Los Angeles Marathon 3:45 pace chart
A 3:45:00 finish at the Los Angeles 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 mile comes in around 7:23/mi and the hardest around 9:38/mi — about 135 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 1:53:02 — a 1:04 negative split, because the harder half comes first. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 6; at this goal time it should take 9:18/mi, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Los Angeles on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Mile-by-mile targets for 3:45:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Los Angeles 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.
| Mile | Target /mi | Target /km | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7:23 | 4:35 | -162 ft (-49 m) | 7:23 |
| 2 | 8:15 | 5:08 | -50 ft (-15 m) | 15:38 |
| 3 | 8:23 | 5:12 | -31 ft (-10 m) | 24:01 |
| 4 | 9:38 | 5:59 | +104 ft (+32 m) | 33:40 |
| 5 | 9:18 | 5:47 | +55 ft (+17 m) | 42:57 |
| 6 | 8:29 | 5:16 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 51:26 |
| 7 | 8:15 | 5:08 | -48 ft (-15 m) | 59:41 |
| 8 | 8:52 | 5:30 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 1:08:33 |
| 9 | 8:50 | 5:29 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 1:17:23 |
| 10 | 8:36 | 5:20 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 1:25:59 |
| 11 | 8:32 | 5:18 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 1:34:31 |
| 12 | 8:24 | 5:13 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 1:42:55 |
| 13 | 9:12 | 5:43 | +61 ft (+19 m) | 1:52:07 |
| 14 | 8:21 | 5:12 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 2:00:29 |
| 15 | 7:29 | 4:39 | -153 ft (-47 m) | 2:07:58 |
| 16 | 8:37 | 5:21 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 2:16:34 |
| 17 | 8:48 | 5:28 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 2:25:23 |
| 18 | 8:59 | 5:35 | +39 ft (+12 m) | 2:34:22 |
| 19 | 8:22 | 5:12 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 2:42:44 |
| 20 | 8:46 | 5:27 | +14 ft (+4 m) | 2:51:30 |
| 21 | 9:14 | 5:44 | +65 ft (+20 m) | 3:00:44 |
| 22 | 8:35 | 5:20 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 3:09:19 |
| 23 | 8:35 | 5:20 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 3:17:54 |
| 24 | 8:26 | 5:14 | -26 ft (-8 m) | 3:26:20 |
| 25 | 8:11 | 5:05 | -53 ft (-16 m) | 3:34:30 |
| 26 | 9:03 | 5:37 | +43 ft (+13 m) | 3:43:33 |
| 26.2 | 8:53 | 5:31 | +5 ft (+1 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 Los Angeles 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 3:45 at the Los Angeles Marathon?
1:53:02. 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 Los Angeles Marathon?
Even effort at a 3:45 goal produces splits between 7:23 and 9:38 per mile — about 135 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 Los Angeles 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 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.