Dublin Marathon 3:45 pace chart
A 3:45:00 finish at the Dublin 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 kilometre comes in around 4:42/km and the hardest around 5:45/km — about 63 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 1:52:55 — a 0:50 negative split, because the harder half comes first. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 4; at this goal time it should take 5:45/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Dublin on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 3:45:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Dublin 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.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:18 | 8:32 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 5:18 |
| 2 | 5:14 | 8:25 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 10:32 |
| 3 | 5:04 | 8:09 | -32 ft (-10 m) | 15:36 |
| 4 | 5:40 | 9:08 | +39 ft (+12 m) | 21:16 |
| 5 | 5:45 | 9:15 | +47 ft (+14 m) | 27:01 |
| 6 | 5:35 | 8:59 | +29 ft (+9 m) | 32:36 |
| 7 | 5:15 | 8:27 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 37:51 |
| 8 | 5:38 | 9:04 | +35 ft (+11 m) | 43:29 |
| 9 | 5:30 | 8:51 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 48:59 |
| 10 | 5:25 | 8:43 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 54:23 |
| 11 | 5:37 | 9:03 | +33 ft (+10 m) | 1:00:01 |
| 12 | 5:19 | 8:33 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 1:05:20 |
| 13 | 4:42 | 7:33 | -84 ft (-26 m) | 1:10:01 |
| 14 | 5:22 | 8:38 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 1:15:23 |
| 15 | 5:06 | 8:12 | -32 ft (-10 m) | 1:20:29 |
| 16 | 4:51 | 7:49 | -58 ft (-18 m) | 1:25:20 |
| 17 | 5:28 | 8:48 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 1:30:48 |
| 18 | 5:35 | 8:59 | +27 ft (+8 m) | 1:36:23 |
| 19 | 5:12 | 8:23 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 1:41:35 |
| 20 | 5:22 | 8:39 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 1:46:58 |
| 21 | 5:24 | 8:42 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 1:52:22 |
| 22 | 5:37 | 9:03 | +33 ft (+10 m) | 1:57:59 |
| 23 | 5:39 | 9:06 | +37 ft (+11 m) | 2:03:39 |
| 24 | 5:18 | 8:32 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 2:08:57 |
| 25 | 5:26 | 8:44 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 2:14:22 |
| 26 | 5:19 | 8:33 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:19:41 |
| 27 | 5:17 | 8:31 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 2:24:59 |
| 28 | 5:30 | 8:51 | +21 ft (+6 m) | 2:30:29 |
| 29 | 5:02 | 8:06 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 2:35:31 |
| 30 | 5:20 | 8:34 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:40:50 |
| 31 | 5:10 | 8:18 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 2:46:00 |
| 32 | 4:56 | 7:56 | -47 ft (-14 m) | 2:50:56 |
| 33 | 5:16 | 8:28 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 2:56:12 |
| 34 | 5:25 | 8:43 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 3:01:37 |
| 35 | 5:38 | 9:05 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 3:07:15 |
| 36 | 5:30 | 8:51 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 3:12:45 |
| 37 | 4:56 | 7:56 | -49 ft (-15 m) | 3:17:41 |
| 38 | 5:02 | 8:06 | -33 ft (-10 m) | 3:22:43 |
| 39 | 5:07 | 8:14 | -23 ft (-7 m) | 3:27:50 |
| 40 | 5:17 | 8:29 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 3:33:06 |
| 41 | 5:18 | 8:32 | -2 ft (0 m) | 3:38:25 |
| 42 | 5:24 | 8:42 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 3:43:49 |
| 42.2 | 6:04 | 9:46 | +16 ft (+5 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 Dublin 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 3:45 at the Dublin Marathon?
1:52:55. 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 Dublin Marathon?
Even effort at a 3:45 goal produces splits between 4:42 and 5:45 per kilometre — about 63 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 Dublin 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 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.