Los Angeles Marathon 4:15 pace chart
A 4:15:00 finish at the Los Angeles 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 mile comes in around 8:22/mi and the hardest around 10:56/mi — about 153 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 2:08:06 — a 1:13 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 10:32/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 4:15:00
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 4:15:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Mile | Target /mi | Target /km | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:22 | 5:12 | -162 ft (-49 m) | 8:22 |
| 2 | 9:21 | 5:49 | -50 ft (-15 m) | 17:43 |
| 3 | 9:30 | 5:54 | -31 ft (-10 m) | 27:13 |
| 4 | 10:56 | 6:47 | +104 ft (+32 m) | 38:09 |
| 5 | 10:32 | 6:33 | +55 ft (+17 m) | 48:41 |
| 6 | 9:37 | 5:58 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 58:18 |
| 7 | 9:21 | 5:49 | -48 ft (-15 m) | 1:07:39 |
| 8 | 10:03 | 6:15 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 1:17:42 |
| 9 | 10:00 | 6:13 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 1:27:42 |
| 10 | 9:44 | 6:03 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 1:37:26 |
| 11 | 9:41 | 6:01 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 1:47:07 |
| 12 | 9:32 | 5:55 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 1:56:39 |
| 13 | 10:25 | 6:29 | +61 ft (+19 m) | 2:07:04 |
| 14 | 9:28 | 5:53 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 2:16:32 |
| 15 | 8:29 | 5:16 | -153 ft (-47 m) | 2:25:01 |
| 16 | 9:46 | 6:04 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 2:34:47 |
| 17 | 9:59 | 6:12 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 2:44:46 |
| 18 | 10:11 | 6:20 | +39 ft (+12 m) | 2:54:57 |
| 19 | 9:29 | 5:54 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 3:04:26 |
| 20 | 9:56 | 6:10 | +14 ft (+4 m) | 3:14:22 |
| 21 | 10:28 | 6:30 | +65 ft (+20 m) | 3:24:50 |
| 22 | 9:43 | 6:02 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 3:34:34 |
| 23 | 9:44 | 6:03 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 3:44:17 |
| 24 | 9:33 | 5:56 | -26 ft (-8 m) | 3:53:50 |
| 25 | 9:16 | 5:46 | -53 ft (-16 m) | 4:03:07 |
| 26 | 10:15 | 6:22 | +43 ft (+13 m) | 4:13:22 |
| 26.2 | 10:04 | 6:15 | +5 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 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 4:15 at the Los Angeles Marathon?
2:08:06. 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 Los Angeles Marathon?
Even effort at a 4:15 goal produces splits between 8:22 and 10:56 per mile — about 153 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 4:15:00. 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.