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 7:22/mi and the hardest around 9:35/mi — about 133 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 1:52:48 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 6; at this goal time it should take 9:17/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 | 7:22 | 4:35 | -162 ft (-49 m) | 7:22 |
| 2 | 8:14 | 5:07 | -50 ft (-15 m) | 15:36 |
| 3 | 8:22 | 5:12 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 23:58 |
| 4 | 9:35 | 5:58 | +101 ft (+31 m) | 33:33 |
| 5 | 9:17 | 5:46 | +56 ft (+17 m) | 42:51 |
| 6 | 8:27 | 5:15 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 51:18 |
| 7 | 8:15 | 5:08 | -46 ft (-14 m) | 59:33 |
| 8 | 8:50 | 5:29 | +21 ft (+6 m) | 1:08:23 |
| 9 | 8:50 | 5:30 | +24 ft (+7 m) | 1:17:14 |
| 10 | 8:34 | 5:19 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 1:25:47 |
| 11 | 8:32 | 5:18 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 1:34:19 |
| 12 | 8:23 | 5:13 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 1:42:42 |
| 13 | 9:10 | 5:42 | +60 ft (+18 m) | 1:51:53 |
| 14 | 8:22 | 5:12 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 2:00:15 |
| 15 | 7:26 | 4:37 | -157 ft (-48 m) | 2:07:41 |
| 16 | 8:34 | 5:19 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 2:16:15 |
| 17 | 8:49 | 5:28 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 2:25:03 |
| 18 | 8:58 | 5:34 | +39 ft (+12 m) | 2:34:02 |
| 19 | 8:21 | 5:11 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 2:42:23 |
| 20 | 8:44 | 5:25 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 2:51:06 |
| 21 | 9:17 | 5:46 | +72 ft (+22 m) | 3:00:23 |
| 22 | 8:33 | 5:19 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 3:08:56 |
| 23 | 8:35 | 5:20 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 3:17:31 |
| 24 | 8:25 | 5:14 | -26 ft (-8 m) | 3:25:56 |
| 25 | 8:05 | 5:02 | -61 ft (-19 m) | 3:34:01 |
| 26 | 9:01 | 5:36 | +41 ft (+13 m) | 3:43:02 |
| 26.2 | 9:00 | 5:36 | +10 ft (+3 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?
1:52:48. 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 7:22 and 9:35 per mile — about 133 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.
Other goal times at the Los Angeles Marathon
Plan your Los Angeles race
- Los Angeles Marathon in 3:30
- Los Angeles Marathon in 4:00
- Los Angeles Marathon elevation profile and course map
- 3:45 marathon pace on a flat course — even splits and equivalent race times
- Race time predictor — check whether 3:45 is realistic from a recent result
- Marathon training plan generator
- How to pace a hilly marathon