Sub-4 hour Marathon Pace
The most common marathon goal there is, and the one most often missed late.
A 4:00:00 marathon needs 5:41 per kilometre, which is 9:09 per mile, 10.5 kph or 6.6 mph. Held evenly across the full 42.195 km that puts you through halfway in 2:00:00 and on one 400 m lap every 2:17. The tables below give every kilometre split, every mile split and the checkpoint time at each marker.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Goal finish time | 4:00:00 |
| Pace per kilometre | 5:41 /km |
| Pace per mile | 9:09 /mi |
| Average speed | 10.5 kph (6.6 mph) |
| One 400 m lap | 2:17 |
| Even-split halfway | 2:00:00 |
Four hours is the marathon goal more runners chase than any other. It is achievable for a large part of the field, it is a round number, and it comes with an enormous amount of published advice attached to it. What that advice often glosses over is how the time is actually lost, which is almost never in the first half.
The pace below is the even-split figure. Reaching halfway on exactly the halfway target shown here means you have banked nothing, which is the intended state rather than a warning sign. Runners who arrive at halfway several minutes ahead of that figure have borrowed time from the second half at an unfavourable rate, and the fade table shows the size of the interest payment.
The other number worth internalising is the checkpoint at 32 km. Past that point the remaining distance is short enough that a deficit can no longer be recovered by simply running a little faster for a long time. If you are on the checkpoint figure there, the goal is still live. If you are two minutes down, the honest read is that this page's neighbouring goal is the one you are running, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Checkpoint times for a 4:00:00 marathon
The four-hour checkpoints are the most widely quoted numbers in marathon running. This set is generated from the goal time rather than copied from anywhere, so it agrees with the split tables above to the second.
| Marker | Elapsed | Remaining | Distance left (km) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 km | 28:26 | 3:31:34 | 37.195 |
| 10 km | 56:53 | 3:03:07 | 32.195 |
| 15 km | 1:25:19 | 2:34:41 | 27.195 |
| 20 km | 1:53:45 | 2:06:15 | 22.195 |
| Halfway (21.0975 km) | 2:00:00 | 2:00:00 | 21.098 |
| 25 km | 2:22:12 | 1:37:48 | 17.195 |
| 30 km | 2:50:38 | 1:09:22 | 12.195 |
| 35 km | 3:19:05 | 40:55 | 7.195 |
| 40 km | 3:47:31 | 12:29 | 2.195 |
| Finish (42.195 km) | 4:00:00 | 0:00 | 0 |
What a fade costs
A four-hour attempt that goes wrong usually goes wrong slowly, one or two seconds per kilometre at a time. Here is what each rate of slowing actually produces.
| Second half | First half | Second half time | Finish | Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Even | 2:00:00 | 2:00:00 | 4:00:00 | on goal |
| 2% slower | 2:00:00 | 2:02:24 | 4:02:24 | +2:24 |
| 5% slower | 2:00:00 | 2:06:00 | 4:06:00 | +6:00 |
| 10% slower | 2:00:00 | 2:12:00 | 4:12:00 | +12:00 |
Every kilometre split for a 4:00:00 marathon
All 43 rows, ending on the final 195 metres so the last elapsed time is exactly 4:00:00 rather than close to it.
| Marker | Segment time | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 km | 5:41 | 5:41 |
| 2 km | 5:41 | 11:23 |
| 3 km | 5:41 | 17:04 |
| 4 km | 5:41 | 22:45 |
| 5 km | 5:41 | 28:26 |
| 6 km | 5:41 | 34:08 |
| 7 km | 5:41 | 39:49 |
| 8 km | 5:41 | 45:30 |
| 9 km | 5:41 | 51:11 |
| 10 km | 5:41 | 56:53 |
| 11 km | 5:41 | 1:02:34 |
| 12 km | 5:41 | 1:08:15 |
| 13 km | 5:41 | 1:13:57 |
| 14 km | 5:41 | 1:19:38 |
| 15 km | 5:41 | 1:25:19 |
| 16 km | 5:41 | 1:31:00 |
| 17 km | 5:41 | 1:36:42 |
| 18 km | 5:41 | 1:42:23 |
| 19 km | 5:41 | 1:48:04 |
| 20 km | 5:41 | 1:53:45 |
| 21 km | 5:41 | 1:59:27 |
| 22 km | 5:41 | 2:05:08 |
| 23 km | 5:41 | 2:10:49 |
| 24 km | 5:41 | 2:16:31 |
| 25 km | 5:41 | 2:22:12 |
| 26 km | 5:41 | 2:27:53 |
| 27 km | 5:41 | 2:33:34 |
| 28 km | 5:41 | 2:39:16 |
| 29 km | 5:41 | 2:44:57 |
| 30 km | 5:41 | 2:50:38 |
| 31 km | 5:41 | 2:56:19 |
| 32 km | 5:41 | 3:02:01 |
| 33 km | 5:41 | 3:07:42 |
| 34 km | 5:41 | 3:13:23 |
| 35 km | 5:41 | 3:19:05 |
| 36 km | 5:41 | 3:24:46 |
| 37 km | 5:41 | 3:30:27 |
| 38 km | 5:41 | 3:36:08 |
| 39 km | 5:41 | 3:41:50 |
| 40 km | 5:41 | 3:47:31 |
| 41 km | 5:41 | 3:53:12 |
| 42 km | 5:41 | 3:58:53 |
| 42.195 km | 1:07 | 4:00:00 |
Every mile split for a 4:00:00 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.
| Marker | Segment time | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 mi | 9:09 | 9:09 |
| 2 mi | 9:09 | 18:18 |
| 3 mi | 9:09 | 27:28 |
| 4 mi | 9:09 | 36:37 |
| 5 mi | 9:09 | 45:46 |
| 6 mi | 9:09 | 54:55 |
| 7 mi | 9:09 | 1:04:05 |
| 8 mi | 9:09 | 1:13:14 |
| 9 mi | 9:09 | 1:22:23 |
| 10 mi | 9:09 | 1:31:32 |
| 11 mi | 9:09 | 1:40:41 |
| 12 mi | 9:09 | 1:49:51 |
| 13 mi | 9:09 | 1:59:00 |
| 14 mi | 9:09 | 2:08:09 |
| 15 mi | 9:09 | 2:17:18 |
| 16 mi | 9:09 | 2:26:28 |
| 17 mi | 9:09 | 2:35:37 |
| 18 mi | 9:09 | 2:44:46 |
| 19 mi | 9:09 | 2:53:55 |
| 20 mi | 9:09 | 3:03:05 |
| 21 mi | 9:09 | 3:12:14 |
| 22 mi | 9:09 | 3:21:23 |
| 23 mi | 9:09 | 3:30:32 |
| 24 mi | 9:09 | 3:39:41 |
| 25 mi | 9:09 | 3:48:51 |
| 26 mi | 9:09 | 3:58:00 |
| 26.219 mi | 2:00 | 4:00:00 |
Equivalent race times
What a 4:00:00marathon 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.
| Distance | Equivalent time | Pace / km |
|---|---|---|
| 5K | 25:01 | 5:00 /km |
| 10K | 52:10 | 5:13 /km |
| 15K | 1:20:11 | 5:21 /km |
| 10 mile | 1:26:24 | 5:22 /km |
| Half marathon | 1:55:07 | 5:27 /km |
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
What pace is a 4:00:00 marathon?
A 4:00:00 marathon is 5:41 per kilometre, or 9:09 per mile, held across the full 42.195 km. That averages 10.5 kph or 6.6 mph.
What should my halfway split be for a 4:00:00 marathon?
An even split puts halfway at 2:00:00. Passing halfway on that figure means you have banked nothing, which is the intended state for an even-paced race rather than a warning sign.
What is 4:00:00 marathon pace on a treadmill?
Set the belt to 10.5 kph or 6.6 mph. The treadmill pace converter explains why the grade setting matters and what the published research says about it.
How much time do I lose if I fade in the second half?
Running the second half five percent slower than the first turns a 4:00:00 into 4:06:00, which is 6:00 off the goal. The fade table on this page gives the same figure for two and ten percent.
What 10K time is equivalent to a 4:00:00 marathon?
Riegel's formula puts it at about 52:10. Read that as a model rather than a measurement: it assumes you are equally well trained for both distances.
Last reviewed . Formulas, constants and sources: methodology. Changes to any calculation are logged in the changelog.