London Marathon 4:00 pace chart
A 4:00:00 finish at the London 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 4:57/km and the hardest around 6:05/km — about 68 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 1:59:23 — a 1:14 positive split, which is what the terrain costs you rather than a pacing error. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 20; at this goal time it should take 6:05/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing London on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 4:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the London 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 | 5:54 | 9:29 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 5:54 |
| 2 | 5:49 | 9:21 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 11:42 |
| 3 | 5:38 | 9:04 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 17:20 |
| 4 | 5:31 | 8:53 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 22:52 |
| 5 | 4:57 | 7:58 | -86 ft (-26 m) | 27:49 |
| 6 | 5:25 | 8:43 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 33:14 |
| 7 | 5:39 | 9:05 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 38:52 |
| 8 | 5:43 | 9:11 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 44:35 |
| 9 | 5:42 | 9:10 | +1 ft (0 m) | 50:17 |
| 10 | 5:55 | 9:31 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 56:11 |
| 11 | 5:26 | 8:45 | -28 ft (-8 m) | 1:01:38 |
| 12 | 5:47 | 9:19 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 1:07:25 |
| 13 | 5:34 | 8:57 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 1:12:59 |
| 14 | 5:47 | 9:19 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 1:18:46 |
| 15 | 5:42 | 9:10 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:24:28 |
| 16 | 5:39 | 9:05 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 1:30:07 |
| 17 | 5:41 | 9:09 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:35:48 |
| 18 | 5:39 | 9:06 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 1:41:27 |
| 19 | 5:43 | 9:13 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 1:47:11 |
| 20 | 5:35 | 8:58 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 1:52:45 |
| 21 | 6:05 | 9:47 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 1:58:50 |
| 22 | 5:38 | 9:04 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 2:04:28 |
| 23 | 5:35 | 8:59 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 2:10:03 |
| 24 | 6:00 | 9:40 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 2:16:03 |
| 25 | 5:34 | 8:58 | -27 ft (-8 m) | 2:21:37 |
| 26 | 5:33 | 8:56 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 2:27:10 |
| 27 | 5:41 | 9:08 | -2 ft (0 m) | 2:32:50 |
| 28 | 6:01 | 9:40 | +33 ft (+10 m) | 2:38:51 |
| 29 | 5:31 | 8:53 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 2:44:22 |
| 30 | 5:52 | 9:26 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 2:50:14 |
| 31 | 5:50 | 9:23 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 2:56:04 |
| 32 | 5:39 | 9:05 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 3:01:43 |
| 33 | 5:44 | 9:13 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 3:07:26 |
| 34 | 5:47 | 9:19 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 3:13:14 |
| 35 | 5:42 | 9:11 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:18:56 |
| 36 | 5:47 | 9:18 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 3:24:43 |
| 37 | 5:55 | 9:31 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 3:30:38 |
| 38 | 5:47 | 9:19 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 3:36:25 |
| 39 | 5:13 | 8:24 | -55 ft (-17 m) | 3:41:38 |
| 40 | 5:54 | 9:29 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 3:47:32 |
| 41 | 5:43 | 9:12 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:53:15 |
| 42 | 5:41 | 9:08 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 3:58:56 |
| 42.2 | 5:30 | 8:51 | -4 ft (-1 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 London 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 London Marathon?
1:59:23. 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 London Marathon?
Even effort at a 4:00 goal produces splits between 4:57 and 6:05 per kilometre — about 68 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 London 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.