All Fermi answers
Fermi #87 · Question 1

How many steps does an average runner take to finish a marathon?

Explore the official answer and the simple reasoning behind this Fermi estimate.

1QUESTION 1 OF 3

Answer & explanation

The official answer, with Fermi’s reasoning step by step.

Answer & explanation

Official answer

45,000

steps

How to estimate it

Fermi’s official “Napkin math”

An average runner finishes a marathon in about four and a half hours, call it 270 minutes. How often do your feet hit the ground when you jog? About 3 times a second, which is 180 a minute.

Marathon time
≈ 270 min
Steps a minute
× 180
270 × 180
≈ 49,000

Rounded assumptions may give a slightly different estimate. The official answer above is the game’s reference value.

Source calculation & reference
Average marathon finish time, worldwide (RunRepeat, 2018)
4:29:53 ≈ 270 min
Typical runner's cadence (Garmin's middle band, 164 to 173 a minute)
× ≈ 165 steps a minute
270 × 165
≈ 45,000 steps

Reference cited by Fermi: RunRepeat global marathon finish-time study (average 4:29:53 in 2018) and Garmin's running dynamics cadence percentiles

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