New York City Marathon 4:00 pace chart
A 4:00:00 finish at the New York City 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 8:21/mi and the hardest around 9:50/mi — about 89 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 1:59:21 — a 1:18 positive split, which is what the terrain costs you rather than a pacing error. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 37; at this goal time it should take 9:50/mi, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing New York on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Mile-by-mile targets for 4:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the New York City 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 | 8:21 | 5:11 | -117 ft (-36 m) | 8:21 |
| 2 | 9:44 | 6:03 | +58 ft (+18 m) | 18:05 |
| 3 | 9:23 | 5:50 | +24 ft (+7 m) | 27:28 |
| 4 | 9:13 | 5:44 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 36:41 |
| 5 | 8:56 | 5:33 | -23 ft (-7 m) | 45:37 |
| 6 | 8:57 | 5:33 | -23 ft (-7 m) | 54:33 |
| 7 | 9:02 | 5:37 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 1:03:35 |
| 8 | 9:16 | 5:45 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 1:12:51 |
| 9 | 9:29 | 5:53 | +32 ft (+10 m) | 1:22:20 |
| 10 | 8:37 | 5:21 | -57 ft (-17 m) | 1:30:57 |
| 11 | 9:31 | 5:55 | +39 ft (+12 m) | 1:40:28 |
| 12 | 8:47 | 5:28 | -38 ft (-12 m) | 1:49:15 |
| 13 | 9:06 | 5:39 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 1:58:21 |
| 14 | 9:09 | 5:41 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:07:30 |
| 15 | 9:12 | 5:43 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 2:16:41 |
| 16 | 9:39 | 6:00 | +45 ft (+14 m) | 2:26:21 |
| 17 | 8:55 | 5:32 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 2:35:15 |
| 18 | 8:54 | 5:32 | -28 ft (-9 m) | 2:44:09 |
| 19 | 9:10 | 5:42 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 2:53:20 |
| 20 | 9:19 | 5:48 | +18 ft (+5 m) | 3:02:39 |
| 21 | 8:54 | 5:32 | -27 ft (-8 m) | 3:11:33 |
| 22 | 9:20 | 5:48 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 3:20:53 |
| 23 | 9:13 | 5:43 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 3:30:05 |
| 24 | 9:50 | 6:06 | +69 ft (+21 m) | 3:39:55 |
| 25 | 8:57 | 5:34 | -27 ft (-8 m) | 3:48:52 |
| 26 | 9:09 | 5:41 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:58:01 |
| 26.2 | 9:04 | 5:38 | -2 ft (-1 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 New York City 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 New York City Marathon?
1:59:21. 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 New York City Marathon?
Even effort at a 4:00 goal produces splits between 8:21 and 9:50 per mile — about 89 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 New York City 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.