Vancouver Marathon 4:00 pace chart
A 4:00:00 finish at the Vancouver 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 4:31/km and the hardest around 7:17/km — about 165 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 1:59:02 — a 1:55 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 7:17/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 4:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Vancouver Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 4:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6:17 | 10:06 | +57 ft (+17 m) | 6:17 |
| 2 | 5:33 | 8:56 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 11:49 |
| 3 | 5:34 | 8:58 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 17:24 |
| 4 | 5:52 | 9:26 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 23:15 |
| 5 | 5:09 | 8:18 | -62 ft (-19 m) | 28:25 |
| 6 | 5:04 | 8:10 | -73 ft (-22 m) | 33:29 |
| 7 | 4:51 | 7:48 | -102 ft (-31 m) | 38:20 |
| 8 | 5:37 | 9:02 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 43:57 |
| 9 | 6:17 | 10:07 | +58 ft (+18 m) | 50:14 |
| 10 | 7:17 | 11:43 | +150 ft (+46 m) | 57:30 |
| 11 | 5:57 | 9:34 | +25 ft (+7 m) | 1:03:27 |
| 12 | 5:50 | 9:24 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 1:09:17 |
| 13 | 5:51 | 9:25 | +14 ft (+4 m) | 1:15:08 |
| 14 | 5:40 | 9:06 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 1:20:48 |
| 15 | 5:38 | 9:05 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 1:26:26 |
| 16 | 5:20 | 8:35 | -43 ft (-13 m) | 1:31:46 |
| 17 | 5:51 | 9:25 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 1:37:37 |
| 18 | 5:35 | 9:00 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 1:43:13 |
| 19 | 5:33 | 8:56 | -18 ft (-6 m) | 1:48:46 |
| 20 | 4:31 | 7:17 | -144 ft (-44 m) | 1:53:17 |
| 21 | 5:12 | 8:22 | -59 ft (-18 m) | 1:58:29 |
| 22 | 5:45 | 9:15 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:04:14 |
| 23 | 5:36 | 9:01 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 2:09:50 |
| 24 | 6:20 | 10:11 | +60 ft (+18 m) | 2:16:09 |
| 25 | 5:25 | 8:43 | -35 ft (-11 m) | 2:21:35 |
| 26 | 5:44 | 9:14 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:27:19 |
| 27 | 5:47 | 9:18 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 2:33:06 |
| 28 | 5:22 | 8:39 | -37 ft (-11 m) | 2:38:28 |
| 29 | 5:54 | 9:29 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 2:44:22 |
| 30 | 5:45 | 9:15 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 2:50:06 |
| 31 | 5:53 | 9:29 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 2:56:00 |
| 32 | 5:29 | 8:49 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 3:01:29 |
| 33 | 5:37 | 9:02 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 3:07:05 |
| 34 | 5:57 | 9:35 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 3:13:03 |
| 35 | 5:41 | 9:09 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 3:18:44 |
| 36 | 5:44 | 9:14 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:24:28 |
| 37 | 5:36 | 9:01 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 3:30:04 |
| 38 | 5:42 | 9:10 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:35:46 |
| 39 | 5:49 | 9:21 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 3:41:35 |
| 40 | 5:35 | 8:59 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 3:47:10 |
| 41 | 5:42 | 9:11 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:52:52 |
| 42 | 6:11 | 9:57 | +49 ft (+15 m) | 3:59:03 |
| 42.1 | 6:20 | 10:12 | +10 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 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 4:00 at the Vancouver Marathon?
1:59:02. 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 Vancouver Marathon?
Even effort at a 4:00 goal produces splits between 4:31 and 7:17 per kilometre — about 165 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 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.