Athens Marathon 4:00 pace chart
A 4:00:00 finish at the Athens Marathon averages 9:09 per mile (5:41 per kilometre) — the classic sub-4 target, close to the middle of a typical big-city field. Run at even effort rather than even pace, the easiest kilometre comes in around 4:51/km and the hardest around 6:37/km — about 106 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 2:00:53 — a 1:46 negative split, because the harder half comes first. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 30; at this goal time it should take 6:37/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Athens on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 4:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Athens Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 4:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:25 | 8:43 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 5:25 |
| 2 | 5:20 | 8:35 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 10:45 |
| 3 | 5:31 | 8:53 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 16:16 |
| 4 | 5:30 | 8:51 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 21:46 |
| 5 | 5:32 | 8:54 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 27:18 |
| 6 | 5:40 | 9:07 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 32:58 |
| 7 | 5:31 | 8:53 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 38:29 |
| 8 | 5:40 | 9:07 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 44:09 |
| 9 | 5:47 | 9:19 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 49:57 |
| 10 | 5:46 | 9:17 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 55:43 |
| 11 | 5:55 | 9:32 | +32 ft (+10 m) | 1:01:38 |
| 12 | 6:16 | 10:05 | +66 ft (+20 m) | 1:07:54 |
| 13 | 5:58 | 9:36 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 1:13:52 |
| 14 | 5:32 | 8:54 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 1:19:24 |
| 15 | 5:46 | 9:17 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 1:25:10 |
| 16 | 6:34 | 10:35 | +92 ft (+28 m) | 1:31:44 |
| 17 | 4:51 | 7:49 | -95 ft (-29 m) | 1:36:35 |
| 18 | 5:09 | 8:18 | -60 ft (-18 m) | 1:41:44 |
| 19 | 5:45 | 9:16 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 1:47:30 |
| 20 | 6:25 | 10:19 | +80 ft (+24 m) | 1:53:54 |
| 21 | 6:23 | 10:16 | +77 ft (+23 m) | 2:00:17 |
| 22 | 6:05 | 9:48 | +49 ft (+15 m) | 2:06:23 |
| 23 | 6:02 | 9:42 | +43 ft (+13 m) | 2:12:24 |
| 24 | 5:54 | 9:29 | +29 ft (+9 m) | 2:18:18 |
| 25 | 6:36 | 10:37 | +99 ft (+30 m) | 2:24:54 |
| 26 | 6:14 | 10:03 | +64 ft (+20 m) | 2:31:08 |
| 27 | 6:00 | 9:39 | +40 ft (+12 m) | 2:37:08 |
| 28 | 6:08 | 9:53 | +54 ft (+16 m) | 2:43:17 |
| 29 | 5:30 | 8:52 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 2:48:47 |
| 30 | 5:49 | 9:22 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 2:54:37 |
| 31 | 6:37 | 10:39 | +101 ft (+31 m) | 3:01:14 |
| 32 | 5:07 | 8:14 | -61 ft (-19 m) | 3:06:21 |
| 33 | 5:11 | 8:21 | -48 ft (-15 m) | 3:11:32 |
| 34 | 5:17 | 8:30 | -36 ft (-11 m) | 3:16:49 |
| 35 | 5:29 | 8:50 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 3:22:19 |
| 36 | 5:28 | 8:48 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 3:27:47 |
| 37 | 5:07 | 8:14 | -56 ft (-17 m) | 3:32:54 |
| 38 | 5:17 | 8:31 | -37 ft (-11 m) | 3:38:11 |
| 39 | 5:18 | 8:32 | -36 ft (-11 m) | 3:43:29 |
| 40 | 4:55 | 7:55 | -83 ft (-25 m) | 3:48:24 |
| 41 | 5:23 | 8:39 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 3:53:47 |
| 42 | 4:58 | 7:59 | -81 ft (-25 m) | 3:58:44 |
| 42.2 | 6:28 | 10:24 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 4:00:00 |
Frequently asked questions
What pace is a 4:00 marathon?
A 4:00:00 marathon is 9:09 per mile or 5:41 per kilometre held for the full 26.2 miles (42.195 km). On the Athens 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 4:00 at the Athens Marathon?
2:00:53. That is the grade-adjusted halfway target for this course, not simply half of 4:00:00 — 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 Athens Marathon?
Even effort at a 4:00 goal produces splits between 4:51 and 6:37 per kilometre — about 106 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 Athens 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 4:00:00. Uphill sections get more time and downhill sections less, at a constant effort throughout.
Is 4:00 a realistic marathon goal?
4:00 is the classic sub-4 target, close to the middle of a typical 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.