London Marathon 4:15 pace chart
A 4:15:00 finish at the London 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 kilometre comes in around 5:16/km and the hardest around 6:28/km — about 72 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 2:06:51 — a 1:18 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 6:28/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 4:15:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the London Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 4:15:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6:16 | 10:05 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 6:16 |
| 2 | 6:11 | 9:56 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 12:26 |
| 3 | 5:59 | 9:38 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 18:25 |
| 4 | 5:52 | 9:26 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 24:17 |
| 5 | 5:16 | 8:28 | -86 ft (-26 m) | 29:33 |
| 6 | 5:45 | 9:15 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 35:18 |
| 7 | 6:00 | 9:39 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 41:18 |
| 8 | 6:04 | 9:46 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 47:22 |
| 9 | 6:03 | 9:44 | +1 ft (0 m) | 53:25 |
| 10 | 6:17 | 10:06 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 59:42 |
| 11 | 5:47 | 9:18 | -28 ft (-8 m) | 1:05:29 |
| 12 | 6:09 | 9:54 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 1:11:38 |
| 13 | 5:55 | 9:31 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 1:17:33 |
| 14 | 6:09 | 9:54 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 1:23:42 |
| 15 | 6:03 | 9:44 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:29:45 |
| 16 | 6:00 | 9:40 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 1:35:45 |
| 17 | 6:03 | 9:44 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:41:47 |
| 18 | 6:00 | 9:40 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 1:47:48 |
| 19 | 6:05 | 9:47 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 1:53:53 |
| 20 | 5:56 | 9:32 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 1:59:48 |
| 21 | 6:28 | 10:24 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 2:06:16 |
| 22 | 5:59 | 9:38 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 2:12:15 |
| 23 | 5:56 | 9:32 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 2:18:10 |
| 24 | 6:23 | 10:16 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 2:24:33 |
| 25 | 5:55 | 9:31 | -27 ft (-8 m) | 2:30:28 |
| 26 | 5:54 | 9:29 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 2:36:22 |
| 27 | 6:02 | 9:42 | -2 ft (0 m) | 2:42:24 |
| 28 | 6:23 | 10:17 | +33 ft (+10 m) | 2:48:47 |
| 29 | 5:52 | 9:26 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 2:54:39 |
| 30 | 6:14 | 10:01 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 3:00:52 |
| 31 | 6:12 | 9:58 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 3:07:04 |
| 32 | 6:00 | 9:40 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 3:13:04 |
| 33 | 6:05 | 9:48 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 3:19:09 |
| 34 | 6:09 | 9:54 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 3:25:18 |
| 35 | 6:04 | 9:46 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:31:22 |
| 36 | 6:08 | 9:53 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 3:37:31 |
| 37 | 6:17 | 10:06 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 3:43:47 |
| 38 | 6:09 | 9:54 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 3:49:56 |
| 39 | 5:33 | 8:56 | -55 ft (-17 m) | 3:55:29 |
| 40 | 6:16 | 10:05 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 4:01:45 |
| 41 | 6:05 | 9:47 | 0 ft (0 m) | 4:07:50 |
| 42 | 6:02 | 9:43 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 4:13:52 |
| 42.2 | 5:50 | 9:24 | -4 ft (-1 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 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 4:15 at the London Marathon?
2:06:51. 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 London Marathon?
Even effort at a 4:15 goal produces splits between 5:16 and 6:28 per kilometre — about 72 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 4:15:00. 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.