86 Marathon Statistics You Should Know

Marathon finishes make up only about 12 percent of global race results, but completing a marathon is still a bucket-list goal for many runners.

Image Credit: David Wood / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages

In This Article

    Global Stats
  
    U.S. Stats
  
    Age
  
    Sex
  
    Finish Time Stats
  
    Professional Marathoners
  
    Health Benefits
  
    Historical Facts
  Both runners and spectators alike would probably agree there's nothing like race day at a high-profile marathon. The streets are packed with bib-clad runners as far as the eye can see and the air buzzes with nervous excitement.

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 But in light of the coronavirus pandemic, marathons have shifted: Many runners are completing races virtually while some marathons are still delayed or canceled completely, according to Running USA. After nearly a year of few races, some of the largest U.S. marathons, like the Boston Marathon and the New York City Marathon, returned in 2021, offering both in-person and virtual entry.

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  As you wait for the world of racing to return to something closer to normal, brush up on these interesting marathon stats and facts, like the demographics of runners in the U.S. and historic marathon winners. Some of the marathon health benefits may even convince first-timers to give this distance a try.

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  Most marathons typically categorize runners into female or male groups, which is why we use the terms "women" and "men" below.

Global Marathon Statistics Wondering about the popularity of the marathon around the world? About 1.1 million runners complete a marathon each year, which is roughly 0.01 percent of the world’s population, according to the International Institute for Race Medicine (IIRM). But where speed is concerned, Europe is home to some of the fastest marathoners in the world.

Marathons accounted for only 12% of global race results in 2018, per the IIRM. That’s down from 25% of race results in 2000.

According to the RunRepeat’s 2021 and 2022 research on running, the countries with the fastest average marathon times are: ‌Switzerland:‌ 3 hours, 50 minutes ‌Netherlands and Spain:‌ 3 hours, 52 minutes ‌Portugal:‌ 3 hours, 59 minutes ‌Ukraine:‌ 3 hours, 59 minutes ‌Norway:‌ 4 hours, 1 minute

The countries with the highest percentage of runners who complete marathons, per the IIRM, are: ‌Germany:‌ 40% ‌Spain:‌ 38% ‌Netherlands:‌ 25% ‌Ireland:‌ 23% ‌France:‌ 20%

The Abbott World Marathon Majors are considered the most prestigious marathons in the world. In light of the COVID pandemic, some countries canceled or postponed their annual marathon. Read the chart below to find the winners of each race over the past two years

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 2022 Winners of the Abbott World Majors City

Winner (Men) Winning Time (Men) Winner (Women) Winning Time (Women) Tokyo Eliud Kipchoge 2:02:40 Brigid Kosgei 2:16:02 Boston Evans Chebet 2:06:51 Peres Jepchirchir 2:21:01 London Amos Kipruto 2:04:39 Yalemzerf Yehualaw 2:17:26 Berlin Eliud Kipchoge 2:01:09 Tigist Assefa 2:15:37 Chicago Benson Kipruto 2:04:24 Ruth Chepngetich 2:14:18 New York City Evans Chebet 2:08:41 Sharon Lokedi 2:23:23 Source: NBC Sports; Boston Athletic Association; TCS London Marathon; BMW Berlin Marathon; Bank of America Chicago Marathon; TCS New York City Marathon London Marathon Facts

Each year about 45,000 runners complete the London Marathon. About 750,000 spectators cheer them on annually. The prize for winning the elite racing division of the London Marathon is $30,000. The prize for winning the wheelchair division of the London Marathon is $20,000. London Marathon runners raised more than $91 million for charity in 2019. In 2020, the London Marathon received the Guinness World Records title for the most users — 37,966 participants — to complete a remote marathon in 24 hours.

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 London Marathon Course Records Division

Runner Time Year Men’s Eliud Kipchoge 2:02:37 2019 Women’s (Among Men and Women) Paula Radcliffe 2:15:25 2003 Women’s (Only) Mary Jepkosgei Keitany 2:17:01 2017 Wheelchair Men’s Kurt Fearnley 1:28:56 2009 Wheelchair Women’s Manuela Schar 1:39:57 2017 Source: London Marathon Marathon Statistics in the U.S. Although there are more than 1,000 marathons in the U.S. each year, only a small fraction of people in the country actually complete the race.

Less than 1% of the U.S. population has completed a marathon, according to RunRepeat. To place among the top 1% of marathon runners in the U.S., you would have to finish faster than 2 hours, 50 minutes, and 48 seconds, according to RunRepeat. To place among the top 10% of marathon runners in the U.S., you would need to finish faster than 3 hours, 31 minutes and 46 seconds. Runners from these states have the fastest finish times: ‌Massachusetts:‌ 4 hours, 4 minutes, 20 seconds ‌Washington:‌ 4 hours, 18 minutes, 9 seconds ‌Indiana:‌ 4 hours, 18 minutes, 57 seconds

Runners from the following states have the slowest finish times: ‌Alaska:‌ 5 hours, 30 minutes, 15 seconds ‌Florida:‌ 5 hours, 33 minutes, 19 seconds ‌Hawaii:‌ 6 hours, 16 minutes, 6 seconds

These states have the highest percentage of marathoners: ‌Washington D.C.:‌ 3.22% ‌Hawaii:‌ 1.40% ‌Vermont:‌ 0.38%

These states have the lowest percentage of marathoners: ‌West Virginia:‌ 0.04% ‌New Jersey:‌ 0.03% ‌Kansas:‌ 0.03%

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 The Top Marathons in the U.S. Race

2022 Approximate Number of Finishers New York City Marathon 47,839 Chicago Marathon 40,000 Boston Marathon 24,918 Los Angeles Marathon 14,300 Honolulu Marathon 6,241 Marine Corps Marathon 2,620 Philadelphia Marathon 21,000 Twin Cities Marathon 6,485 Grandma’s Marathon 5,957 San Francisco Marathon 25,000 California International Marathon 8,018 San Diego Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon 22,000 St. George Marathon 5,000 Chicago Marathon Statistics Not only does the Chicago marathon guide runners through 29 diverse neighborhoods, it’s a great first-time race, thanks to the generally flat and fast course.

Prizes for the men’s and women’s open divisions, according to the Chicago Marathon, are: ‌1st:‌ $75,000 ‌2nd:‌ $55,000 ‌3rd:‌ $45,000 ‌4th:‌ $30,000 ‌5th:‌ $25,000

The 2022 race had about 40,000 runners. Emily Sisson broke the American women’s marathon record and finished at 2:18:29 in 2022. Runners raised about $21.4 million for charity in 2021.

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 Chicago Marathon Course Records Division

Runner Time Year Men Dennis Kimetto 2:03:45 2013 Women Paula Radcliffe 2:17:18 2002 Wheelchair Men Heinz Frei 1:26:56 2010 Wheelchair Women Tatyana McFadden 1:39:15 2017 Masters Men Steve Plasencia 2:17:02 1999 Masters Women Deena Kastor 2:27:47 2015 Source: Chicago Marathon Marathon Statistics by Age Younger doesn’t necessarily mean faster in the marathon. Generally, middle-aged runners tend to finish marathons most quickly.

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The average marathon runner is about 40 years old, according to the IIRM. Runners above the age of 70 are the slowest marathon runners. Runners in the 30- to 50-year-old age group are the fastest. Fauja Singh, who ran the Toronto Marathon in 2011 at 100 years old, is the oldest person to ever complete the distance, according to the Associated Press. According to Meteor Run, a running statistics platform, these are the marathon finish times you’d need to run to place at the top of each age group:

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  Age

Female Male 1 to 14 9:58:58 11:01:30 15 to 19 4:09:32 3:26:08 20 to 29 2:57:17 2:29:54 30 to 39 2:55:18 2:30:11 40 to 49 3:06:56 2:42:01 50 to 59 3:28:42 2:56:09 60 to 69 3:58:15 3:22:40 70 to 100 5:49:43 4:06:43 Source: Meteor Run What’s the Best Age to Run a Marathon? There’s no ideal age to run a marathon and your finish time will depend on a variety of factors (not just how old you are). But women tend to perform their best at about 32 years old, whereas men generally run their best times around age 34, according to a June 2019 ‌International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health‌ study. Marathon Statistics by Sex Men tend to be faster marathon runners than women but, as a whole, women are becoming speedier each year, while the average men’s finish time has slowed down, per the IIRM. Race participation is also growing faster among women than men, according to RunRepeat.

About 30% of global marathon participants are women. Between 2008 and 2018, women’s marathon participation increased by 56.83%, while men’s participation increased by 46.91%, according to RunRepeat. 196,586 of the 443,878 total marathon finishers in the U.S. in 2018 were women. The average men’s marathon finish time is about 4 hours, 15 minutes, according to the IIRM. Men’s average marathon pace is about 10 minutes, 20 seconds per mile. 67.9% of male runners have completed at least one marathon. The average women’s marathon finish time is about 4 hours, 45 minutes. Women’s average marathon pace is about 11 minutes, 41 seconds per mile. 53.9% of female runners have completed at least one marathon. The largest group of female marathon participants, 31.5%, are in the 30 to 39 age bracket, according to Meteor Run. The largest group of male participants, 29.1%, are in the 40 to 49 age group.

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 Marathon Finish Time Statistics

Globally, the average marathon time is a little over 4 hours — and has been slowing down over the past decade, per the IIRM.

Worldwide, the average marathon time is about 4 hours, 21 minutes, according to Asics. The average marathon pace is about 9 minutes, 57 seconds per mile (or 6 minutes, 11 seconds per kilometer). So, anything faster than that average is generally considered a good pace for a marathon. Per Meteor Run, these are the average times you’d need to beat in order to win a marathon: Women: 2 hours, 50 minutes, 5 seconds Men: 2 hours, 26 minutes

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 Has Anyone Broken a 2-Hour Marathon? Eliud Kipchoge ran the fastest marathon ever in 2019 in 1 hour, 59 minutes, 40 seconds, according to ESPN. However, this does not count as an official record, as the course didn't meet marathon regulations.

To get an idea of how your marathon stacks up against the global average, use the chart below to see the proportion of people finishing in different times. Proportion of Average Marathon Finish Times Time Men Women Less than 3 hours 4% 1% Less than 3 hours, 5 minutes 18% 5% Less than 4 hours 43% 21% Less than 4 hours, 5 minutes 64% 43% Less than 5 hours 81% 65% Less than 6 hours 97% 91% Source: Asics ‌Take a look at the 5K, 10K, half-marathon and marathon times chart below to help you estimate your race pace.‌ Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative Professional Marathon Statistics Elite marathon runners complete the race in well under 3 hours.

Eliud Kipchoge set the men’s marathon world record in 2022 in Berlin with the world’s fastest time of 2 hours, 1 minute, 9 seconds, according to World Athletics. Kenenisa Bekele set the second-place record in 2019 in Berlin, finishing in 2 hours, 1 minute, 41 seconds. Kelvin Kiptum set the third-place record in 2022 in Valencia, finishing in 2 hours, 1 minutes, 53 seconds.

Brigid Kosgei set the women’s marathon world record in 2019 in Chicago with the world’s fastest time of 2 hours, 14 minutes, 4 seconds. Ruth Chepngetich set the second-place record in 2022 in Chicago, finishing in 2 hours, 14 minutes, 18 seconds. Amane Beriso Shankule set the third-place record in 2022 in Valencia, finishing in 2 hours, 14 minutes, 58 seconds.

Olympic Marathon Statistics

To enter the 2024 U.S. Olympic marathon trials, runners must have achieved a qualifying standard on a USA Track & Field (USATF) certified course or in an eligible event held by the USATF. ‌Men’s standard:‌ 2 hours, 18 minutes ‌Women’s standard:‌ 2 hours, 37 minutes

260 men and 512 women met qualifying standards for the trials in 2020. The current Olympic marathon records, according to World Athletics are: ‌Women:‌ 2:23:07, set by Tiki Galena from Ethiopia at the 2012 London Olympics.
‌Men:‌ 2:06:32, set by Samuel Kamau Wanjiru from Kenya at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

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 Marathon Prize Money Race

1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place Boston $150,000 $75,000 $40,000 New York $100,000 $60,000 $40,000 Chicago $75,000 $55,000 $45,000 Statistics About the Benefits of Running a Marathon While long-distance running is intense, research shows it can help your heart and mood.

After 6 months of training, first-time marathon runners had lower blood pressure and less stiffness in their arteries in a small January 2020 study in the ‌Journal of the American College of Cardiology‌. Compared to sedentary people, marathon runners showed fewer symptoms of depression in a November 2020 study in the ‌Journal of Psychiatric Research‌. Running may not be as bad for your knees as some might think: After completing a four-month training program and race, MRIs of the knees of a group of new marathon runners showed improvements in joint health, according to a small October 2019 study in ‌BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine‌. A January 2017 study in ‌BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation‌ found Olympic marathon runners lived about 4.7 years longer than the average adult. Some people worry that long-term endurance training, like marathon running, can damage the heart, but there isn’t enough research to confirm how much running is actually too much, according to a June 2012 study in ‌Mayo Clinic Proceedings‌. There’s an average of one heart attacked-related death for every 100,000 marathon runners. Almost 50% of these incidents happen during the last mile of a marathon.

Historical Facts About the Marathon

You can trace the first marathon all the way to ancient Greece; however, the race as we know it today wasn’t established until 1908, according to World Athletics. The first marathon distance ever run was 26 miles from Marathon to Athens, Greece, completed by a Greek soldier named Philippedes (also sometimes called Pheidippides), according to World Athletics. The first Olympic Games, held in Athens in 1896, established the 40-kilometer (about 24.85 miles) marathon race. The marathon was then changed to 26 miles, only to be increased by 385 yards (0.2 miles) at the 1908 London Olympics so that runners would finish in front of Queen Alexandra watching the games.

  Image Credit:
  LIVESTRONG.com Creative
  Historic Marathon Firsts

Violet Piercy was the first woman recognized by the International Association of Athletics Federations to run a marathon, who ran a time of 3 hours, 40 minutes, 22 seconds in England in 1926, according to ‌Runner’s World‌. Abebe Bikila won a gold medal at the 1960 Olympic Games running barefoot through Rome with a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes, 16 seconds, according to World Athletics. In 1966, Roberta Gibb became the first woman to run the Boston Marathon without an official race number, according to the Boston Marathon. Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon in 1967, according to Switzer’s website. The first time the wheelchair division was included in marathon racing was in 1974 in Ohio, according to The Accessible Planet. Bob Hall won this race in 2 hours, 54 minutes.

The first women’s Olympic marathon was held in 1984 in Los Angeles, according to Runner’s World. In 2017, Shalane Flanagan became the first American woman to win the New York City Marathon in 40 years, according to the New York Road Runners. In 2018, Desiree Linden became the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon since 1985, according to PBS News Hour. In 2022, the New York City Marathon became the first World Major Marathon to award prize money to nonbinary athletes, according to ‌Runner’s World‌. Jake Caswell, a New York City resident, finished first at 2:45:12. In 2022, Ethiopian runnerYalemzerf Yehualaw became the youngest London marathon winner, according to CNN. In 2022, Marcel Hug broke the men’s wheelchair course record at the New York City Marathon and crossed the finish line at 1:25:26, according to ‌Runner’s World‌. In the same race, Susannah Scaroni broke the women’s wheelchair course record, finishing at 1:42:43.

‌Correction: An earlier version of this story contained incorrect names for some of the 2022 Winners of the Abbott World Majors.‌ ‌We appreciate readers who bring errors like these to our attention! If you spot something in one of our articles, please reach out: editorial@livestrong.com.‌

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  references
  
      Running USA: "Running USA Infographic: Runners and Virtual Runs"
    
      International Institute for Race Medicines: "The State of Running 2019"
    
      London Marathon: "Media Guide"
    
      RunRepeat: "Who’s Faster? The Ultimate State Comparison for Marathons"
    
      Chicago Marathon: "Course & Amenities"
    
      Chicago Marathon: "Media Guide"
    
      Chicago Marathon: "Brigid Kosgei Smashes the World Record and Lawrence Cherono Wins in a Sprint Finish at the 42nd Annual Bank of America Chicago Marathon"
    
      Chicago Marathon: "Bank of America Chicago Marathon Runners Raised an Event Record $27.1 Million for Charity in 2019"
    
      International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: "The Age-Related Performance Decline in Marathon Running: The Paradigm of the Berlin Marathon"
    
      Associated Press: "Fauja Singh, 101, Finishes Last Race"
    
      Meteor Run: "Overview of Marathon Statistics"
    
      RunRepeat: "Marathon Statistics 2019 Worldwide (Research)"
    
      ESPN: "Eliud Kipchoge Runs First Ever Sub-Two Hour Marathon in INEOS 1:59 Challenge"
    
      Asics: "What is a Good Time for a Marathon?"
    
      World Athletics: "Marathon Men"
    
      World Athletics: "Olympic Games Records"
    
      Journal of the American College of Cardiology: "Training for a First-Time Marathon Reverses Age-Related Aortic Stiffening"
    
      Journal of Psychiatric Research: "Marathon Running Omproves Mood and Negative Affect"
    
      BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine: "Can Marathon Running Improve Knee Damage of Middle-Aged Adults? A Prospective Cohort Study"
    
      BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation: "Differences in Life Expectancy Between Olympic High Jumpers, Discus Throwers, Marathon and 100 Meter Runners"
    
      Mayo Clinic Proceedings: "Potential Adverse Cardiovascular Effects From Excessive Endurance Exercise"
    
      World Athletics: "Marathon"
    
      Runner's World: "A History of Women's Running"
    
      Boston Marathon: "History of the Boston Marathon"
    
      Katherine Sqitzer: "The Real Story of Kathrine Switzer’s 1967 Boston Marathon"
    
      New York Road Runners: "Shalane Flanagan"
    
      PBS News Hour: "Desiree Linden Becomes First American Woman to Win Boston Marathon in More Than 30 Years"
    
      Accessible Planet: "How Long Is The Wheelchair Marathon"
    
      RunRepeat: "120+ Running Statistics 2021/2022 [Research Review]"
    
      RunRepeat: "Compare Running Finish Times [Calculator] - 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon"
    
      Runner's World: "Jake Caswell Wins Nonbinary Division at the 2022 New York City Marathon"
    
      CNN: "Despite faceplant, Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw becomes youngest ever London Marathon winner"
    
      Runner's World: "Results and Highlights From the 2022 New York City Marathon"
       




  references
  
      Running USA: "Running USA Infographic: Runners and Virtual Runs"
    
      International Institute for Race Medicines: "The State of Running 2019"
    
      London Marathon: "Media Guide"
    
      RunRepeat: "Who’s Faster? The Ultimate State Comparison for Marathons"
    
      Chicago Marathon: "Course & Amenities"
    
      Chicago Marathon: "Media Guide"
    
      Chicago Marathon: "Brigid Kosgei Smashes the World Record and Lawrence Cherono Wins in a Sprint Finish at the 42nd Annual Bank of America Chicago Marathon"
    
      Chicago Marathon: "Bank of America Chicago Marathon Runners Raised an Event Record $27.1 Million for Charity in 2019"
    
      International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: "The Age-Related Performance Decline in Marathon Running: The Paradigm of the Berlin Marathon"
    
      Associated Press: "Fauja Singh, 101, Finishes Last Race"
    
      Meteor Run: "Overview of Marathon Statistics"
    
      RunRepeat: "Marathon Statistics 2019 Worldwide (Research)"
    
      ESPN: "Eliud Kipchoge Runs First Ever Sub-Two Hour Marathon in INEOS 1:59 Challenge"
    
      Asics: "What is a Good Time for a Marathon?"
    
      World Athletics: "Marathon Men"
    
      World Athletics: "Olympic Games Records"
    
      Journal of the American College of Cardiology: "Training for a First-Time Marathon Reverses Age-Related Aortic Stiffening"
    
      Journal of Psychiatric Research: "Marathon Running Omproves Mood and Negative Affect"
    
      BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine: "Can Marathon Running Improve Knee Damage of Middle-Aged Adults? A Prospective Cohort Study"
    
      BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation: "Differences in Life Expectancy Between Olympic High Jumpers, Discus Throwers, Marathon and 100 Meter Runners"
    
      Mayo Clinic Proceedings: "Potential Adverse Cardiovascular Effects From Excessive Endurance Exercise"
    
      World Athletics: "Marathon"
    
      Runner's World: "A History of Women's Running"
    
      Boston Marathon: "History of the Boston Marathon"
    
      Katherine Sqitzer: "The Real Story of Kathrine Switzer’s 1967 Boston Marathon"
    
      New York Road Runners: "Shalane Flanagan"
    
      PBS News Hour: "Desiree Linden Becomes First American Woman to Win Boston Marathon in More Than 30 Years"
    
      Accessible Planet: "How Long Is The Wheelchair Marathon"
    
      RunRepeat: "120+ Running Statistics 2021/2022 [Research Review]"
    
      RunRepeat: "Compare Running Finish Times [Calculator] - 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon"
    
      Runner's World: "Jake Caswell Wins Nonbinary Division at the 2022 New York City Marathon"
    
      CNN: "Despite faceplant, Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw becomes youngest ever London Marathon winner"
    
      Runner's World: "Results and Highlights From the 2022 New York City Marathon"
    




Marathon finishes make up only about 12 percent of global race results, but completing a marathon is still a bucket-list goal for many runners.

Image Credit: David Wood / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages

Global Stats
U.S. Stats
Age
Sex
Finish Time Stats
Professional Marathoners
Health Benefits
Historical Facts

Most marathons typically categorize runners into female or male groups, which is why we use the terms “women” and “men” below.

That’s down from 25% of race results in 2000.
‌Switzerland:‌ 3 hours, 50 minutes
‌Netherlands and Spain:‌ 3 hours, 52 minutes
‌Portugal:‌ 3 hours, 59 minutes
‌Ukraine:‌ 3 hours, 59 minutes
‌Norway:‌ 4 hours, 1 minute
‌Germany:‌ 40%
‌Spain:‌ 38%
‌Netherlands:‌ 25%
‌Ireland:‌ 23%
‌France:‌ 20%

City Winner (Men) Winning Time (Men) Winner (Women) Winning Time (Women) Tokyo Eliud Kipchoge 2:02:40 Brigid Kosgei 2:16:02 Boston Evans Chebet 2:06:51 Peres Jepchirchir 2:21:01 London Amos Kipruto 2:04:39 Yalemzerf Yehualaw 2:17:26 Berlin Eliud Kipchoge 2:01:09 Tigist Assefa 2:15:37 Chicago Benson Kipruto 2:04:24 Ruth Chepngetich 2:14:18 New York City Evans Chebet 2:08:41 Sharon Lokedi 2:23:23

Source: NBC Sports; Boston Athletic Association; TCS London Marathon; BMW Berlin Marathon; Bank of America Chicago Marathon; TCS New York City Marathon

Division Runner Time Year Men’s Eliud Kipchoge 2:02:37 2019 Women’s (Among Men and Women) Paula Radcliffe 2:15:25 2003 Women’s (Only) Mary Jepkosgei Keitany 2:17:01 2017 Wheelchair Men’s Kurt Fearnley 1:28:56 2009 Wheelchair Women’s Manuela Schar 1:39:57 2017

Source: London Marathon

‌Massachusetts:‌ 4 hours, 4 minutes, 20 seconds
‌Washington:‌ 4 hours, 18 minutes, 9 seconds
‌Indiana:‌ 4 hours, 18 minutes, 57 seconds
‌Alaska:‌ 5 hours, 30 minutes, 15 seconds
‌Florida:‌ 5 hours, 33 minutes, 19 seconds
‌Hawaii:‌ 6 hours, 16 minutes, 6 seconds
‌Washington D.C.:‌ 3.22%
‌Hawaii:‌ 1.40%
‌Vermont:‌ 0.38%
‌West Virginia:‌ 0.04%
‌New Jersey:‌ 0.03%
‌Kansas:‌ 0.03%

Race 2022 Approximate Number of Finishers New York City Marathon 47,839 Chicago Marathon 40,000 Boston Marathon 24,918 Los Angeles Marathon 14,300 Honolulu Marathon 6,241 Marine Corps Marathon 2,620 Philadelphia Marathon 21,000 Twin Cities Marathon 6,485 Grandma’s Marathon 5,957 San Francisco Marathon 25,000 California International Marathon 8,018 San Diego Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon 22,000 St. George Marathon 5,000

‌1st:‌ $75,000
‌2nd:‌ $55,000
‌3rd:‌ $45,000
‌4th:‌ $30,000
‌5th:‌ $25,000

Division Runner Time Year Men Dennis Kimetto 2:03:45 2013 Women Paula Radcliffe 2:17:18 2002 Wheelchair Men Heinz Frei 1:26:56 2010 Wheelchair Women Tatyana McFadden 1:39:15 2017 Masters Men Steve Plasencia 2:17:02 1999 Masters Women Deena Kastor 2:27:47 2015

Source: Chicago Marathon

Age Female Male 1 to 14 9:58:58 11:01:30 15 to 19 4:09:32 3:26:08 20 to 29 2:57:17 2:29:54 30 to 39 2:55:18 2:30:11 40 to 49 3:06:56 2:42:01 50 to 59 3:28:42 2:56:09 60 to 69 3:58:15 3:22:40 70 to 100 5:49:43 4:06:43

Source: Meteor Run

There’s no ideal age to run a marathon and your finish time will depend on a variety of factors (not just how old you are). But women tend to perform their best at about 32 years old, whereas men generally run their best times around age 34, according to a June 2019 ‌International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health‌ study.

Women: 2 hours, 50 minutes, 5 seconds
Men: 2 hours, 26 minutes

Eliud Kipchoge ran the fastest marathon ever in 2019 in 1 hour, 59 minutes, 40 seconds, according to ESPN. However, this does not count as an official record, as the course didn’t meet marathon regulations.

Time Men Women Less than 3 hours 4% 1% Less than 3 hours, 5 minutes 18% 5% Less than 4 hours 43% 21% Less than 4 hours, 5 minutes 64% 43% Less than 5 hours 81% 65% Less than 6 hours 97% 91%

Source: Asics

Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative

Kenenisa Bekele set the second-place record in 2019 in Berlin, finishing in 2 hours, 1 minute, 41 seconds.
Kelvin Kiptum set the third-place record in 2022 in Valencia, finishing in 2 hours, 1 minutes, 53 seconds.
Ruth Chepngetich set the second-place record in 2022 in Chicago, finishing in 2 hours, 14 minutes, 18 seconds.
Amane Beriso Shankule set the third-place record in 2022 in Valencia, finishing in 2 hours, 14 minutes, 58 seconds.
‌Men’s standard:‌ 2 hours, 18 minutes
‌Women’s standard:‌ 2 hours, 37 minutes
‌Women:‌ 2:23:07, set by Tiki Galena from Ethiopia at the 2012 London Olympics.
‌Men:‌ 2:06:32, set by Samuel Kamau Wanjiru from Kenya at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Race 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place Boston $150,000 $75,000 $40,000 New York $100,000 $60,000 $40,000 Chicago $75,000 $55,000 $45,000

There’s an average of one heart attacked-related death for every 100,000 marathon runners.
Almost 50% of these incidents happen during the last mile of a marathon.

Bob Hall won this race in 2 hours, 54 minutes.

    Running USA: "Running USA Infographic: Runners and Virtual Runs"

    International Institute for Race Medicines: "The State of Running 2019"

    London Marathon: "Media Guide"

    RunRepeat: "Who’s Faster? The Ultimate State Comparison for Marathons"

    Chicago Marathon: "Course & Amenities"

    Chicago Marathon: "Media Guide"

    Chicago Marathon: "Brigid Kosgei Smashes the World Record and Lawrence Cherono Wins in a Sprint Finish at the 42nd Annual Bank of America Chicago Marathon"

    Chicago Marathon: "Bank of America Chicago Marathon Runners Raised an Event Record $27.1 Million for Charity in 2019"

    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: "The Age-Related Performance Decline in Marathon Running: The Paradigm of the Berlin Marathon"

    Associated Press: "Fauja Singh, 101, Finishes Last Race"

    Meteor Run: "Overview of Marathon Statistics"

    RunRepeat: "Marathon Statistics 2019 Worldwide (Research)"

    ESPN: "Eliud Kipchoge Runs First Ever Sub-Two Hour Marathon in INEOS 1:59 Challenge"

    Asics: "What is a Good Time for a Marathon?"

    World Athletics: "Marathon Men"

    World Athletics: "Olympic Games Records"

    Journal of the American College of Cardiology: "Training for a First-Time Marathon Reverses Age-Related Aortic Stiffening"

    Journal of Psychiatric Research: "Marathon Running Omproves Mood and Negative Affect"

    BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine: "Can Marathon Running Improve Knee Damage of Middle-Aged Adults? A Prospective Cohort Study"

    BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation: "Differences in Life Expectancy Between Olympic High Jumpers, Discus Throwers, Marathon and 100 Meter Runners"

    Mayo Clinic Proceedings: "Potential Adverse Cardiovascular Effects From Excessive Endurance Exercise"

    World Athletics: "Marathon"

    Runner's World: "A History of Women's Running"

    Boston Marathon: "History of the Boston Marathon"

    Katherine Sqitzer: "The Real Story of Kathrine Switzer’s 1967 Boston Marathon"

    New York Road Runners: "Shalane Flanagan"

    PBS News Hour: "Desiree Linden Becomes First American Woman to Win Boston Marathon in More Than 30 Years"

    Accessible Planet: "How Long Is The Wheelchair Marathon"

    RunRepeat: "120+ Running Statistics 2021/2022 [Research Review]"

    RunRepeat: "Compare Running Finish Times [Calculator] - 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon"

    Runner's World: "Jake Caswell Wins Nonbinary Division at the 2022 New York City Marathon"

    CNN: "Despite faceplant, Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw becomes youngest ever London Marathon winner"

    Runner's World: "Results and Highlights From the 2022 New York City Marathon"