Sub-4:15 Marathon Pace

4:15 is a sensible goal for a first marathon and a common landing spot for runners who set out for four hours and adjusted honestly along the way. The pace it needs is well within what most people who have completed a half marathon can hold, which shifts the challenge from speed to sustained execution.

At this pace the race lasts long enough that fuelling and aid stations become a genuine part of the plan rather than a detail. Every stop costs time that the split table does not know about, so if you intend to walk the aid stations it is worth deciding in advance how much time that will take across the whole race and reading the split table for a goal slightly faster than the one on the clock.

The split tables here run to the full distance, including the final fraction of a kilometre past the 42 km marker. That last partial segment is short but it is not free, and plans built on a round 42 km quietly lose the time it takes to cover the remaining 195 metres. The checkpoint table and both split tables on this page use 42.195 km throughout.

Checkpoint times for a 4:15:00 marathon

If you plan to walk the aid stations, add that time to these checkpoints rather than assuming you will make it back later. You will not make it back later.

What a fade costs

With a 4:15 target the second half is long enough that a small fade compounds into a number you can feel on the results sheet.

Every kilometre split for a 4:15:00 marathon

All 43 rows, ending on the final 195 metres so the last elapsed time is exactly 4:15:00 rather than close to it.

Every mile split for a 4:15:00 marathon

Many marathons mark both units. A mile marker arriving between two kilometre markers gives you an extra chance to check the plan without waiting for the next kilometre.

Equivalent race times

What a 4:15:00marathon implies at shorter distances, using Riegel's formula t2 = t1 x (d2 / d1) ^ 1.06. Projecting downwards like this is the more trustworthy direction, because marathon fitness generally implies you could run the shorter time. The methodology page sets out where the model stops being reliable.

Adjust the goal

If this is not quite your target, the neighbouring goals show what a step in either direction costs per kilometre, and the pace calculator will take any time you type in.

Frequently asked questions

Last reviewed 2026-08-05. Formulas, constants and sources: methodology. Changes to any calculation are logged in the changelog.