Los Angeles Marathon 4:00 pace chart

A 4:00:00 finish at the Los Angeles 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 mile comes in around 7:52/mi and the hardest around 10:14/mi — about 142 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 2:00:19 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 6; at this goal time it should take 9:54/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 4:00:00

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 4:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.

MileTarget /miTarget /kmElev ΔElapsed
17:524:53-162 ft (-49 m)7:52
28:475:27-50 ft (-15 m)16:39
38:555:33-31 ft (-9 m)25:34
410:146:21+101 ft (+31 m)35:48
59:546:09+56 ft (+17 m)45:42
69:015:36-25 ft (-8 m)54:43
78:485:28-46 ft (-14 m)1:03:32
89:255:51+21 ft (+6 m)1:12:57
99:265:52+24 ft (+7 m)1:22:23
109:085:41-7 ft (-2 m)1:31:31
119:065:39-11 ft (-3 m)1:40:36
128:575:34-29 ft (-9 m)1:49:33
139:476:05+60 ft (+18 m)1:59:20
148:565:33-31 ft (-9 m)2:08:16
157:564:56-157 ft (-48 m)2:16:12
169:085:41-7 ft (-2 m)2:25:20
179:245:50+20 ft (+6 m)2:34:44
189:345:57+39 ft (+12 m)2:44:18
198:545:32-34 ft (-10 m)2:53:12
209:185:47+12 ft (+4 m)3:02:31
219:546:09+72 ft (+22 m)3:12:25
229:075:40-9 ft (-3 m)3:21:32
239:105:42-4 ft (-1 m)3:30:41
248:585:34-26 ft (-8 m)3:39:39
258:385:22-61 ft (-19 m)3:48:17
269:375:58+41 ft (+13 m)3:57:54
26.29:365:58+10 ft (+3 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 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 4:00 at the Los Angeles Marathon?

2:00:19. 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 Los Angeles Marathon?

Even effort at a 4:00 goal produces splits between 7:52 and 10:14 per mile — about 142 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 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.

Other goal times at the Los Angeles Marathon

Plan your Los Angeles race