4:00 marathon pace

Per mile	9:09
Per km	5:41
Halfway	2:00:00
Speed	10.5 km/h

A 4:00:00 marathon averages 9:09 per mile or 5:41 per kilometre — 10.5 km/h (6.6 mph) — held for all 26.2 miles (42.195 km). It is the classic sub-4 target, close to the middle of a typical big-city field.

Run evenly, you reach halfway in 2:00:00. On a flat course that is the target: a first half a shade slower costs very little, while banking time early is the most reliable way to lose it, and more, in the last 10 km.

Riegel's race-prediction formula puts the equivalent half marathon at 1:53:31, the 10K at 50:41 and the 5K at 23:59. Treat those as the minimum rather than the target: the formula assumes marathon-specific endurance, and runners on lower weekly mileage — first-timers especially — usually need to be faster over the shorter distances to hold this pace for the full marathon.

These are even splits for a flat course. On a hilly one the same finish time needs a different target for every kilometre; the course pages below grade-adjust 4:00 for each marathon's own elevation profile.

Kilometre checkpoints for 4:00:00

Distance	Elapsed
5 km	28:26
10 km	56:53
15 km	1:25:19
20 km	1:53:45
Half	2:00:00
25 km	2:22:12
30 km	2:50:38
35 km	3:19:05
40 km	3:47:31
Finish	4:00:00

Mile splits for 4:00:00

Mile	Elapsed
1	9:09
2	18:18
3	27:28
4	36:37
5	45:46
6	54:55
7	1:04:05
8	1:13:14
9	1:22:23
10	1:31:32
11	1:40:41
12	1:49:51
13	1:59:00
14	2:08:09
15	2:17:18
16	2:26:28
17	2:35:37
18	2:44:46
19	2:53:55
20	3:03:05
21	3:12:14
22	3:21:23
23	3:30:32
24	3:39:41
25	3:48:51
26	3:58:00
26.2	4:00:00

Race times that predict 4:00

Riegel's formula with the distance-dependent exponent the race predictor uses. Treat these as a floor, not a target.

Race	Time	Pace /km
5K	23:59	4:48
10K	50:41	5:04
Half marathon	1:53:31	5:23

4:00 splits adjusted for each course

Frequently asked questions

What pace is a 4:00 marathon?

9:09 per mile, or 5:41 per kilometre, for the full 26.2 miles. That is 10.5 km/h or 6.6 mph.

What is the halfway split for a 4:00 marathon?

2:00:00 at even pace. On a flat course, arriving a little later than that is safer than arriving early; on a hilly course the right halfway time depends on where the climbing sits.

What half marathon time do I need for a 4:00 marathon?

Riegel's formula says 1:53:31 (5:23/km). Most runners need to be somewhat quicker than that — the prediction assumes you have the long-run endurance to hold pace for twice the distance, and it is optimistic for runners on modest weekly mileage.

What 5K and 10K times match a 4:00 marathon?

About 23:59 for 5K and 50:41 for 10K by the same formula. Shorter races are a weaker guide to the marathon than a half is, because they depend much less on endurance.

Is 4:00 a good marathon time?

It is the classic sub-4 target, close to the middle of a typical big-city field. Whether it is the right goal for you depends on your recent race results and training, not on where it sits in the field.