Breaking 4:00 at the Cape Town Marathon
Even splits would be 5:41/km (9:09/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
5:42/km (9:10/mi)
20–35 km
More rollers along the seaboard
5:43/km (9:12/mi)
35–42.2 km
Gentle descent to the finish
5:37/km (9:02/mi)
Split table
| Checkpoint | Split | Elapsed | Pace at this point |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 km | 28:29 | 28:29 | 5:42/km |
| 10 km | 28:29 | 56:58 | 5:42/km |
| 15 km | 28:29 | 1:25:27 | 5:42/km |
| 20 km | 28:29 | 1:53:56 | 5:42/km |
| Half | 6:16 | 2:00:12 | 5:43/km |
| 25 km | 22:18 | 2:22:30 | 5:43/km |
| 30 km | 28:34 | 2:51:04 | 5:43/km |
| 35 km | 28:34 | 3:19:38 | 5:43/km |
| 40 km | 28:03 | 3:47:41 | 5:37/km |
| Finish | 12:19 | 4:00:00 | 5:37/km |
Print this table or write the elapsed times on your arm — GPS pace is least reliable exactly when you need it most.