Charlotte Marathon 4:15 pace chart

A 4:15:00 finish at the Charlotte 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 mile comes in around 9:09/mi and the hardest around 10:16/mi — about 67 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 2:07:37 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 13; at this goal time it should take 10:11/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 4:15:00

Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Charlotte Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 4:15:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.

MileTarget /miTarget /kmElev ΔElapsed
19:385:59-13 ft (-4 m)9:38
29:265:51-33 ft (-10 m)19:03
39:466:04+2 ft (+1 m)28:49
49:185:46-44 ft (-14 m)38:07
510:096:18+42 ft (+13 m)48:16
69:225:49-37 ft (-11 m)57:38
710:016:14+28 ft (+9 m)1:07:39
89:205:48-39 ft (-12 m)1:16:59
910:116:20+45 ft (+14 m)1:27:10
109:536:08+16 ft (+5 m)1:37:03
1110:166:23+54 ft (+17 m)1:47:19
129:125:43-52 ft (-16 m)1:56:31
1310:026:14+33 ft (+10 m)2:06:34
149:385:59-8 ft (-3 m)2:16:12
159:095:41-63 ft (-19 m)2:25:21
1610:016:14+32 ft (+10 m)2:35:22
1710:056:16+38 ft (+11 m)2:45:27
1810:066:17+40 ft (+12 m)2:55:33
199:305:54-20 ft (-6 m)3:05:03
209:406:00-5 ft (-1 m)3:14:42
219:476:05+8 ft (+2 m)3:24:29
229:155:45-47 ft (-14 m)3:33:44
239:345:57-16 ft (-5 m)3:43:18
249:375:58-13 ft (-4 m)3:52:55
259:506:07+10 ft (+3 m)4:02:45
2610:036:15+32 ft (+10 m)4:12:48
26.210:046:16+6 ft (+2 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 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 4:15 at the Charlotte Marathon?

2:07:37. 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 Charlotte Marathon?

Even effort at a 4:15 goal produces splits between 9:09 and 10:16 per mile — about 67 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 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.

Other goal times at the Charlotte Marathon

Plan your Charlotte race