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 2:06:22 — a 2:16 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.

KilometreTarget /kmTarget /miElev ΔElapsed
16:4310:48+62 ft (+19 m)6:43
25:539:27-20 ft (-6 m)12:35
35:569:32-15 ft (-5 m)18:31
46:1310:01+15 ft (+5 m)24:44
55:288:48-62 ft (-19 m)30:12
65:238:40-73 ft (-22 m)35:35
75:088:16-103 ft (-31 m)40:43
85:589:37-10 ft (-3 m)46:41
96:3910:43+57 ft (+17 m)53:21
107:4412:27+151 ft (+46 m)1:01:05
116:1810:08+24 ft (+7 m)1:07:23
126:099:54+7 ft (+2 m)1:13:32
136:1410:02+16 ft (+5 m)1:19:46
146:029:42-3 ft (-1 m)1:25:47
155:579:35-10 ft (-3 m)1:31:45
165:429:10-41 ft (-12 m)1:37:26
176:129:58+11 ft (+3 m)1:43:38
185:579:35-12 ft (-4 m)1:49:35
195:549:30-16 ft (-5 m)1:55:29
204:487:44-143 ft (-44 m)2:00:17
215:298:49-64 ft (-19 m)2:05:46
226:049:460 ft (0 m)2:11:50
235:599:38-8 ft (-2 m)2:17:49
246:4210:48+60 ft (+18 m)2:24:32
255:449:14-36 ft (-11 m)2:30:16
266:059:48+3 ft (+1 m)2:36:22
276:089:52+7 ft (+2 m)2:42:30
285:429:11-36 ft (-11 m)2:48:12
296:1510:04+19 ft (+6 m)2:54:27
305:589:36-17 ft (-5 m)3:00:25
316:2310:17+21 ft (+6 m)3:06:48
325:479:19-28 ft (-9 m)3:12:35
335:579:35-10 ft (-3 m)3:18:33
346:2010:12+26 ft (+8 m)3:24:53
355:599:38-8 ft (-2 m)3:30:52
366:1610:06+19 ft (+6 m)3:37:08
375:509:23-26 ft (-8 m)3:42:58
386:049:450 ft (0 m)3:49:01
396:119:56+12 ft (+4 m)3:55:12
405:569:32-15 ft (-4 m)4:01:08
416:039:450 ft (0 m)4:07:11
426:3210:30+45 ft (+14 m)4:13:43
42.26:3710:39+11 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?

2:06:22. 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.

Other goal times at the Vancouver Marathon

Plan your Vancouver race