Vancouver Marathon 3:45 pace chart
A 3:45:00 finish at the Vancouver Marathon averages 8:35 per mile (5:20 per kilometre) — a fast recreational time, roughly the top quintile of a big-city field. Run at even effort rather than even pace, the easiest kilometre comes in around 4:14/km and the hardest around 6:49/km — about 155 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 1:51:36 — a 1:48 positive split, which is what the terrain costs you rather than a pacing error. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 9; at this goal time it should take 6:49/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Vancouver on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 3:45:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Vancouver Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 3:45:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:53 | 9:28 | +57 ft (+17 m) | 5:53 |
| 2 | 5:12 | 8:22 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 11:05 |
| 3 | 5:13 | 8:24 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 16:18 |
| 4 | 5:30 | 8:51 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 21:48 |
| 5 | 4:50 | 7:47 | -62 ft (-19 m) | 26:38 |
| 6 | 4:45 | 7:39 | -73 ft (-22 m) | 31:24 |
| 7 | 4:32 | 7:18 | -102 ft (-31 m) | 35:56 |
| 8 | 5:16 | 8:28 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 41:12 |
| 9 | 5:53 | 9:29 | +58 ft (+18 m) | 47:05 |
| 10 | 6:49 | 10:59 | +150 ft (+46 m) | 53:55 |
| 11 | 5:34 | 8:58 | +25 ft (+7 m) | 59:29 |
| 12 | 5:28 | 8:49 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 1:04:57 |
| 13 | 5:29 | 8:50 | +14 ft (+4 m) | 1:10:27 |
| 14 | 5:18 | 8:32 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 1:15:45 |
| 15 | 5:17 | 8:31 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 1:21:02 |
| 16 | 5:00 | 8:03 | -43 ft (-13 m) | 1:26:02 |
| 17 | 5:29 | 8:50 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 1:31:31 |
| 18 | 5:14 | 8:26 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 1:36:46 |
| 19 | 5:12 | 8:22 | -18 ft (-6 m) | 1:41:58 |
| 20 | 4:14 | 6:49 | -144 ft (-44 m) | 1:46:12 |
| 21 | 4:53 | 7:51 | -59 ft (-18 m) | 1:51:05 |
| 22 | 5:23 | 8:40 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 1:56:28 |
| 23 | 5:15 | 8:27 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 2:01:43 |
| 24 | 5:56 | 9:33 | +60 ft (+18 m) | 2:07:39 |
| 25 | 5:05 | 8:11 | -35 ft (-11 m) | 2:12:44 |
| 26 | 5:23 | 8:40 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:18:07 |
| 27 | 5:25 | 8:43 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 2:23:32 |
| 28 | 5:02 | 8:06 | -37 ft (-11 m) | 2:28:34 |
| 29 | 5:32 | 8:54 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 2:34:05 |
| 30 | 5:23 | 8:40 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 2:39:29 |
| 31 | 5:31 | 8:53 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 2:45:00 |
| 32 | 5:08 | 8:16 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 2:50:08 |
| 33 | 5:16 | 8:28 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 2:55:24 |
| 34 | 5:35 | 8:59 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 3:00:59 |
| 35 | 5:20 | 8:35 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 3:06:19 |
| 36 | 5:23 | 8:40 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:11:42 |
| 37 | 5:15 | 8:27 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 3:16:57 |
| 38 | 5:20 | 8:36 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:22:17 |
| 39 | 5:27 | 8:46 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 3:27:44 |
| 40 | 5:14 | 8:26 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 3:32:58 |
| 41 | 5:21 | 8:36 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:38:19 |
| 42 | 5:48 | 9:20 | +49 ft (+15 m) | 3:44:07 |
| 42.1 | 5:56 | 9:34 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 3:45:00 |
Frequently asked questions
What pace is a 3:45 marathon?
A 3:45:00 marathon is 8:35 per mile or 5:20 per kilometre held for the full 26.2 miles (42.195 km). On the Vancouver 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 3:45 at the Vancouver Marathon?
1:51:36. That is the grade-adjusted halfway target for this course, not simply half of 3:45:00 — 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 Vancouver Marathon?
Even effort at a 3:45 goal produces splits between 4:14 and 6:49 per kilometre — about 155 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 Vancouver 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 3:45:00. Uphill sections get more time and downhill sections less, at a constant effort throughout.
Is 3:45 a realistic marathon goal?
3:45 is a fast recreational time, roughly the top quintile of a 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.