Boston Marathon 4:00 pace chart
A 4:00:00 finish at the Boston 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 mile comes in around 8:21/mi and the hardest around 10:12/mi — about 111 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 1:59:02 — a 1:55 positive split, which is what the terrain costs you rather than a pacing error. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 33; at this goal time it should take 10:12/mi, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Boston on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Mile-by-mile targets for 4:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Boston 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.
| Mile | Target /mi | Target /km | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:27 | 5:15 | -107 ft (-33 m) | 8:27 |
| 2 | 8:47 | 5:27 | -57 ft (-17 m) | 17:13 |
| 3 | 8:48 | 5:28 | -56 ft (-17 m) | 26:01 |
| 4 | 8:45 | 5:26 | -59 ft (-18 m) | 34:46 |
| 5 | 9:25 | 5:51 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 44:11 |
| 6 | 9:04 | 5:38 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 53:14 |
| 7 | 9:10 | 5:42 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 1:02:24 |
| 8 | 9:18 | 5:47 | -1 ft (0 m) | 1:11:42 |
| 9 | 9:13 | 5:43 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 1:20:55 |
| 10 | 9:26 | 5:52 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 1:30:22 |
| 11 | 9:32 | 5:55 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 1:39:53 |
| 12 | 8:48 | 5:28 | -54 ft (-16 m) | 1:48:42 |
| 13 | 9:20 | 5:48 | +5 ft (+1 m) | 1:58:02 |
| 14 | 9:15 | 5:45 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 2:07:16 |
| 15 | 9:30 | 5:54 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 2:16:46 |
| 16 | 8:21 | 5:11 | -110 ft (-33 m) | 2:25:07 |
| 17 | 9:53 | 6:08 | +57 ft (+17 m) | 2:35:00 |
| 18 | 9:45 | 6:03 | +41 ft (+13 m) | 2:44:44 |
| 19 | 9:00 | 5:35 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 2:53:44 |
| 20 | 9:34 | 5:57 | +25 ft (+7 m) | 3:03:18 |
| 21 | 10:12 | 6:20 | +88 ft (+27 m) | 3:13:30 |
| 22 | 8:37 | 5:21 | -78 ft (-24 m) | 3:22:07 |
| 23 | 8:53 | 5:31 | -44 ft (-14 m) | 3:31:00 |
| 24 | 8:48 | 5:28 | -54 ft (-17 m) | 3:39:48 |
| 25 | 8:56 | 5:33 | -39 ft (-12 m) | 3:48:43 |
| 26 | 9:18 | 5:47 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 3:58:01 |
| 26.2 | 9:03 | 5:37 | -5 ft (-2 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 Boston 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 4:00 at the Boston Marathon?
1:59:02. 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 Boston Marathon?
Even effort at a 4:00 goal produces splits between 8:21 and 10:12 per mile — about 111 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 Boston 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 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.