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