Athens Marathon 4:15 pace chart
A 4:15:00 finish at the Athens Marathon averages 9:44 per mile (6:03 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 5:09/km and the hardest around 7:02/km — about 113 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 2:08:26 — a 1:52 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 7:02/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 4:15:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Athens Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 4:15:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:45 | 9:15 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 5:45 |
| 2 | 5:40 | 9:08 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 11:25 |
| 3 | 5:52 | 9:26 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 17:17 |
| 4 | 5:51 | 9:24 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 23:08 |
| 5 | 5:52 | 9:27 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 29:00 |
| 6 | 6:01 | 9:42 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 35:02 |
| 7 | 5:52 | 9:27 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 40:54 |
| 8 | 6:01 | 9:41 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 46:55 |
| 9 | 6:09 | 9:54 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 53:04 |
| 10 | 6:08 | 9:52 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 59:12 |
| 11 | 6:18 | 10:08 | +32 ft (+10 m) | 1:05:29 |
| 12 | 6:39 | 10:42 | +66 ft (+20 m) | 1:12:09 |
| 13 | 6:20 | 10:12 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 1:18:29 |
| 14 | 5:53 | 9:27 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 1:24:21 |
| 15 | 6:08 | 9:52 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 1:30:29 |
| 16 | 6:59 | 11:14 | +92 ft (+28 m) | 1:37:28 |
| 17 | 5:09 | 8:18 | -95 ft (-29 m) | 1:42:37 |
| 18 | 5:29 | 8:49 | -60 ft (-18 m) | 1:48:06 |
| 19 | 6:07 | 9:51 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 1:54:13 |
| 20 | 6:49 | 10:58 | +80 ft (+24 m) | 2:01:02 |
| 21 | 6:47 | 10:55 | +77 ft (+23 m) | 2:07:48 |
| 22 | 6:28 | 10:25 | +49 ft (+15 m) | 2:14:17 |
| 23 | 6:24 | 10:18 | +43 ft (+13 m) | 2:20:41 |
| 24 | 6:16 | 10:05 | +29 ft (+9 m) | 2:26:57 |
| 25 | 7:01 | 11:17 | +99 ft (+30 m) | 2:33:57 |
| 26 | 6:38 | 10:40 | +64 ft (+20 m) | 2:40:35 |
| 27 | 6:22 | 10:15 | +40 ft (+12 m) | 2:46:58 |
| 28 | 6:31 | 10:30 | +54 ft (+16 m) | 2:53:29 |
| 29 | 5:51 | 9:25 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 2:59:20 |
| 30 | 6:11 | 9:58 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 3:05:31 |
| 31 | 7:02 | 11:19 | +101 ft (+31 m) | 3:12:33 |
| 32 | 5:26 | 8:45 | -61 ft (-19 m) | 3:18:00 |
| 33 | 5:31 | 8:52 | -48 ft (-15 m) | 3:23:30 |
| 34 | 5:37 | 9:02 | -36 ft (-11 m) | 3:29:07 |
| 35 | 5:50 | 9:23 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 3:34:57 |
| 36 | 5:48 | 9:21 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 3:40:46 |
| 37 | 5:26 | 8:45 | -56 ft (-17 m) | 3:46:12 |
| 38 | 5:37 | 9:02 | -37 ft (-11 m) | 3:51:49 |
| 39 | 5:38 | 9:04 | -36 ft (-11 m) | 3:57:27 |
| 40 | 5:14 | 8:25 | -83 ft (-25 m) | 4:02:41 |
| 41 | 5:43 | 9:12 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 4:08:23 |
| 42 | 5:16 | 8:29 | -81 ft (-25 m) | 4:13:40 |
| 42.2 | 6:52 | 11:03 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 4:15:00 |
Frequently asked questions
What pace is a 4:15 marathon?
A 4:15:00 marathon is 9:44 per mile or 6:03 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 4:15 at the Athens Marathon?
2:08:26. That is the grade-adjusted halfway target for this course, not simply half of 4:15:00 — 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 4:15 goal produces splits between 5:09 and 7:02 per kilometre — about 113 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 4:15:00. Uphill sections get more time and downhill sections less, at a constant effort throughout.
Is 4:15 a realistic marathon goal?
4:15 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.