Barcelona Marathon 4:00 pace chart
A 4:00:00 finish at the Barcelona 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 5:09/km and the hardest around 6:05/km — about 57 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 1:59:59 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 10; at this goal time it should take 6:05/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Barcelona on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 4:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Barcelona 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 | 8:44 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 5:25 |
| 2 | 5:42 | 9:11 | +1 ft (0 m) | 11:08 |
| 3 | 6:03 | 9:44 | +35 ft (+11 m) | 17:10 |
| 4 | 5:44 | 9:13 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 22:54 |
| 5 | 5:41 | 9:09 | 0 ft (0 m) | 28:35 |
| 6 | 5:49 | 9:22 | +14 ft (+4 m) | 34:24 |
| 7 | 5:37 | 9:02 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 40:01 |
| 8 | 5:31 | 8:52 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 45:31 |
| 9 | 5:37 | 9:02 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 51:08 |
| 10 | 5:09 | 8:17 | -61 ft (-19 m) | 56:17 |
| 11 | 6:05 | 9:48 | +33 ft (+10 m) | 1:02:22 |
| 12 | 5:58 | 9:36 | +28 ft (+9 m) | 1:08:20 |
| 13 | 5:46 | 9:17 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 1:14:06 |
| 14 | 5:45 | 9:16 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 1:19:52 |
| 15 | 5:57 | 9:35 | +29 ft (+9 m) | 1:25:49 |
| 16 | 5:40 | 9:07 | -2 ft (0 m) | 1:31:29 |
| 17 | 5:40 | 9:07 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 1:37:09 |
| 18 | 5:17 | 8:31 | -45 ft (-14 m) | 1:42:26 |
| 19 | 5:49 | 9:22 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 1:48:15 |
| 20 | 5:33 | 8:57 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 1:53:49 |
| 21 | 5:37 | 9:02 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 1:59:26 |
| 22 | 5:41 | 9:08 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 2:05:06 |
| 23 | 5:33 | 8:57 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 2:10:40 |
| 24 | 5:19 | 8:33 | -43 ft (-13 m) | 2:15:59 |
| 25 | 5:56 | 9:32 | +25 ft (+8 m) | 2:21:54 |
| 26 | 5:39 | 9:06 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 2:27:33 |
| 27 | 5:30 | 8:51 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 2:33:03 |
| 28 | 5:32 | 8:55 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 2:38:36 |
| 29 | 5:44 | 9:13 | +5 ft (+1 m) | 2:44:19 |
| 30 | 5:42 | 9:10 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 2:50:01 |
| 31 | 5:42 | 9:11 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:55:43 |
| 32 | 5:40 | 9:07 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 3:01:23 |
| 33 | 5:54 | 9:30 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 3:07:17 |
| 34 | 5:32 | 8:54 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 3:12:49 |
| 35 | 5:51 | 9:25 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 3:18:40 |
| 36 | 5:35 | 8:59 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 3:24:15 |
| 37 | 5:40 | 9:07 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 3:29:55 |
| 38 | 5:46 | 9:17 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 3:35:41 |
| 39 | 5:37 | 9:03 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 3:41:19 |
| 40 | 5:55 | 9:32 | +25 ft (+8 m) | 3:47:14 |
| 41 | 5:51 | 9:26 | +18 ft (+5 m) | 3:53:06 |
| 42 | 5:58 | 9:37 | +29 ft (+9 m) | 3:59:04 |
| 42.2 | 4:48 | 7:44 | -20 ft (-6 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 Barcelona 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 Barcelona Marathon?
1:59:59. 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 Barcelona Marathon?
Even effort at a 4:00 goal produces splits between 5:09 and 6:05 per kilometre — about 57 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 Barcelona 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.