Paris Marathon 4:00 pace chart
A 4:00:00 finish at the Paris 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 kilometre comes in around 4:57/km and the hardest around 6:17/km — about 81 seconds between the two extremes. Holding an identical number on every kilometre 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 1:59:55 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 39; at this goal time it should take 6:17/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Paris on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 4:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Paris 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.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:30 | 8:51 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 5:30 |
| 2 | 6:02 | 9:43 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 11:33 |
| 3 | 5:40 | 9:07 | +1 ft (0 m) | 17:13 |
| 4 | 5:14 | 8:25 | -50 ft (-15 m) | 22:26 |
| 5 | 6:17 | 10:07 | +58 ft (+18 m) | 28:44 |
| 6 | 5:28 | 8:48 | -22 ft (-7 m) | 34:12 |
| 7 | 5:34 | 8:58 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 39:46 |
| 8 | 5:39 | 9:06 | -1 ft (0 m) | 45:25 |
| 9 | 6:06 | 9:49 | +46 ft (+14 m) | 51:31 |
| 10 | 5:47 | 9:18 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 57:18 |
| 11 | 5:19 | 8:34 | -42 ft (-13 m) | 1:02:38 |
| 12 | 5:53 | 9:28 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 1:08:31 |
| 13 | 5:27 | 8:46 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 1:13:57 |
| 14 | 5:41 | 9:09 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:19:38 |
| 15 | 5:56 | 9:33 | +28 ft (+9 m) | 1:25:34 |
| 16 | 5:37 | 9:03 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 1:31:12 |
| 17 | 6:09 | 9:54 | +47 ft (+14 m) | 1:37:21 |
| 18 | 5:37 | 9:02 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 1:42:58 |
| 19 | 5:22 | 8:38 | -33 ft (-10 m) | 1:48:20 |
| 20 | 5:33 | 8:56 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 1:53:53 |
| 21 | 5:29 | 8:49 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 1:59:21 |
| 22 | 5:44 | 9:14 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 2:05:06 |
| 23 | 5:25 | 8:44 | -27 ft (-8 m) | 2:10:31 |
| 24 | 5:54 | 9:29 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 2:16:25 |
| 25 | 5:29 | 8:49 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 2:21:53 |
| 26 | 5:20 | 8:34 | -38 ft (-12 m) | 2:27:13 |
| 27 | 5:39 | 9:06 | -1 ft (0 m) | 2:32:52 |
| 28 | 5:40 | 9:08 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:38:33 |
| 29 | 5:52 | 9:27 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 2:44:25 |
| 30 | 5:39 | 9:06 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 2:50:04 |
| 31 | 5:30 | 8:51 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 2:55:34 |
| 32 | 5:41 | 9:09 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 3:01:15 |
| 33 | 6:06 | 9:48 | +43 ft (+13 m) | 3:07:20 |
| 34 | 5:51 | 9:24 | +18 ft (+6 m) | 3:13:11 |
| 35 | 5:19 | 8:34 | -41 ft (-12 m) | 3:18:30 |
| 36 | 5:45 | 9:15 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 3:24:16 |
| 37 | 6:03 | 9:44 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 3:30:18 |
| 38 | 5:43 | 9:11 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 3:36:01 |
| 39 | 5:50 | 9:23 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 3:41:51 |
| 40 | 6:17 | 10:07 | +61 ft (+19 m) | 3:48:08 |
| 41 | 5:45 | 9:15 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 3:53:52 |
| 42 | 4:57 | 7:57 | -85 ft (-26 m) | 3:58:49 |
| 42.2 | 6:35 | 10:36 | +17 ft (+5 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 Paris Marathon specifically, the elevation profile means even effort produces uneven splits — the table on this page gives the target for every kilometre.
What should my halfway split be for a 4:00 at the Paris Marathon?
1:59:55. 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 Paris Marathon?
Even effort at a 4:00 goal produces splits between 4:57 and 6:17 per kilometre — about 81 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 Paris Marathon splits calculated?
Each kilometre 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.