Vancouver Marathon 4:15 pace chart
A 4:15:00 finish at the Vancouver Marathon averages 9:44 per mile (6:03 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 4:48/km and the hardest around 7:44/km — about 176 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 2:06:29 — a 2:02 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 7:44/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 4:15:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Vancouver Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 4:15:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6:40 | 10:44 | +57 ft (+17 m) | 6:40 |
| 2 | 5:54 | 9:29 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 12:34 |
| 3 | 5:55 | 9:32 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 18:29 |
| 4 | 6:14 | 10:02 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 24:43 |
| 5 | 5:29 | 8:49 | -62 ft (-19 m) | 30:11 |
| 6 | 5:23 | 8:41 | -73 ft (-22 m) | 35:35 |
| 7 | 5:09 | 8:17 | -102 ft (-31 m) | 40:43 |
| 8 | 5:58 | 9:36 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 46:42 |
| 9 | 6:41 | 10:45 | +58 ft (+18 m) | 53:22 |
| 10 | 7:44 | 12:27 | +150 ft (+46 m) | 1:01:06 |
| 11 | 6:19 | 10:10 | +25 ft (+7 m) | 1:07:25 |
| 12 | 6:12 | 9:59 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 1:13:37 |
| 13 | 6:13 | 10:00 | +14 ft (+4 m) | 1:19:50 |
| 14 | 6:01 | 9:41 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 1:25:51 |
| 15 | 6:00 | 9:39 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 1:31:50 |
| 16 | 5:40 | 9:07 | -43 ft (-13 m) | 1:37:31 |
| 17 | 6:13 | 10:00 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 1:43:44 |
| 18 | 5:56 | 9:33 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 1:49:40 |
| 19 | 5:54 | 9:29 | -18 ft (-6 m) | 1:55:33 |
| 20 | 4:48 | 7:44 | -144 ft (-44 m) | 2:00:22 |
| 21 | 5:32 | 8:54 | -59 ft (-18 m) | 2:05:53 |
| 22 | 6:06 | 9:50 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:11:59 |
| 23 | 5:57 | 9:34 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 2:17:56 |
| 24 | 6:44 | 10:49 | +60 ft (+18 m) | 2:24:40 |
| 25 | 5:46 | 9:16 | -35 ft (-11 m) | 2:30:25 |
| 26 | 6:06 | 9:49 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:36:31 |
| 27 | 6:09 | 9:53 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 2:42:40 |
| 28 | 5:42 | 9:11 | -37 ft (-11 m) | 2:48:22 |
| 29 | 6:16 | 10:05 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 2:54:38 |
| 30 | 6:06 | 9:49 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 3:00:44 |
| 31 | 6:15 | 10:04 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 3:07:00 |
| 32 | 5:49 | 9:22 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 3:12:49 |
| 33 | 5:58 | 9:36 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 3:18:47 |
| 34 | 6:20 | 10:11 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 3:25:07 |
| 35 | 6:03 | 9:44 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 3:31:09 |
| 36 | 6:06 | 9:49 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:37:15 |
| 37 | 5:57 | 9:35 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 3:43:12 |
| 38 | 6:03 | 9:44 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:49:15 |
| 39 | 6:10 | 9:56 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 3:55:26 |
| 40 | 5:56 | 9:33 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 4:01:22 |
| 41 | 6:04 | 9:45 | -1 ft (0 m) | 4:07:25 |
| 42 | 6:34 | 10:35 | +49 ft (+15 m) | 4:14:00 |
| 42.1 | 6:44 | 10:50 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 4:15:00 |
Frequently asked questions
What pace is a 4:15 marathon?
A 4:15:00 marathon is 9:44 per mile or 6:03 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 4:15 at the Vancouver Marathon?
2:06:29. That is the grade-adjusted halfway target for this course, not simply half of 4:15:00 — 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 4:15 goal produces splits between 4:48 and 7:44 per kilometre — about 176 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 4:15:00. Uphill sections get more time and downhill sections less, at a constant effort throughout.
Is 4:15 a realistic marathon goal?
4:15 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.