Philadelphia Marathon 3:45 pace chart
A 3:45:00 finish at the Philadelphia Marathon averages 8:35 per mile (5:20 per kilometre) — a fast recreational time, roughly the top quintile of a big-city field. Run at even effort rather than even pace, the easiest mile comes in around 7:53/mi and the hardest around 9:23/mi — about 91 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 1:53:05 — a 1:10 negative split, because the harder half comes first. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 15; at this goal time it should take 9:17/mi, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Philadelphia on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Mile-by-mile targets for 3:45:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Philadelphia Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 3:45:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Mile | Target /mi | Target /km | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:37 | 5:21 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 8:37 |
| 2 | 8:33 | 5:19 | -1 ft (0 m) | 17:09 |
| 3 | 8:21 | 5:11 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 25:30 |
| 4 | 8:37 | 5:21 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 34:07 |
| 5 | 8:37 | 5:21 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 42:44 |
| 6 | 8:43 | 5:25 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 51:27 |
| 7 | 8:12 | 5:06 | -42 ft (-13 m) | 59:39 |
| 8 | 9:23 | 5:50 | +90 ft (+27 m) | 1:09:02 |
| 9 | 8:09 | 5:04 | -51 ft (-16 m) | 1:17:11 |
| 10 | 9:17 | 5:46 | +72 ft (+22 m) | 1:26:28 |
| 11 | 8:40 | 5:23 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 1:35:08 |
| 12 | 8:25 | 5:13 | -18 ft (-5 m) | 1:43:32 |
| 13 | 8:35 | 5:20 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 1:52:07 |
| 14 | 8:53 | 5:31 | +34 ft (+10 m) | 2:00:59 |
| 15 | 8:29 | 5:16 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 2:09:28 |
| 16 | 7:53 | 4:54 | -86 ft (-26 m) | 2:17:21 |
| 17 | 8:33 | 5:19 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:25:54 |
| 18 | 8:33 | 5:19 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:34:27 |
| 19 | 8:44 | 5:26 | +21 ft (+6 m) | 2:43:12 |
| 20 | 8:26 | 5:15 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 2:51:38 |
| 21 | 8:34 | 5:20 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:00:12 |
| 22 | 8:35 | 5:20 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 3:08:47 |
| 23 | 8:30 | 5:17 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 3:17:17 |
| 24 | 8:33 | 5:19 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:25:50 |
| 25 | 8:32 | 5:18 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 3:34:22 |
| 26 | 8:35 | 5:20 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 3:42:57 |
| 26.2 | 9:25 | 5:51 | +21 ft (+6 m) | 3:45:00 |
Frequently asked questions
What pace is a 3:45 marathon?
A 3:45:00 marathon is 8:35 per mile or 5:20 per kilometre held for the full 26.2 miles (42.195 km). On the Philadelphia 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 3:45 at the Philadelphia Marathon?
1:53:05. That is the grade-adjusted halfway target for this course, not simply half of 3:45:00 — 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 Philadelphia Marathon?
Even effort at a 3:45 goal produces splits between 7:53 and 9:23 per mile — about 91 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 Philadelphia 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 3:45:00. Uphill sections get more time and downhill sections less, at a constant effort throughout.
Is 3:45 a realistic marathon goal?
3:45 is a fast recreational time, roughly the top quintile of a 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.