Breaking 3:45 at the Cape Town Marathon
Even splits would be 5:20/km (8:35/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
5:20/km (8:36/mi)
20–35 km
More rollers along the seaboard
5:21/km (8:37/mi)
35–42.2 km
Gentle descent to the finish
5:16/km (8:28/mi)
Split table
| Checkpoint | Split | Elapsed | Pace at this point |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 km | 26:42 | 26:42 | 5:20/km |
| 10 km | 26:42 | 53:24 | 5:20/km |
| 15 km | 26:42 | 1:20:06 | 5:20/km |
| 20 km | 26:42 | 1:46:48 | 5:20/km |
| Half | 5:53 | 1:52:41 | 5:21/km |
| 25 km | 20:54 | 2:13:35 | 5:21/km |
| 30 km | 26:47 | 2:40:22 | 5:21/km |
| 35 km | 26:47 | 3:07:09 | 5:21/km |
| 40 km | 26:18 | 3:33:27 | 5:16/km |
| Finish | 11:33 | 3:45:00 | 5:16/km |
Print this table or write the elapsed times on your arm — GPS pace is least reliable exactly when you need it most.