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 8:21/mi and the hardest around 10:52/mi — about 151 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 2:07:50 — an almost exactly even split. 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.

MileTarget /miTarget /kmElev ΔElapsed
18:215:12-162 ft (-49 m)8:21
29:205:48-50 ft (-15 m)17:41
39:295:53-31 ft (-9 m)27:10
410:526:45+101 ft (+31 m)38:02
510:326:32+56 ft (+17 m)48:33
69:355:57-25 ft (-8 m)58:09
79:215:49-46 ft (-14 m)1:07:30
810:006:13+21 ft (+6 m)1:17:30
910:016:14+24 ft (+7 m)1:27:31
109:426:02-7 ft (-2 m)1:37:14
119:406:00-11 ft (-3 m)1:46:54
129:305:54-29 ft (-9 m)1:56:24
1310:246:28+60 ft (+18 m)2:06:48
149:295:54-31 ft (-9 m)2:16:17
158:265:14-157 ft (-48 m)2:24:42
169:426:02-7 ft (-2 m)2:34:25
179:596:12+20 ft (+6 m)2:44:24
1810:106:19+39 ft (+12 m)2:54:34
199:285:53-34 ft (-10 m)3:04:02
209:536:09+12 ft (+4 m)3:13:55
2110:316:32+72 ft (+22 m)3:24:26
229:416:01-9 ft (-3 m)3:34:07
239:446:03-4 ft (-1 m)3:43:51
249:325:55-26 ft (-8 m)3:53:23
259:105:42-61 ft (-19 m)4:02:33
2610:136:21+41 ft (+13 m)4:12:46
26.210:126:21+10 ft (+3 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?

2:07:50. 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 8:21 and 10:52 per mile — about 151 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.

Other goal times at the Los Angeles Marathon

Plan your Los Angeles race