Amsterdam Marathon 3:45 pace chart
A 3:45:00 finish at the Amsterdam Marathon averages 8:35 per mile (5:20 per kilometre) — a fast recreational time, roughly the top quintile of a big-city field. Run at even effort rather than even pace, the easiest kilometre comes in around 5:14/km and the hardest around 5:36/km — about 22 seconds between the two extremes. Holding an identical number on every kilometre of a course with this profile means running the climbs too hard and the descents too easy. Held at even effort, halfway comes up at 1:53:29 — a 1:59 negative split, because the harder half comes first. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 33; at this goal time it should take 5:36/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Amsterdam on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 3:45:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Amsterdam Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 3:45:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:24 | 8:42 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 5:24 |
| 2 | 5:21 | 8:36 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 10:45 |
| 3 | 5:24 | 8:42 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 16:09 |
| 4 | 5:32 | 8:54 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 21:41 |
| 5 | 5:17 | 8:30 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 26:58 |
| 6 | 5:25 | 8:43 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 32:23 |
| 7 | 5:23 | 8:39 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 37:46 |
| 8 | 5:22 | 8:38 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 43:08 |
| 9 | 5:26 | 8:45 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 48:34 |
| 10 | 5:23 | 8:39 | -1 ft (0 m) | 53:57 |
| 11 | 5:21 | 8:36 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 59:17 |
| 12 | 5:24 | 8:41 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 1:04:41 |
| 13 | 5:20 | 8:35 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 1:10:01 |
| 14 | 5:19 | 8:33 | -8 ft (-3 m) | 1:15:20 |
| 15 | 5:24 | 8:41 | +2 ft (0 m) | 1:20:43 |
| 16 | 5:19 | 8:34 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 1:26:03 |
| 17 | 5:22 | 8:39 | -1 ft (0 m) | 1:31:25 |
| 18 | 5:24 | 8:41 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:36:49 |
| 19 | 5:24 | 8:42 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 1:42:13 |
| 20 | 5:23 | 8:39 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:47:36 |
| 21 | 5:22 | 8:39 | -1 ft (0 m) | 1:52:58 |
| 22 | 5:24 | 8:41 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 1:58:22 |
| 23 | 5:20 | 8:35 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 2:03:42 |
| 24 | 5:29 | 8:49 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 2:09:10 |
| 25 | 5:24 | 8:41 | +2 ft (0 m) | 2:14:34 |
| 26 | 5:21 | 8:37 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 2:19:56 |
| 27 | 5:23 | 8:40 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:25:19 |
| 28 | 5:25 | 8:42 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:30:44 |
| 29 | 5:20 | 8:35 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 2:36:04 |
| 30 | 5:26 | 8:44 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 2:41:30 |
| 31 | 5:21 | 8:37 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 2:46:51 |
| 32 | 5:20 | 8:35 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 2:52:11 |
| 33 | 5:23 | 8:39 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:57:34 |
| 34 | 5:36 | 9:01 | +24 ft (+7 m) | 3:03:10 |
| 35 | 5:24 | 8:41 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:08:34 |
| 36 | 5:18 | 8:31 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 3:13:51 |
| 37 | 5:28 | 8:49 | +8 ft (+2 m) | 3:19:20 |
| 38 | 5:25 | 8:42 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 3:24:44 |
| 39 | 5:14 | 8:26 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 3:29:59 |
| 40 | 5:22 | 8:39 | -2 ft (0 m) | 3:35:21 |
| 41 | 5:25 | 8:44 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 3:40:47 |
| 41.8 | 5:24 | 8:41 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:45:00 |
Frequently asked questions
What pace is a 3:45 marathon?
A 3:45:00 marathon is 8:35 per mile or 5:20 per kilometre held for the full 26.2 miles (42.195 km). On the Amsterdam Marathon specifically, the elevation profile means even effort produces uneven splits — the table on this page gives the target for every kilometre.
What should my halfway split be for a 3:45 at the Amsterdam Marathon?
1:53:29. That is the grade-adjusted halfway target for this course, not simply half of 3:45:00 — it accounts for where the climbing sits. Reaching the half meaningfully faster than this on this course usually means you have spent the effort you need for the closing miles.
Should I run even splits at the Amsterdam Marathon?
Even effort at a 3:45 goal produces splits between 5:14 and 5:36 per kilometre — about 22 seconds between the easiest and hardest one. Grade-adjusted pacing gives back time on the descents and spends it on the climbs, which is what running an even physiological effort actually looks like on a course with this profile.
How are these Amsterdam Marathon splits calculated?
Each kilometre is weighted by its gradient using the Minetti et al. (2002) cost-of-running polynomial, which measures the metabolic cost of running at grades from −45% to +45%. The total is then scaled so the whole course adds up to 3:45:00. Uphill sections get more time and downhill sections less, at a constant effort throughout.
Is 3:45 a realistic marathon goal?
3:45 is a fast recreational time, roughly the top quintile of a big-city field. Whether it is realistic for you depends on your recent race results and weekly volume rather than on the number itself — the race-time predictor on this site will convert a recent 5K, 10K or half-marathon result into a marathon estimate using the Riegel power-law model.