How fast can I run a marathon after 2 years off?

3:50

I'd be less worried about my untrained 'thon time and more worried about erectile dysfunction and lung cancer.

Dude these guys are morons assuming you're not being a troll I would say somewhere in the 2:50's is reasonable. There is a British runner Steve Way who smoked and drank heavily for years and didn't start rubbing at all until his 30's & ran 2:16 at London years ago.

Interest in what other people have to say about this thread.

There are about half a dozen sites that do time predictors based on times at other distances. They are pretty accurate for me. They generally assume ideal training for the projected distance. In other words, they only predict capability.

With good training and a few years: 2:35

With some decent training for a year: 3 hours.

No training: 4 hours maybe 4:30

I would train around 7 minute pace and focus on getting consistent miles again. Then I would race 5ks until I could run consistently in the 17s again, also race some 10ks. Then race at least one half marathon. Then move up to marathon training.

Bump

This is basically what I am doing and I started a few weeks ago. Granted I was off for much longer than 2 years. However, I was active in other ways.

Hitting 5-6 miles a day anywhere between 6:30 and 7:30 pace and hope to run a 5k soon

Trackbot! VDOT 00:16:05 5000m

I predict between 2:05 and 5:05 hr:mins

VDOT for 00:16:05 5.0km: 0

Equivalent race times based on VDOT:

Marathon: 23:48:24

Half marathon: 11:54:12

15K: 08:27:47

10K: 05:38:31

5K: 02:49:16

3Mi: 02:43:26

2Mi: 01:48:58

3200m: 01:48:20

3K: 01:41:33

1Mi: 00:54:29

1600m: 00:54:10

1500m: 00:50:47

I am a bot. Info:

http://habs.sdf.org/trackbot

User of the internets wrote:

There are about half a dozen sites that do time predictors based on times at other distances. They are pretty accurate for me. They generally assume ideal training for the projected distance. In other words, they only predict capability.

This one does not assume ideal training for the projected distances. It does not not predict capability. It calculates current ability (if you give it current ability).

For best results, you should use the optimizer (one of the links on top of the page) to be sure your input times are reflective of your true shape.

If you can get your endurance back, sub-3:00 shouldn't be tough, sub-2:50 also quite possible in a short amount of time (< 1 year).

TrackBot wrote:

VDOT for 00:16:05 5.0km: 0

Equivalent race times based on VDOT:

Marathon: 23:48:24

Half marathon: 11:54:12

15K: 08:27:47

10K: 05:38:31

5K: 02:49:16

3Mi: 02:43:26

2Mi: 01:48:58

3200m: 01:48:20

3K: 01:41:33

1Mi: 00:54:29

1600m: 00:54:10

1500m: 00:50:47

I am a bot. Info:

http://habs.sdf.org/trackbot

What did I do wrong?

I am cyber wrote:

TrackBot wrote:

VDOT for 00:16:05 5.0km: 0

Equivalent race times based on VDOT:

Marathon: 23:48:24

Half marathon: 11:54:12

15K: 08:27:47

10K: 05:38:31

5K: 02:49:16

3Mi: 02:43:26

2Mi: 01:48:58

3200m: 01:48:20

3K: 01:41:33

1Mi: 00:54:29

1600m: 00:54:10

1500m: 00:50:47

I am a bot. Info:

http://habs.sdf.org/trackbot

What did I do wrong?

Sorry. The problem had to do with the extra 0s in the front but I fixed it now:

TrackBot! VDOT 00:16:05 5k

VDOT for 00:16:05 5km: 64.2

Equivalent race times based on VDOT:

Marathon: 02:34:09

Half marathon: 01:13:40

15K: 00:51:12

10K: 00:33:21

5K: 00:16:04

3Mi: 00:15:29

2Mi: 00:10:00

3200m: 00:09:56

3K: 00:09:15

1Mi: 00:04:40

1600m: 00:04:38

1500m: 00:04:19

I am a bot. Info:

http://habs.sdf.org/trackbot