Sub-4 hour marathon pace

To run a sub-4 hour marathon you average 5:41 per km (9:09 per mile) for the full 42.195 km. That is the number to burn into memory. The table below turns it into the cumulative time you should see at each kilometre and each mile.

Splits for 4:00:00

These are even splits. Most runners are better off a touch slower than this for the first portion, then holding or edging down. Going out faster than goal pace is the most common way this time slips away.

What this goal takes

Breaking 4 hours is the most searched marathon goal there is, and it is realistic for most healthy runners who train consistently. Plan on 45 to 70 km a week, a long run building to 30 km, and patience with easy pace. The training paces below come from a VDOT of about 37.9.

Hold something close to even pace, or start a few seconds per km on the conservative side. The marathon punishes an aggressive first half harder than almost any other race. Fuel early and often, before you feel you need it.

The same fitness at other distances

If you can run 4:00:00 for the marathon, here is roughly what the same fitness predicts elsewhere, assuming you train for that distance too.

Your training paces at this level

A 4:00:00 marathon works out to a VDOT of about 37.9. From that single number, the Daniels system sets the paces you should actually train at. Easy days should feel easy. The hard work is rationed.

Want these paces tracked and adjusted as your fitness moves? That is what Smart Runner does on your iPhone and Apple Watch, and it recalculates after every run. You can also check any race result in the VDOT calculator or the pace calculator.

Common questions