Dublin Marathon 4:00 pace chart
A 4:00:00 finish at the Dublin 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 5:00/km and the hardest around 6:08/km — about 67 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 2:00:27 — a 0:53 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 6:08/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 4:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Dublin Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 4:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:39 | 9:06 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 5:39 |
| 2 | 5:35 | 8:58 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 11:14 |
| 3 | 5:24 | 8:42 | -32 ft (-10 m) | 16:38 |
| 4 | 6:03 | 9:44 | +39 ft (+12 m) | 22:41 |
| 5 | 6:08 | 9:52 | +47 ft (+14 m) | 28:49 |
| 6 | 5:57 | 9:35 | +29 ft (+9 m) | 34:46 |
| 7 | 5:36 | 9:01 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 40:22 |
| 8 | 6:00 | 9:40 | +35 ft (+11 m) | 46:23 |
| 9 | 5:52 | 9:27 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 52:15 |
| 10 | 5:46 | 9:18 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 58:01 |
| 11 | 6:00 | 9:39 | +33 ft (+10 m) | 1:04:01 |
| 12 | 5:40 | 9:07 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 1:09:41 |
| 13 | 5:00 | 8:04 | -84 ft (-26 m) | 1:14:41 |
| 14 | 5:44 | 9:13 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 1:20:25 |
| 15 | 5:26 | 8:44 | -32 ft (-10 m) | 1:25:51 |
| 16 | 5:11 | 8:20 | -58 ft (-18 m) | 1:31:02 |
| 17 | 5:50 | 9:23 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 1:36:51 |
| 18 | 5:57 | 9:35 | +27 ft (+8 m) | 1:42:49 |
| 19 | 5:33 | 8:56 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 1:48:22 |
| 20 | 5:44 | 9:13 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 1:54:06 |
| 21 | 5:46 | 9:17 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 1:59:52 |
| 22 | 6:00 | 9:39 | +33 ft (+10 m) | 2:05:51 |
| 23 | 6:02 | 9:42 | +37 ft (+11 m) | 2:11:53 |
| 24 | 5:39 | 9:06 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 2:17:32 |
| 25 | 5:47 | 9:19 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 2:23:20 |
| 26 | 5:40 | 9:08 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:29:00 |
| 27 | 5:38 | 9:05 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 2:34:39 |
| 28 | 5:52 | 9:27 | +21 ft (+6 m) | 2:40:31 |
| 29 | 5:22 | 8:38 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 2:45:53 |
| 30 | 5:41 | 9:09 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:51:34 |
| 31 | 5:30 | 8:52 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 2:57:04 |
| 32 | 5:16 | 8:28 | -47 ft (-14 m) | 3:02:20 |
| 33 | 5:37 | 9:02 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 3:07:57 |
| 34 | 5:46 | 9:18 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 3:13:43 |
| 35 | 6:01 | 9:41 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 3:19:44 |
| 36 | 5:52 | 9:26 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 3:25:36 |
| 37 | 5:16 | 8:28 | -49 ft (-15 m) | 3:30:51 |
| 38 | 5:22 | 8:39 | -33 ft (-10 m) | 3:36:13 |
| 39 | 5:28 | 8:47 | -23 ft (-7 m) | 3:41:41 |
| 40 | 5:38 | 9:03 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 3:47:19 |
| 41 | 5:40 | 9:07 | -2 ft (0 m) | 3:52:58 |
| 42 | 5:46 | 9:16 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 3:58:44 |
| 42.2 | 6:29 | 10:25 | +16 ft (+5 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 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 4:00 at the Dublin Marathon?
2:00:27. 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 Dublin Marathon?
Even effort at a 4:00 goal produces splits between 5:00 and 6:08 per kilometre — 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 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 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.