3:00:00
30.0, 48.3
~3:20:00
26.8, 43.1
Elite (pro)
2:00:00
45.0, 72.4
2:15:00
40.0, 64.4
Half Ironman – Run (Half Marathon 21.1 km):
Category
Men Time
Men Pace (min/mi, min/km)
Women Time
Women Pace (min/mi, min/km)
Beginner
~3:00:00
13:30, 8:24
~3:15:00
14:44, 9:10
Intermediate
2:30:00
11:27, 7:06
2:45:00
12:31, 7:46
Advanced
~2:15:00
10:13, 6:22
~2:30:00
11:27, 7:06
Elite (pro)
~1:10:00
5:20, 3:18
1:15:00
5:43, 3:33
Full Ironman (3.8 km swim / 180 km bike / 42.2 km run)
Overall Times:
Category
Men Total
Women Total
Beginner
~15:30:00
~16:30:00
Intermediate
13:00–13:30
13:30–14:00
Advanced
~11:00:00
~12:00:00
Elite (pro)
~7:45:00
~8:30:00
Full Ironman – Swim (3.8 km):
Category
Men Time
Men Pace (min/100m, min/100yd)
Women Time
Women Pace (min/100m, min/100yd)
Beginner
~1:50:00
~2:54, ~2:40
~2:00:00
~3:09, ~2:55
Intermediate
1:20:00
2:06, 1:56
1:25:00
2:14, 2:03
Advanced
~1:00:00
1:23, 1:16
~1:10:00
1:58, 1:48
Elite (pro)
0:46:00
1:12, 1:06
0:49:00
1:18, 1:12
Full Ironman – Bike (180 km):
Category
Men Time
Men Speed (mph, km/h)
Women Time
Women Speed (mph, km/h)
Beginner
~9:00:00
20.0, 32.2
~9:30:00
19.0, 30.6
Intermediate
6:30:00
27.7, 44.6
7:00:00
25.6, 41.1
Advanced
~6:00:00
30.0, 48.3
~6:30:00
27.7, 44.6
Elite (pro)
4:00:00
45.0, 72.4
4:10:00
43.3, 69.7
Full Ironman – Run (Marathon 42.2 km):
Category
Men Time
Men Pace (min/mi, min/km)
Women Time
Women Pace (min/mi, min/km)
Beginner
~6:30:00
14:49, 9:12
~7:00:00
15:52, 9:51
Intermediate
5:00:00
11:26, 7:06
5:30:00
12:32, 7:47
Advanced
~4:30:00
10:13, 6:21
~5:00:00
11:26, 7:06
Elite (pro)
~2:50:00
6:29, 4:02
3:10:00
7:14, 4:30
Swimming (Pool)
Standalone pool times vary by event. As one guideline notes, a 100m freestyle under 60s is exceptional, under 70s “very good”. The tables below list typical times by tier for men and women. For example, a “good” 200m for men is ~3:40 (≈1:50/100m) and for women ~3:56. (Open-water swims tend to be 5–10% slower than pool times due to currents, sighting, etc.)
Distance
Category
Men Time
Men Pace (min/100m, min/100yd)
Women Time
Women Pace (min/100m, min/100yd)
100 m
Beginner
~2:30
2:30, 2:16
~3:00
3:00, 2:44
Intermediate
~1:20
1:20, 1:13
~1:30
1:30, 1:20
Advanced
~0:55
0:55, 0:48
~1:10
1:10, 1:03
Elite (pro)
~0:48
0:48, 0:42
~1:00
1:00, 0:55
200 m
Beginner
~5:00
2:30, 2:16
~5:30
2:45, 2:27
Intermediate
3:40
1:50, 1:40
3:56
1:58, 1:47
Advanced
2:53
1:26, 1:18
3:10
1:35, 1:25
Elite (pro)
2:18
1:09, 1:01
2:45
1:22, 1:13
500 m
Beginner
~10:00
2:00, 1:48
~11:00
2:12, 1:59
Intermediate
9:24
1:53, 1:43
10:07
2:01, 1:51
Advanced
7:25
1:29, 1:21
~8:30
1:42, 1:31
Elite (pro)
5:55
1:11, 1:03
~7:00
1:24, 1:15
1500 m
Beginner
~30:00
2:00, 1:48
~35:00
2:20, 2:06
Intermediate
29:09
1:56, 1:47
31:27
2:05, 1:55
Advanced
22:59
1:31, 1:24
~25:00
1:40, 1:31
Elite (pro)
18:19
1:13, 1:07
~20:00
1:20, 1:12
Swimming (Open Water)
Open-water swims are usually slower. As noted, plan on adding ~5–20 sec/100m depending on conditions. For triathlon swim times (e.g. the 750m–3.8km legs above) we use pool paces and assume slightly slower actual times in open water.
Disclaimer
Times above are approximate benchmarks. Actual finish times depend on many factors (age, gender, course profile, weather, etc.). For example, a hot or hilly course can add 10–20% to average times. Use these tables for general guidance only. Always adjust goals according to personal circumstances.
Sources
Data compiled from published race statistics and coach guidelines:
