Breaking 2:55 at the Cape Town Marathon
Even splits would be 4:09/km (6:40/mi). But Cape Town Marathon isn't flat-even — the plan below redistributes the same finish time across the course the way experienced runners actually race it.
How to pace this course
0–20 km
Rolling city-bowl kilometres
4:09/km (6:41/mi)
20–35 km
More rollers along the seaboard
4:10/km (6:42/mi)
35–42.2 km
Gentle descent to the finish
4:05/km (6:35/mi)
Split table
| Checkpoint | Split | Elapsed | Pace at this point |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 km | 20:46 | 20:46 | 4:09/km |
| 10 km | 20:46 | 41:32 | 4:09/km |
| 15 km | 20:46 | 1:02:18 | 4:09/km |
| 20 km | 20:46 | 1:23:04 | 4:09/km |
| Half | 4:34 | 1:27:39 | 4:10/km |
| 25 km | 16:15 | 1:43:54 | 4:10/km |
| 30 km | 20:50 | 2:04:44 | 4:10/km |
| 35 km | 20:50 | 2:25:34 | 4:10/km |
| 40 km | 20:27 | 2:46:01 | 4:05/km |
| Finish | 8:59 | 2:55:00 | 4:05/km |
Print this table or write the elapsed times on your arm — GPS pace is least reliable exactly when you need it most.