Austin Marathon 3:45 pace chart
A 3:45:00 finish at the Austin 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 mile comes in around 7:39/mi and the hardest around 9:30/mi — about 110 seconds between the two extremes. Holding an identical number on every mile 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 1:53:28 — a 1:55 negative split, because the harder half comes first. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 1; at this goal time it should take 9:00/mi, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Austin on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Mile-by-mile targets for 3:45:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Austin 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.
| Mile | Target /mi | Target /km | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9:00 | 5:35 | +40 ft (+12 m) | 9:00 |
| 2 | 9:27 | 5:52 | +101 ft (+31 m) | 18:27 |
| 3 | 8:54 | 5:32 | +42 ft (+13 m) | 27:21 |
| 4 | 8:22 | 5:12 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 35:43 |
| 5 | 7:39 | 4:45 | -105 ft (-32 m) | 43:22 |
| 6 | 7:54 | 4:55 | -77 ft (-24 m) | 51:17 |
| 7 | 8:30 | 5:17 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 59:47 |
| 8 | 8:35 | 5:20 | +8 ft (+3 m) | 1:08:22 |
| 9 | 9:04 | 5:38 | +57 ft (+17 m) | 1:17:26 |
| 10 | 8:52 | 5:31 | +35 ft (+11 m) | 1:26:18 |
| 11 | 8:26 | 5:14 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 1:34:44 |
| 12 | 8:17 | 5:09 | -43 ft (-13 m) | 1:43:01 |
| 13 | 9:30 | 5:54 | +96 ft (+29 m) | 1:52:30 |
| 14 | 8:43 | 5:25 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 2:01:14 |
| 15 | 8:43 | 5:25 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 2:09:57 |
| 16 | 8:33 | 5:19 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:18:30 |
| 17 | 8:18 | 5:10 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 2:26:49 |
| 18 | 8:32 | 5:18 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 2:35:21 |
| 19 | 8:12 | 5:06 | -42 ft (-13 m) | 2:43:33 |
| 20 | 8:08 | 5:03 | -49 ft (-15 m) | 2:51:41 |
| 21 | 8:13 | 5:06 | -39 ft (-12 m) | 2:59:54 |
| 22 | 8:30 | 5:17 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 3:08:24 |
| 23 | 8:32 | 5:18 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:16:55 |
| 24 | 8:32 | 5:18 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 3:25:28 |
| 25 | 8:34 | 5:19 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 3:34:02 |
| 26 | 9:03 | 5:37 | +51 ft (+16 m) | 3:43:04 |
| 26.2 | 8:49 | 5:29 | +2 ft (+1 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 Austin Marathon specifically, the elevation profile means even effort produces uneven splits — the table on this page gives the target for every mile.
What should my halfway split be for a 3:45 at the Austin Marathon?
1:53:28. 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 Austin Marathon?
Even effort at a 3:45 goal produces splits between 7:39 and 9:30 per mile — about 110 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 Austin Marathon splits calculated?
Each mile 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.