Rome Marathon 4:00 pace chart
A 4:00:00 finish at the Rome 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 5:02/km and the hardest around 6:18/km — about 76 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 2:00:12 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 30; at this goal time it should take 6:18/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 4:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Rome Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 4:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:19 | 8:33 | -47 ft (-14 m) | 5:19 |
| 2 | 5:57 | 9:35 | +30 ft (+9 m) | 11:16 |
| 3 | 5:23 | 8:40 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 16:39 |
| 4 | 6:05 | 9:47 | +39 ft (+12 m) | 22:44 |
| 5 | 5:16 | 8:29 | -45 ft (-14 m) | 28:00 |
| 6 | 5:41 | 9:09 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 33:41 |
| 7 | 5:49 | 9:21 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 39:30 |
| 8 | 5:36 | 9:00 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 45:05 |
| 9 | 5:25 | 8:43 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 50:30 |
| 10 | 5:50 | 9:23 | +18 ft (+6 m) | 56:20 |
| 11 | 5:55 | 9:32 | +27 ft (+8 m) | 1:02:15 |
| 12 | 5:35 | 8:59 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 1:07:50 |
| 13 | 6:06 | 9:50 | +41 ft (+12 m) | 1:13:57 |
| 14 | 5:14 | 8:26 | -59 ft (-18 m) | 1:19:11 |
| 15 | 5:54 | 9:30 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 1:25:06 |
| 16 | 5:23 | 8:39 | -33 ft (-10 m) | 1:30:28 |
| 17 | 6:07 | 9:50 | +42 ft (+13 m) | 1:36:35 |
| 18 | 5:48 | 9:20 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 1:42:23 |
| 19 | 5:25 | 8:44 | -43 ft (-13 m) | 1:47:48 |
| 20 | 6:10 | 9:55 | +49 ft (+15 m) | 1:53:58 |
| 21 | 5:41 | 9:09 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 1:59:39 |
| 22 | 5:35 | 8:59 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 2:05:14 |
| 23 | 5:45 | 9:16 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 2:10:59 |
| 24 | 5:33 | 8:56 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 2:16:32 |
| 25 | 5:22 | 8:38 | -33 ft (-10 m) | 2:21:54 |
| 26 | 5:41 | 9:08 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:27:35 |
| 27 | 5:31 | 8:53 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 2:33:06 |
| 28 | 5:45 | 9:15 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 2:38:51 |
| 29 | 6:02 | 9:42 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 2:44:53 |
| 30 | 5:30 | 8:51 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 2:50:23 |
| 31 | 6:18 | 10:08 | +59 ft (+18 m) | 2:56:40 |
| 32 | 5:02 | 8:06 | -75 ft (-23 m) | 3:01:42 |
| 33 | 5:50 | 9:23 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 3:07:32 |
| 34 | 5:50 | 9:24 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 3:13:23 |
| 35 | 5:23 | 8:40 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 3:18:46 |
| 36 | 5:34 | 8:57 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 3:24:20 |
| 37 | 5:57 | 9:34 | +30 ft (+9 m) | 3:30:16 |
| 38 | 5:49 | 9:22 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 3:36:06 |
| 39 | 5:45 | 9:15 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 3:41:51 |
| 40 | 5:39 | 9:06 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:47:30 |
| 41 | 5:29 | 8:49 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 3:52:59 |
| 42 | 5:43 | 9:12 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 3:58:42 |
| 42.2 | 6:40 | 10:44 | +20 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 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 4:00 at the Rome Marathon?
2:00:12. 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 Rome Marathon?
Even effort at a 4:00 goal produces splits between 5:02 and 6:18 per kilometre — about 76 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 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.