Paris Marathon 4:15 pace chart
A 4:15:00 finish at the Paris 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 kilometre comes in around 5:15/km and the hardest around 6:41/km — about 86 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 2:07:25 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 39; at this goal time it should take 6:41/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 4:15:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Paris Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 4:15:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:51 | 9:25 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 5:51 |
| 2 | 6:25 | 10:20 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 12:16 |
| 3 | 6:01 | 9:41 | +1 ft (0 m) | 18:17 |
| 4 | 5:33 | 8:57 | -50 ft (-15 m) | 23:51 |
| 5 | 6:41 | 10:45 | +58 ft (+18 m) | 30:31 |
| 6 | 5:49 | 9:21 | -22 ft (-7 m) | 36:20 |
| 7 | 5:55 | 9:31 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 42:15 |
| 8 | 6:00 | 9:40 | -1 ft (0 m) | 48:16 |
| 9 | 6:29 | 10:26 | +46 ft (+14 m) | 54:45 |
| 10 | 6:08 | 9:53 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 1:00:53 |
| 11 | 5:39 | 9:06 | -42 ft (-13 m) | 1:06:33 |
| 12 | 6:15 | 10:04 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 1:12:48 |
| 13 | 5:47 | 9:18 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 1:18:35 |
| 14 | 6:02 | 9:43 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:24:37 |
| 15 | 6:18 | 10:09 | +28 ft (+9 m) | 1:30:55 |
| 16 | 5:59 | 9:37 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 1:36:54 |
| 17 | 6:32 | 10:31 | +47 ft (+14 m) | 1:43:26 |
| 18 | 5:58 | 9:36 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 1:49:24 |
| 19 | 5:42 | 9:11 | -33 ft (-10 m) | 1:55:06 |
| 20 | 5:54 | 9:30 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 2:01:00 |
| 21 | 5:49 | 9:22 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 2:06:49 |
| 22 | 6:06 | 9:48 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 2:12:55 |
| 23 | 5:46 | 9:16 | -27 ft (-8 m) | 2:18:40 |
| 24 | 6:16 | 10:05 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 2:24:56 |
| 25 | 5:49 | 9:22 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 2:30:46 |
| 26 | 5:40 | 9:07 | -38 ft (-12 m) | 2:36:25 |
| 27 | 6:00 | 9:40 | -1 ft (0 m) | 2:42:26 |
| 28 | 6:02 | 9:42 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:48:27 |
| 29 | 6:14 | 10:02 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 2:54:41 |
| 30 | 6:00 | 9:40 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 3:00:42 |
| 31 | 5:50 | 9:24 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 3:06:32 |
| 32 | 6:02 | 9:43 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 3:12:34 |
| 33 | 6:28 | 10:25 | +43 ft (+13 m) | 3:19:03 |
| 34 | 6:13 | 10:00 | +18 ft (+6 m) | 3:25:15 |
| 35 | 5:39 | 9:06 | -41 ft (-12 m) | 3:30:55 |
| 36 | 6:07 | 9:50 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 3:37:02 |
| 37 | 6:25 | 10:20 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 3:43:27 |
| 38 | 6:04 | 9:46 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 3:49:31 |
| 39 | 6:12 | 9:58 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 3:55:43 |
| 40 | 6:41 | 10:45 | +61 ft (+19 m) | 4:02:23 |
| 41 | 6:06 | 9:49 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 4:08:29 |
| 42 | 5:15 | 8:27 | -85 ft (-26 m) | 4:13:45 |
| 42.2 | 7:00 | 11:15 | +17 ft (+5 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 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 4:15 at the Paris Marathon?
2:07:25. 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 Paris Marathon?
Even effort at a 4:15 goal produces splits between 5:15 and 6:41 per kilometre — about 86 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 4:15:00. 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.