Breaking 4:00 at the California International Marathon
Even splits would be 5:41/km (9:09/mi). But California International 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
0–10 km
Rolling descent — don't redline the downs
5:39/km (9:06/mi)
10–32 km
Waves of rollers, net downhill
5:43/km (9:12/mi)
32–42.2 km
Flattens and drops to the Capitol
5:39/km (9:06/mi)
Split table
| Checkpoint | Split | Elapsed | Pace at this point |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 km | 28:17 | 28:17 | 5:39/km |
| 10 km | 28:17 | 56:35 | 5:39/km |
| 15 km | 28:35 | 1:25:09 | 5:43/km |
| 20 km | 28:35 | 1:53:44 | 5:43/km |
| Half | 6:16 | 2:00:00 | 5:43/km |
| 25 km | 22:18 | 2:22:19 | 5:43/km |
| 30 km | 28:35 | 2:50:53 | 5:43/km |
| 35 km | 28:24 | 3:19:17 | 5:39/km |
| 40 km | 28:17 | 3:47:35 | 5:39/km |
| Finish | 12:25 | 4:00:00 | 5:39/km |
Print this table or write the elapsed times on your arm — GPS pace is least reliable exactly when you need it most.