How Long Does It Take to Walk a Marathon?

Quick Answer
At a moderate walking pace (3.0 mph), it takes 8 hours 44 minutes to walk a Marathon.
At a brisk pace (3.5 mph): about 449 min  ·  At a leisurely pace (2.0 mph): about 786 min

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8 hours 44 minutes
estimated walking time
—
calories burned
52,400
approx. steps
210
city blocks
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Walking Marathon: Time by Pace

See how walking speed affects the time it takes to cover Marathon.

Marathon Is Equivalent To...

👣
~52,400 steps
at average stride length
📏
42.16 km
in kilometres
🏙️
~210 blocks
city blocks
🏟️
105 laps
around a standard track

Calories Burned Walking Marathon

Estimates based on a moderate pace (3.0 mph) using the MET calorie method.

Walking burns roughly the same calories per mile as running — it just takes a little longer. That's the beauty of it.

What Walking a Marathon Actually Feels Like

A walking marathon is 26.2 miles. At a moderate pace, you are looking at 8–9 hours on your feet. That is a full day. That is a genuine achievement. It is also something real, dedicated walkers do every year — sometimes in events, sometimes informally, sometimes just to say they did.

Marathon events typically have time limits of 6–8 hours, which means walking one requires a pace of 3.3–4.4 mph sustained over the full distance. A brisk walking pace of 3.5 mph would put you at the finish line in about 7 hours 30 minutes — within many events' cutoffs.

Training for a walking marathon is a genuine multi-month commitment. You need to build gradually to 18–20 mile training walks, address any foot and shoe issues well before the event, and pace conservatively in the first half. The reward: you will have done something most people never attempt. Walking 26.2 miles under your own power, regardless of how long it takes, is extraordinary.

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Frequently Asked Questions

At a moderate pace of 3.0 mph, it takes approximately 8 hours 44 minutes to walk a Marathon. At a brisk pace of 3.5 mph, about 449 minutes. At a leisurely 2.0 mph, around 786 minutes.
Walking a Marathon at a moderate pace (3.0 mph) burns approximately 2149 calories for a 155 lb person. Heavier walkers and brisker paces both increase calorie burn. See the calorie table on this page for estimates across different body weights.
At an average stride length, walking a Marathon is approximately 52,400 steps. This varies based on height and stride — taller people take fewer steps per mile, shorter people take more.
Walking a full marathon (26.2 miles) takes approximately 8 hours 44 minutes at a moderate pace of 3.0 mph, or about 7 hours 29 minutes at a brisk 3.5 mph. Most marathon events have time limits of 6–8 hours, so check your event before entering.
Some marathons welcome walkers; many do not due to time limits. Walking at 3.5 mph or faster for the full 26.2 miles (finishing in about 7.5 hours) falls within many events' cutoffs. However, some major marathons enforce cutoffs of 6–6.5 hours that require running. Research your specific event carefully.

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