Rome Marathon 3:45 pace chart
A 3:45:00 finish at the Rome 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 kilometre comes in around 4:43/km and the hardest around 5:54/km — about 71 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 1:52:41 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 30; at this goal time it should take 5:54/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Rome on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 3:45:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Rome 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.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4:59 | 8:01 | -47 ft (-14 m) | 4:59 |
| 2 | 5:35 | 8:59 | +30 ft (+9 m) | 10:34 |
| 3 | 5:03 | 8:08 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 15:37 |
| 4 | 5:42 | 9:10 | +39 ft (+12 m) | 21:18 |
| 5 | 4:56 | 7:57 | -45 ft (-14 m) | 26:15 |
| 6 | 5:20 | 8:35 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 31:35 |
| 7 | 5:27 | 8:46 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 37:02 |
| 8 | 5:15 | 8:26 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 42:16 |
| 9 | 5:05 | 8:10 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 47:21 |
| 10 | 5:28 | 8:48 | +18 ft (+6 m) | 52:49 |
| 11 | 5:33 | 8:56 | +27 ft (+8 m) | 58:22 |
| 12 | 5:14 | 8:25 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 1:03:36 |
| 13 | 5:44 | 9:13 | +41 ft (+12 m) | 1:09:20 |
| 14 | 4:55 | 7:54 | -59 ft (-18 m) | 1:14:14 |
| 15 | 5:32 | 8:55 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 1:19:47 |
| 16 | 5:02 | 8:07 | -33 ft (-10 m) | 1:24:49 |
| 17 | 5:44 | 9:13 | +42 ft (+13 m) | 1:30:33 |
| 18 | 5:26 | 8:45 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 1:35:59 |
| 19 | 5:05 | 8:11 | -43 ft (-13 m) | 1:41:04 |
| 20 | 5:47 | 9:18 | +49 ft (+15 m) | 1:46:51 |
| 21 | 5:20 | 8:35 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 1:52:10 |
| 22 | 5:14 | 8:25 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 1:57:24 |
| 23 | 5:24 | 8:41 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 2:02:48 |
| 24 | 5:12 | 8:22 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 2:08:00 |
| 25 | 5:02 | 8:06 | -33 ft (-10 m) | 2:13:02 |
| 26 | 5:19 | 8:34 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:18:21 |
| 27 | 5:11 | 8:20 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 2:23:32 |
| 28 | 5:23 | 8:40 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 2:28:55 |
| 29 | 5:39 | 9:06 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 2:34:34 |
| 30 | 5:09 | 8:18 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 2:39:44 |
| 31 | 5:54 | 9:30 | +59 ft (+18 m) | 2:45:38 |
| 32 | 4:43 | 7:36 | -75 ft (-23 m) | 2:50:21 |
| 33 | 5:28 | 8:48 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 2:55:49 |
| 34 | 5:29 | 8:49 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 3:01:18 |
| 35 | 5:03 | 8:07 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 3:06:21 |
| 36 | 5:13 | 8:24 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 3:11:34 |
| 37 | 5:34 | 8:58 | +30 ft (+9 m) | 3:17:08 |
| 38 | 5:28 | 8:47 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 3:22:35 |
| 39 | 5:23 | 8:40 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 3:27:59 |
| 40 | 5:18 | 8:32 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:33:17 |
| 41 | 5:08 | 8:16 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 3:38:25 |
| 42 | 5:22 | 8:38 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 3:43:47 |
| 42.2 | 6:15 | 10:04 | +20 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 Rome 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 3:45 at the Rome Marathon?
1:52:41. 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 Rome Marathon?
Even effort at a 3:45 goal produces splits between 4:43 and 5:54 per kilometre — about 71 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 Rome 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 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.