Charlotte Marathon 3:45 pace chart
A 3:45:00 finish at the Charlotte 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 8:09/mi and the hardest around 9:13/mi — about 64 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 1:53:35 — a 2:11 negative split, because the harder half comes first. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 13; at this goal time it should take 9:06/mi, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Charlotte on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Mile-by-mile targets for 3:45:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Charlotte 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 | 8:33 | 5:19 | -15 ft (-4 m) | 8:33 |
| 2 | 8:25 | 5:14 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 16:58 |
| 3 | 8:40 | 5:23 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 25:38 |
| 4 | 8:16 | 5:08 | -44 ft (-13 m) | 33:54 |
| 5 | 9:05 | 5:38 | +47 ft (+14 m) | 42:58 |
| 6 | 8:16 | 5:08 | -43 ft (-13 m) | 51:15 |
| 7 | 8:58 | 5:34 | +34 ft (+10 m) | 1:00:13 |
| 8 | 8:17 | 5:09 | -42 ft (-13 m) | 1:08:29 |
| 9 | 9:06 | 5:39 | +48 ft (+15 m) | 1:17:35 |
| 10 | 8:39 | 5:23 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:26:14 |
| 11 | 9:13 | 5:44 | +64 ft (+19 m) | 1:35:27 |
| 12 | 8:23 | 5:13 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 1:43:51 |
| 13 | 8:49 | 5:29 | +21 ft (+6 m) | 1:52:39 |
| 14 | 8:31 | 5:17 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 2:01:10 |
| 15 | 8:09 | 5:04 | -61 ft (-19 m) | 2:09:19 |
| 16 | 8:52 | 5:30 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 2:18:11 |
| 17 | 9:04 | 5:38 | +48 ft (+15 m) | 2:27:15 |
| 18 | 8:57 | 5:34 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 2:36:12 |
| 19 | 8:24 | 5:13 | -25 ft (-7 m) | 2:44:36 |
| 20 | 8:45 | 5:26 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 2:53:21 |
| 21 | 8:32 | 5:18 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 3:01:53 |
| 22 | 8:12 | 5:06 | -50 ft (-15 m) | 3:10:05 |
| 23 | 8:37 | 5:21 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 3:18:42 |
| 24 | 8:24 | 5:13 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 3:27:06 |
| 25 | 9:03 | 5:37 | +45 ft (+14 m) | 3:36:09 |
| 26 | 8:49 | 5:29 | +18 ft (+5 m) | 3:44:58 |
| 26.0 | 12:27 | 7:44 | +1 ft (0 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 Charlotte 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 Charlotte Marathon?
1:53:35. 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 Charlotte Marathon?
Even effort at a 3:45 goal produces splits between 8:09 and 9:13 per mile — about 64 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 Charlotte 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.