Walking a marathon typically takes most people between about 5 and 6 hours if you’re walking continuously at a brisk pace, with 5:30 to 6:00 being a common target for many recreational walkers. If you plan to combine walking and some light jogging, you might finish closer to 4:30–5:30, depending on your fitness level and pacing. Key factors that affect finish time
- Pace: A brisk walking pace is often around 13–15 minutes per mile (8:00–9:20 per kilometer). At 13 minutes per mile, a marathon would take about 5 hours 40 minutes; at 15 minutes per mile, about 6 hours 30 minutes.
- Training: Regular long walks, incremental distance increases, and practice with fueling and hydration can reduce fatigue and improve consistency.
- Course and conditions: Hills, heat, wind, and crowd density can add minutes or more to your time.
- Walk strategy: Many walkers use “run-walk” intervals (for example, walk 4 minutes, jog 1 minute) to manage fatigue and maintain a steady overall pace.
Practical guidelines if you’re aiming to walk a marathon
- Set a realistic target: If new to long-distance walking, plan for 6–7 hours and adjust based on training progress.
- Build distance gradually: Start with shorter long walks and increase by roughly 10–15% per week, including an occasional cutback week.
- Practice fueling: Try easy-to-dairly snacks and fluids every 30–45 minutes to sustain energy and prevent bonking.
- Test your plan: Do a practice 20–22 mile walk on a weekend with similar footwear, terrain, and race-day conditions.
- Plan for pace variation: Use a run-walk approach or deliberate pacing to avoid early fatigue and keep a steady rhythm.
If you’d like, share your typical walking pace, training history, and any race goals, and a tailored plan with a weekly schedule and target finish window can be drafted.
