Breaking 3:05 at the Cape Town Marathon
Even splits would be 4:23/km (7:03/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
4:23/km (7:04/mi)
20–35 km
More rollers along the seaboard
4:24/km (7:05/mi)
35–42.2 km
Gentle descent to the finish
4:20/km (6:58/mi)
Split table
| Checkpoint | Split | Elapsed | Pace at this point |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 km | 21:57 | 21:57 | 4:23/km |
| 10 km | 21:57 | 43:55 | 4:23/km |
| 15 km | 21:57 | 1:05:52 | 4:23/km |
| 20 km | 21:57 | 1:27:49 | 4:23/km |
| Half | 4:50 | 1:32:39 | 4:24/km |
| 25 km | 17:11 | 1:49:50 | 4:24/km |
| 30 km | 22:01 | 2:11:52 | 4:24/km |
| 35 km | 22:01 | 2:33:53 | 4:24/km |
| 40 km | 21:38 | 2:55:30 | 4:20/km |
| Finish | 9:30 | 3:05:00 | 4:20/km |
Print this table or write the elapsed times on your arm — GPS pace is least reliable exactly when you need it most.