Philadelphia Marathon 4:00 pace chart
A 4:00:00 finish at the Philadelphia 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 8:24/mi and the hardest around 10:01/mi — about 97 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 2:00:37 — a 1:14 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 9:54/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 4:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Philadelphia Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 4:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Mile | Target /mi | Target /km | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9:11 | 5:42 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 9:11 |
| 2 | 9:07 | 5:40 | -1 ft (0 m) | 18:18 |
| 3 | 8:54 | 5:32 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 27:12 |
| 4 | 9:11 | 5:43 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 36:23 |
| 5 | 9:11 | 5:43 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 45:34 |
| 6 | 9:18 | 5:47 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 54:53 |
| 7 | 8:45 | 5:26 | -42 ft (-13 m) | 1:03:37 |
| 8 | 10:01 | 6:13 | +90 ft (+27 m) | 1:13:38 |
| 9 | 8:41 | 5:24 | -51 ft (-16 m) | 1:22:19 |
| 10 | 9:54 | 6:09 | +72 ft (+22 m) | 1:32:14 |
| 11 | 9:14 | 5:45 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 1:41:28 |
| 12 | 8:58 | 5:34 | -18 ft (-5 m) | 1:50:26 |
| 13 | 9:09 | 5:41 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 1:59:35 |
| 14 | 9:28 | 5:53 | +34 ft (+10 m) | 2:09:03 |
| 15 | 9:03 | 5:37 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 2:18:06 |
| 16 | 8:24 | 5:13 | -86 ft (-26 m) | 2:26:30 |
| 17 | 9:07 | 5:40 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:35:37 |
| 18 | 9:08 | 5:40 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:44:45 |
| 19 | 9:19 | 5:48 | +21 ft (+6 m) | 2:54:04 |
| 20 | 9:00 | 5:36 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 3:03:05 |
| 21 | 9:09 | 5:41 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:12:13 |
| 22 | 9:09 | 5:41 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 3:21:22 |
| 23 | 9:04 | 5:38 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 3:30:27 |
| 24 | 9:07 | 5:40 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:39:33 |
| 25 | 9:06 | 5:39 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 3:48:39 |
| 26 | 9:09 | 5:41 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 3:57:48 |
| 26.2 | 10:02 | 6:14 | +21 ft (+6 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 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 4:00 at the Philadelphia Marathon?
2:00:37. 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 Philadelphia Marathon?
Even effort at a 4:00 goal produces splits between 8:24 and 10:01 per mile — about 97 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 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.