Toronto Marathon: Elevation Profile, Course Map & Pace Calculator
Third Sunday of October · Fast, with only modest elevation change · 120 m total ascent
Run since 2000 along Lake Ontario's edge, Canada's flagship road race and a primary North American Boston qualifier. The course starts on University Avenue, sweeps west to High Park along Lakeshore Boulevard, doubles back through the Beaches, then finishes near Bay and Wellington. Just 116 m of ascent and reliably cool mornings.
The Toronto Marathon is fast, with only modest elevation change — rated 2/5 on our difficulty scale. Over the official 42.195 km (26.2 mi) the course gains about 380 ft (120 m) and loses 420 ft (130 m), with roughly level start to finish. Grade-adjusted pace says the toughest stretch arrives at kilometre 32 (near mile 20), demanding about 4% more effort than the same distance on flat ground.
Course stats
| Distance | 26.2 mi (42.195 km) |
|---|---|
| Location | Toronto, ON, Canada |
| Total ascent | 380 ft (120 m) |
| Total descent | 420 ft (130 m) |
| Elevation range | 39 m (125 ft) |
| Net elevation | -39 ft (-12 m) |
| Steepest grade | 2.6% |
| Difficulty | 2/5 |
| Field size | ≈8,000 runners |
| Race day | Third Sunday of October |
| Elevation from | NRCan CDEM (Canada) |
Bare-earth terrain model, smoothed over 500 m — it measures the ground, not the rooftops.
Key segments
| km 0–10 | Start to 10K. Net downhill, 20 m (+30 / −50 m), about 1% easier than flat. |
|---|---|
| km 10–21.1 | 10K to halfway. Rolling (+20 / −20 m). |
| km 21.1–30 | Halfway to 30K. Rolling (+25 / −25 m). |
| km 30–42.2 | 30K to the finish. Net uphill, 10 m (+45 / −35 m). |
Kilometre-by-kilometre splits (grade-adjusted)
Grade-adjusted (GAP) splits for a 4:00:00 finish, computed from the course's elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model: uphill kilometres get more time, downhills less, at even effort. Splits scale proportionally for any other goal time — the interactive pace calculator on this page computes them exactly.
| Kilometre | GAP pace /km | GAP pace /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:57 | 9:34 | +25 ft (+8 m) | 5:57 |
| 2 | 5:51 | 9:26 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 11:48 |
| 3 | 5:44 | 9:14 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 17:32 |
| 4 | 5:28 | 8:48 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 23:01 |
| 5 | 5:21 | 8:36 | -38 ft (-12 m) | 28:21 |
| 6 | 5:15 | 8:26 | -49 ft (-15 m) | 33:36 |
| 7 | 5:42 | 9:10 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 39:18 |
| 8 | 5:41 | 9:09 | -1 ft (0 m) | 44:59 |
| 9 | 5:43 | 9:13 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 50:42 |
| 10 | 5:39 | 9:06 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 56:22 |
| 11 | 5:43 | 9:13 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 1:02:05 |
| 12 | 5:40 | 9:06 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 1:07:45 |
| 13 | 5:41 | 9:09 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:13:26 |
| 14 | 5:40 | 9:06 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 1:19:06 |
| 15 | 5:46 | 9:17 | +8 ft (+2 m) | 1:24:51 |
| 16 | 5:41 | 9:08 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 1:30:32 |
| 17 | 5:39 | 9:06 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 1:36:11 |
| 18 | 5:47 | 9:18 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 1:41:58 |
| 19 | 5:40 | 9:07 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 1:47:38 |
| 20 | 5:42 | 9:11 | +2 ft (0 m) | 1:53:21 |
| 21 | 5:41 | 9:09 | -1 ft (0 m) | 1:59:02 |
| 22 | 5:39 | 9:05 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 2:04:40 |
| 23 | 5:40 | 9:08 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 2:10:21 |
| 24 | 5:43 | 9:12 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 2:16:03 |
| 25 | 5:40 | 9:08 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 2:21:44 |
| 26 | 5:41 | 9:08 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 2:27:24 |
| 27 | 5:47 | 9:18 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 2:33:11 |
| 28 | 5:36 | 9:01 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 2:38:47 |
| 29 | 5:42 | 9:11 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:44:30 |
| 30 | 5:46 | 9:17 | +8 ft (+2 m) | 2:50:16 |
| 31 | 5:39 | 9:05 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 2:55:55 |
| 32 | 5:47 | 9:19 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 3:01:42 |
| 33 | 5:57 | 9:34 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 3:07:39 |
| 34 | 5:30 | 8:52 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 3:13:09 |
| 35 | 5:34 | 8:58 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 3:18:43 |
| 36 | 5:42 | 9:11 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:24:25 |
| 37 | 5:39 | 9:06 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 3:30:05 |
| 38 | 5:40 | 9:08 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 3:35:45 |
| 39 | 5:49 | 9:21 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 3:41:34 |
| 40 | 5:41 | 9:09 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:47:14 |
| 41 | 5:43 | 9:12 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 3:52:57 |
| 42 | 5:53 | 9:28 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 3:58:50 |
| 42.2 | 6:00 | 9:39 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 4:00:00 |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Toronto Marathon flat or hilly?
The Toronto Marathon is fast, with only modest elevation change (2/5 difficulty). Total ascent is about 380 ft (120 m) over 26.2 miles.
How much elevation gain does the Toronto Marathon have?
About 380 ft (120 m) of total ascent and 420 ft (130 m) of descent, for a net change of -39 ft (-12 m). Elevation is sampled from NRCan CDEM (Canada) and smoothed over 500 m, so it will not match a GPS watch step for step.
What is the hardest part of the Toronto Marathon course?
Kilometre 32 (near mile 20) is the toughest split on the course by grade-adjusted effort. Grade-adjusted pace puts it at roughly 4% more effort than flat running.
How long is the Toronto Marathon?
42.195 km (26.2 miles), the standard marathon distance. Certified courses are measured along the shortest legal line with a small safety margin, so a GPS watch usually reads a few hundred metres long — you run wider than the measured line, and GPS adds error of its own. Pace off the course markers rather than your watch's distance in the closing kilometres.
When is the Toronto Marathon?
The Toronto Marathon is typically held on the third Sunday of October. The next edition is expected around October 17, 2027. Confirm the exact date on the official race website.
How many runners take part in the Toronto Marathon?
The field is roughly 8,000 runners.
What pace do I need to run the Toronto Marathon in my goal time?
At an even pace: 3:00:00 needs 6:52/mi (4:16/km); 3:30:00 needs 8:01/mi (4:59/km); 4:00:00 needs 9:09/mi (5:41/km); 4:30:00 needs 10:18/mi (6:24/km); 5:00:00 needs 11:27/mi (7:07/km); 5:30:00 needs 12:35/mi (7:49/km). On this course, grade-adjusted pacing shifts a few seconds per mile between uphill and downhill splits — the pace calculator on this page computes those splits for any goal time.
Plan your Toronto race
Courses like this one
- London Marathon — 2/5 difficulty, 410 ft (120 m) ascent
- Barcelona Marathon — 2/5 difficulty, 350 ft (110 m) ascent
- Bayshore Marathon — 2/5 difficulty, 350 ft (110 m) ascent
How Toronto Marathon ranks
- Flattest marathon courses — ranked 13 of 20 (380 ft (120 m) of climbing)
- Hilliest marathon courses — ranked 20 of 20 (380 ft (120 m) of climbing)
- Net-downhill marathon courses — ranked 11 of 13 (40 ft (10 m) net drop)
- Hardest marathon courses — ranked 20 of 20 (2/5 — 380 ft (120 m) up, 420 ft (130 m) down)
- Marathons with the hardest finish — ranked 8 of 10 (hardest at km 32 (mile 20) — 4% over flat effort)
Official race site: https://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/