Mesa Marathon 4:00 pace chart
A 4:00:00 finish at the Mesa 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 8:03/mi and the hardest around 10:29/mi — about 147 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 1:57:41 — a 4:38 positive split, which is what the terrain costs you rather than a pacing error. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 8; at this goal time it should take 10:04/mi, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Mesa on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Mile-by-mile targets for 4:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Mesa 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.
| Mile | Target /mi | Target /km | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:11 | 5:05 | -139 ft (-42 m) | 8:11 |
| 2 | 8:37 | 5:21 | -92 ft (-28 m) | 16:48 |
| 3 | 8:31 | 5:17 | -102 ft (-31 m) | 25:18 |
| 4 | 8:33 | 5:19 | -96 ft (-29 m) | 33:51 |
| 5 | 10:29 | 6:31 | +103 ft (+31 m) | 44:21 |
| 6 | 10:04 | 6:16 | +56 ft (+17 m) | 54:25 |
| 7 | 8:03 | 5:00 | -157 ft (-48 m) | 1:02:28 |
| 8 | 9:02 | 5:37 | -44 ft (-14 m) | 1:11:30 |
| 9 | 8:52 | 5:31 | -62 ft (-19 m) | 1:20:22 |
| 10 | 8:52 | 5:30 | -64 ft (-19 m) | 1:29:13 |
| 11 | 9:21 | 5:49 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 1:38:35 |
| 12 | 8:53 | 5:31 | -59 ft (-18 m) | 1:47:28 |
| 13 | 9:13 | 5:43 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 1:56:41 |
| 14 | 9:12 | 5:43 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 2:05:53 |
| 15 | 9:18 | 5:47 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 2:15:11 |
| 16 | 9:16 | 5:46 | -18 ft (-5 m) | 2:24:27 |
| 17 | 9:17 | 5:46 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 2:33:44 |
| 18 | 9:17 | 5:46 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 2:43:01 |
| 19 | 9:17 | 5:46 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 2:52:19 |
| 20 | 9:25 | 5:51 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 3:01:44 |
| 21 | 9:22 | 5:49 | -8 ft (-3 m) | 3:11:05 |
| 22 | 9:27 | 5:52 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:20:33 |
| 23 | 9:30 | 5:54 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 3:30:03 |
| 24 | 9:27 | 5:52 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:39:30 |
| 25 | 9:21 | 5:48 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 3:48:51 |
| 26 | 9:06 | 5:39 | -38 ft (-12 m) | 3:57:57 |
| 26.2 | 9:23 | 5:50 | -2 ft (0 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 Mesa 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 Mesa Marathon?
1:57:41. 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 Mesa Marathon?
Even effort at a 4:00 goal produces splits between 8:03 and 10:29 per mile — about 147 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 Mesa 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.