Comparing your half-marathon time to a general average rarely provides useful information. A time of 1 hour 50 does not hold the same value for a 25-year-old female runner on a flat course as it does for a 55-year-old man on a hilly route. To evaluate a good time for a half-marathon, at least three variables must be considered: age, gender, and course profile.
Average Half-Marathon Times by Age Group and Gender
Data from large samples of races allow us to position a time relative to other runners with the same profile. The table below summarizes the most frequently observed ranges for flat and certified courses.
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| Age Group | Men (average time) | Women (average time) |
|---|---|---|
| 20-29 years | 1 h 50 – 1 h 55 | 2 h 05 – 2 h 15 |
| 30-39 years | 1 h 50 – 2 h 00 | 2 h 10 – 2 h 20 |
| 40-49 years | 1 h 55 – 2 h 05 | 2 h 15 – 2 h 25 |
| 50-59 years | 2 h 05 – 2 h 20 | 2 h 25 – 2 h 40 |
| 60 years and over | 2 h 20 – 2 h 45 | 2 h 40 – 3 h 00 |
Across all genders, the overall average is around 2 h 15 for the half-marathon. Men finish slightly under 2 hours on average, while women finish around 2 h 24. These ranges correspond to recreational runners, not club-licensed athletes.
To better understand what constitutes a good time for a half marathon based on your profile, it is essential to look beyond the raw average and consider which percentile you fall into.
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Gender Gap in the Half-Marathon: What the Numbers Show
The average gap between men and women over the distance is around 12 to 15 minutes, across all age groups. This gap remains relatively stable between the ages of 20 and 50, then tends to slightly decrease after 55, with women losing proportionally less speed with age in mass race data.
A rarely mentioned fact in guides: postpartum female runners show remarkable relative performances. A longitudinal study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, involving 2,500 female runners, shows that the 12 to 24 months following childbirth often come with better age percentiles, thanks to tailored return-to-running protocols.
Another variable to consider: heat penalizes older runners more. According to a meta-analysis by RunRepeat covering 50 events, those over 50 lose 10 to 15% of their time above 25 °C, while those aged 20-30 experience much less slowdown. Gender is therefore just one of the factors contributing to the gap, with climate and age interacting significantly.
Flat or Hilly Course: A Factor That Changes the Perspective
The average times mentioned above are calibrated for flat and certified courses. On a hilly route, with a cumulative positive elevation gain of several hundred meters, times degrade non-linearly.
A runner finishing in 1 h 50 on a flat half-marathon can easily lose 8 to 12 minutes on a hilly course, depending on the steepness and distribution of the hills. This loss is not proportional to the distance: climbs in the second half of the race cost more than those at the beginning, as muscle fatigue amplifies the impact of elevation gain.
Training at altitude adds a layer of complexity. Runners who live or train above 1,500 meters benefit from better oxygen transport capacity when they return to run in the plains. This gain, well documented among elite athletes, also translates to amateurs as a slightly faster pace in the weeks following an altitude training camp.
- A half-marathon run at over 1,000 meters altitude will mechanically be slower than at sea level, at the same effort, due to the thinning of oxygen.
- A three-week altitude training block followed by a return to the plains can improve pace by a few seconds per kilometer.
- Courses with sections of technical downhill (steep slope, uneven surface) also extend the time, as the quadriceps absorb stresses that slow the stride.
Setting a Realistic Goal for the Half-Marathon Based on Your Level
The level categories used by performance analysis platforms allow for a more precise positioning than a simple average. Here are the common benchmarks:
- Beginner: finish the half-marathon without walking, with a time between 2 h 15 and 2 h 45 depending on age and gender. The pace generally ranges between 6 min 30 and 7 min 30 per kilometer.
- Intermediate: aim for a time between 1 h 45 and 2 h 10, which requires regular training of three to four sessions per week for several months.
- Advanced: finishing under 1 h 40 for men or under 1 h 50 for women places the runner in the top quarter of finishers.
- Competitor: finishing under 1 h 25 for men or 1 h 35 for women corresponds to the top 5% of participants in most mass races.
These thresholds remain rough estimates. The pace for the 10 km is the best predictor of half-marathon time: by multiplying your 10 km time by a coefficient between 2.1 and 2.25, you get a reliable estimate of your potential over 21 km.
RFID Chips and Accuracy of Age-Based Rankings
Since January 2026, all World Athletics certified half-marathons are required to use RFID chips. This evolution improves the accuracy of net times (real time between crossing the start line and finishing), making age and gender comparisons more reliable than before. Previous rankings, based on gross time (gun time), favored runners positioned at the front of the pack at the start.
The time that matters is the one that corresponds to your profile: age, gender, type of course, weather conditions. An “average” time on a hilly course at 28 °C is worth a “good” time on a flat course at 12 °C. Comparing times without considering these parameters is akin to comparing distances without a unit of measurement.