Popularity in marathons is at an all-time high, with more people aiming to run their first one or set a new personal best. But what about marathon walking? While we often hear about jaw-dropping marathon records – like Ruth Chepngetich’s 2:09:56 for women and the late Kelvin Kiptum’s 2:00:35 for men – it can be tricky to picture how long it would take to walk the full 42.2 km instead of running.
Walking, after all, is incredibly beneficial for health and longevity at any age. So, if you decide to cover a marathon entirely on foot at a walking pace, how long should you expect it to take? Let’s break it down.
How Long Does It Take to Walk a Marathon?
Research from the NHS and a study published in JAMA Network Open show that the average person walks at around 4.8 kph, which is considered a brisk pace – faster than a casual stroll but sustainable for most people over long distances.
At that pace, completing 42.2 km would take roughly 8 hours and 44 minutes. Of course, some walkers will be faster, while others may take longer, especially if they pace themselves at around 3 kph or prefer to take breaks along the way.
READ MORE: Experts Reveal How Many Calories You Burn When Walking 10 000 Steps
For context, the current world record for a 50 km walking race is 3:32:33 for men and 3:59:15 for women. That’s 7.8 km longer than a marathon, so most recreational walkers can expect to take around 9 hours or more to finish if they stick to a comfortable pace.
What Can Affect My Walking Performance?
Be aware that many factors can affect your walking pace and performance – especially if that walk is an entire marathon.
The elevation profile of your marathon will almost certainly affect your speed, as steeper uphill and downhill sections will cause you to move slower than you would on flat, even ground. Likewise, the terrain of your marathon will have an impact on how quickly you move. Races held on smooth tarmac roads will more often than not produce quicker results than those held in more technical trail environments.
Plus, you may find that your walking pace is slightly quicker at the start of your marathon – when your energy reserves and excitement levels are higher – and that it drops off as you start to tire in the later stages of the race.
Another factor to consider is race cut-off times, which can be strict if you are walking or moving nearer the back of the field. The Two Oceans Marathon, for instance, has an official cut-off time of seven hours from the moment the final participant crosses the start line, while the famously fast Cape Town Marathon has a much tighter cut-off time of six hours and 30 minutes. Thankfully, there are various walker-friendly marathons out there that support slower finish times.
READ MORE: How To Lose Weight by Walking
If you’re still worried that you won’t be able to get around your chosen marathon course within the cut-off time, you may want to consider adopting a run/walk strategy for your race. With this approach, you intersperse blocks of running with blocks of walking as a means of saving energy while improving your overall pace.
How to Complete a Marathon Walk Faster
Build up your mileage
Just because walking is less intense on the body than running, it doesn’t mean that you can walk a marathon on no training. Rather, you should approach a marathon walk similar to how you’d approach a marathon run and spend around four months preparing for the race day effort.
Get used to spending time on your feet and gradually increase your mileage from one week to the next. Even if you can’t always get out for multiple-hour-long walks at a time, you will still benefit from adding more short walking breaks throughout your day, whether that means walking rather than driving to the supermarket, or walking to a bus stop that’s a little bit further up the road. You could even get in more steps while you work or watch TV with a walking pad.
READ MORE: Want More From Your Walks? Science Says Nature Is the Key
Alongside your walking training, make sure to include recovery days and regular strength and conditioning sessions to help your body handle the higher mileage and stay injury-free. If you plan to run/walk your 42.2 km race, follow our 16-week beginner run/walk marathon training plan to set yourself up for success.
Fuel well
According to a study published in the International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, you expend 8.90 fewer kilocalories per kilometre when you walk continuously than when you run continuously. However, just because you burn more energy when running, you still need to fuel well for a 42.2 km walk, particularly when you consider the additional time that you’ll spend on your feet.
As such, it’s important to keep your glycogen stores in check and focus on consuming good-quality carbohydrates in the final build-up to your race. On race day itself, eat a light but carbohydrate-rich breakfast and top up your energy levels mid-marathon with energy gels, bars, chews, sports drinks, or snacks like sweets or even sandwiches. Be sure to practice with different types of fuel during your training, so you have time to work out what sits well with you before race day.
READ MORE: Treadmill or Outdoor Walking? A New Study Settles the Debate
You’ll also need to stay hydrated throughout the race, so sip on small amounts of water frequently and carry your own water in a bottle or hydration vest if this is your preference. Remember to take electrolytes, too – especially if it’s a warm day and you find yourself sweating more than usual.
Wear the right pair of shoes
It goes without saying that you’ll need comfortable and supportive footwear if you are to spend several hours walking a marathon, particularly if you pepper this with blocks of running. To get started, check out the lists of our favourite cushioned and beginner running shoes and, if you can, visit a local running shop before you start training to get a gait analysis and find out which shoes suit your body mechanics. If you need extra support and stability, wear a good pair of insoles inside your shoes.
Carry the right kit
On race day, consider wearing a lightweight backpack – which you’ve practised with in training – to store your energy supplies, hydration, and any additional layers of kit. Since you’ll be on the marathon course for several hours, you are more likely to experience changing weather conditions, so it’s worth checking the weather forecast in advance. and packing for any eventuality. It could be cool and dry at the start line, for instance, then hotter or rainier later on.
This article by Rachel Boswell and Ryan Dabbs was originally published on Men’s Health UK – additional reporting and products added by the Men’s Health SA team.
