Sydney Marathon 4:00 pace chart
A 4:00:00 finish at the Sydney 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 4:37/km and the hardest around 7:55/km — about 198 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 2:01:08 — a 2:16 negative split, because the harder half comes first. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 13; at this goal time it should take 7:55/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Sydney on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 4:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Sydney 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 | 5:02 | 8:06 | -95 ft (-29 m) | 5:02 |
| 2 | 4:37 | 7:25 | -159 ft (-48 m) | 9:39 |
| 3 | 6:25 | 10:19 | +64 ft (+19 m) | 16:03 |
| 4 | 6:47 | 10:55 | -55 ft (-17 m) | 22:50 |
| 5 | 5:32 | 8:54 | -23 ft (-7 m) | 28:22 |
| 6 | 6:01 | 9:41 | +35 ft (+11 m) | 34:23 |
| 7 | 5:08 | 8:16 | -59 ft (-18 m) | 39:31 |
| 8 | 5:43 | 9:12 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 45:14 |
| 9 | 6:25 | 10:19 | +82 ft (+25 m) | 51:39 |
| 10 | 5:13 | 8:23 | -54 ft (-16 m) | 56:52 |
| 11 | 6:12 | 9:59 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:03:04 |
| 12 | 5:30 | 8:52 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 1:08:35 |
| 13 | 5:48 | 9:20 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 1:14:22 |
| 14 | 7:55 | 12:45 | +209 ft (+64 m) | 1:22:17 |
| 15 | 5:20 | 8:35 | -61 ft (-19 m) | 1:27:38 |
| 16 | 5:02 | 8:06 | -75 ft (-23 m) | 1:32:40 |
| 17 | 6:17 | 10:07 | +69 ft (+21 m) | 1:38:57 |
| 18 | 5:15 | 8:28 | -36 ft (-11 m) | 1:44:12 |
| 19 | 5:11 | 8:20 | -50 ft (-15 m) | 1:49:23 |
| 20 | 5:48 | 9:20 | +21 ft (+6 m) | 1:55:11 |
| 21 | 5:25 | 8:43 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 2:00:35 |
| 22 | 5:33 | 8:56 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 2:06:08 |
| 23 | 5:27 | 8:47 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 2:11:36 |
| 24 | 5:42 | 9:10 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 2:17:17 |
| 25 | 5:37 | 9:02 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 2:22:54 |
| 26 | 5:54 | 9:29 | +31 ft (+9 m) | 2:28:48 |
| 27 | 5:53 | 9:28 | +29 ft (+9 m) | 2:34:41 |
| 28 | 5:19 | 8:34 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 2:40:00 |
| 29 | 5:37 | 9:02 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:45:37 |
| 30 | 5:28 | 8:48 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 2:51:05 |
| 31 | 5:57 | 9:35 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 2:57:02 |
| 32 | 5:46 | 9:17 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 3:02:48 |
| 33 | 5:22 | 8:38 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 3:08:10 |
| 34 | 5:26 | 8:44 | -18 ft (-6 m) | 3:13:35 |
| 35 | 6:02 | 9:42 | +46 ft (+14 m) | 3:19:37 |
| 36 | 5:37 | 9:02 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:25:14 |
| 37 | 5:33 | 8:56 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 3:30:47 |
| 38 | 5:04 | 8:09 | -70 ft (-21 m) | 3:35:51 |
| 39 | 4:59 | 8:02 | -75 ft (-23 m) | 3:40:50 |
| 40 | 5:57 | 9:35 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 3:46:47 |
| 41 | 5:57 | 9:35 | +35 ft (+11 m) | 3:52:45 |
| 42 | 6:13 | 10:00 | +51 ft (+15 m) | 3:58:57 |
| 42.2 | 5:21 | 8:37 | -6 ft (-2 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 Sydney 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 Sydney Marathon?
2:01:08. 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 Sydney Marathon?
Even effort at a 4:00 goal produces splits between 4:37 and 7:55 per kilometre — about 198 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 Sydney 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.