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