Boston Marathon pace plan

A point-to-point course from Hopkinton to Boylston Street in Boston, through Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley and Newton, where the Newton hills (Heartbreak Hill among them) come in the second half. The splits below come from the route as mapped in OpenStreetMap, November 2026, run through the same grade-adjusted model as the planner: easier on the climbs, quicker on the descents, adding up to your goal time.

Distance: 26.2 mi; 42.2 km
Climbing: 179 m; 313 m of descent
Start to finish: −134 m; 137 m to 3 m above sea level
High point: 137 m; at mi 0.0

Elevation profile and where the plan eases or presses

One bar per mi. Colour shows the terrain, height shows altitude.

0 mi6.613.1 · HALF19.726.2 mi

Where the Boston Marathon climbs

The biggest sustained climbs on the course, found from the elevation profile. On each one the plan gives you a slower target so the effort stays level, and takes the time back on the descents.

mi 15.8 to 16.4+21 m at 2.1%slowest target 8:33 /mi at 3:30:00, against an average of 8:01
mi 17.4 to 18.1+19 m at 1.8%slowest target 8:28 /mi at 3:30:00, against an average of 8:01
mi 19.1 to 19.6+17 m at 2.1%slowest target 8:27 /mi at 3:30:00, against an average of 8:01
mi 20.1 to 20.6+27 m at 3.0%slowest target 8:51 /mi at 3:30:00, against an average of 8:01

Boston Marathon splits by goal time

Halves are the graded plan’s own split, not your goal divided by two: where the course climbs or drops more in one half, the plan spends more or less time there.

Boston Marathon graded splits for common goal times, per mi
Goal	Average /mi	First half	Second half	Quickest /mi	Slowest /mi
3:00:00	6:52	1:29:21	1:30:39	6:16	7:35
3:30:00	8:01	1:44:14	1:45:46	7:19	8:51
4:00:00	9:09	1:59:08	2:00:52	8:22	10:06
4:30:00	10:18	2:14:01	2:15:59	9:25	11:22
5:00:00	11:27	2:28:55	2:31:05	10:27	12:38

Your Boston Marathon pace band

Pick a goal time for the full mi-by-mi plan. To print the band, save the race to a free account and upload the course file.

Goal finish time

Splits in

Average 8:01 /mi

0–4 mi▼

7:36

4–8 mi–

8:05

8–12 mi–

8:08

12–16 mi–

7:58

16–20 mi–

8:19

20–24.0 mi▼

7:56

24–26.2 mi–

8:03

Pace band: target pace per mi range, summing to 3:30:00.

#	Segment	Dist	Gradient	Elev Δ	Terrain	Target pace	Split	Cumulative
01	0.0–1.0 mi	1.0	−1.9%	+9 / -39	DESCENT	7:21 /mi	7:21	7:21
02	1.0–2.0 mi	1.0	−1.0%	+3 / -20	DESCENT	7:41 /mi	7:41	15:03
03	2.0–3.0 mi	1.0	−1.1%	+4 / -22	DESCENT	7:40 /mi	7:40	22:43
04	3.0–4.0 mi	1.0	−1.0%	+1 / -18	DESCENT	7:42 /mi	7:42	30:24
05	4.0–5.0 mi	1.0	+0.3%	+10 / -6	FLAT	8:16 /mi	8:16	38:40
06	5.0–6.0 mi	1.0	−0.5%	+2 / -11	FLAT	7:54 /mi	7:54	46:34
07	6.0–7.0 mi	1.0	−0.2%	+1 / -4	FLAT	8:03 /mi	8:03	54:37
08	7.0–8.0 mi	1.0	−0.0%	+9 / -9	FLAT	8:08 /mi	8:08	1:02:45
09	8.0–9.0 mi	1.0	−0.1%	+2 / -4	FLAT	8:05 /mi	8:05	1:10:49
10	9.0–10.0 mi	1.0	+0.4%	+9 / -2	FLAT	8:20 /mi	8:20	1:19:09
11	10.0–11.0 mi	1.0	+0.4%	+8 / -1	FLAT	8:20 /mi	8:20	1:27:29
12	11.0–12.0 mi	1.0	−0.9%	+4 / -18	DESCENT	7:45 /mi	7:45	1:35:15
13	12.0–13.0 mi	1.0	−0.1%	+4 / -6	FLAT	8:06 /mi	8:06	1:43:21
14	13.0–14.0 mi	1.0	−0.1%	+5 / -6	FLAT	8:06 /mi	8:06	1:51:27
15	14.0–15.0 mi	1.0	+0.4%	+9 / -2	FLAT	8:20 /mi	8:20	1:59:48
16	15.0–16.0 mi	1.0	−2.0%	+3 / -35	DESCENT	7:19 /mi	7:19	2:07:07
17	16.0–17.0 mi	1.0	+0.9%	+19 / -4	CLIMB	8:33 /mi	8:33	2:15:40
18	17.0–18.0 mi	1.0	+0.7%	+19 / -7	FLAT	8:28 /mi	8:28	2:24:09
19	18.0–19.0 mi	1.0	−0.8%	+2 / -14	FLAT	7:49 /mi	7:49	2:31:57
20	19.0–20.0 mi	1.0	+0.7%	+17 / -6	FLAT	8:27 /mi	8:27	2:40:24
21	20.0–21.0 mi	1.0	+1.5%	+27 / -3	CLIMB	8:51 /mi	8:51	2:49:14
22	21.0–22.0 mi	1.0	−1.4%	+3 / -25	DESCENT	7:32 /mi	7:32	2:56:47
23	22.0–23.0 mi	1.0	−0.7%	+6 / -17	FLAT	7:50 /mi	7:50	3:04:37
24	23.0–24.0 mi	1.0	−1.5%	+0 / -24	DESCENT	7:31 /mi	7:31	3:12:08
25	24.0–25.0 mi	1.0	−0.3%	+2 / -7	FLAT	8:01 /mi	8:01	3:20:09
26	25.0–26.0 mi	1.0	−0.1%	+3 / -4	FLAT	8:06 /mi	8:06	3:28:15
27	26.0–26.2 mi	0.2	−0.3%	+0 / -1	FLAT	8:02 /mirate	1:45	3:30:00
	27 segments · grade-adjusted	26.2	net −134 m	▲179 ▼313	Avg	8:01 /mi	Total	3:30:00

010.0–1.0 miDESCENT

Gradient−1.9%

Target pace /mi7:21

Split7:21

021.0–2.0 miDESCENT

Gradient−1.0%

Target pace /mi7:41

Split7:41

032.0–3.0 miDESCENT

Gradient−1.1%

Target pace /mi7:40

Split7:40

043.0–4.0 miDESCENT

Gradient−1.0%

Target pace /mi7:42

Split7:42

054.0–5.0 miFLAT

Gradient+0.3%

Target pace /mi8:16

Split8:16

065.0–6.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.5%

Target pace /mi7:54

Split7:54

076.0–7.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.2%

Target pace /mi8:03

Split8:03

087.0–8.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.0%

Target pace /mi8:08

Split8:08

098.0–9.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.1%

Target pace /mi8:05

Split8:05

109.0–10.0 miFLAT

Gradient+0.4%

Target pace /mi8:20

Split8:20

1110.0–11.0 miFLAT

Gradient+0.4%

Target pace /mi8:20

Split8:20

1211.0–12.0 miDESCENT

Gradient−0.9%

Target pace /mi7:45

Split7:45

1312.0–13.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.1%

Target pace /mi8:06

Split8:06

1413.0–14.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.1%

Target pace /mi8:06

Split8:06

1514.0–15.0 miFLAT

Gradient+0.4%

Target pace /mi8:20

Split8:20

1615.0–16.0 miDESCENT

Gradient−2.0%

Target pace /mi7:19

Split7:19

1716.0–17.0 miCLIMB

Gradient+0.9%

Target pace /mi8:33

Split8:33

1817.0–18.0 miFLAT

Gradient+0.7%

Target pace /mi8:28

Split8:28

1918.0–19.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.8%

Target pace /mi7:49

Split7:49

2019.0–20.0 miFLAT

Gradient+0.7%

Target pace /mi8:27

Split8:27

2120.0–21.0 miCLIMB

Gradient+1.5%

Target pace /mi8:51

Split8:51

2221.0–22.0 miDESCENT

Gradient−1.4%

Target pace /mi7:32

Split7:32

2322.0–23.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.7%

Target pace /mi7:50

Split7:50

2423.0–24.0 miDESCENT

Gradient−1.5%

Target pace /mi7:31

Split7:31

2524.0–25.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.3%

Target pace /mi8:01

Split8:01

2625.0–26.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.1%

Target pace /mi8:06

Split8:06

2726.0–26.2 miFLAT

Gradient−0.3%

Pace /mi (rate)8:02

Split1:45

Total, 27 segmentsavg 8:01/mi · ▲179 ▼313

Finish3:30:00

Target pace is a rate per mi; split is the time for that segment. Add up the splits (not the paces) to reach your goal of 3:30:00. Segment 27 is only 0.22 mi long, so it holds 8:02 /mi for 1:45 rather than a full mi.

Create free account to print your band How the paces are calculated

Data sources

Course: OpenStreetMap relation 11680552, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Measured 42.37 km along the file, scaled to the official 42.195 km.
Elevation: USGS 3DEP 1/3 arc-second elevation (Public domain), smoothed to remove bridge decks and underpasses.
Routes can change between editions. Check the organiser’s course map for your year.

Other race courses

Pacing guidance only, not medical advice. Adjust for heat, wind and how you feel on the day.