Even effort vs even pace: which wins on a hilly course?
Even pace means the same split every kilometre. Even effort means working equally hard every kilometre, so the split follows the hills. On a flat course they are the same plan. On a hilly one they drift apart, by up to 2:32 on the courses below, and the even-effort plan is the faster way to the same finish time.
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What each plan asks of you
An even pace band divides your goal by the distance and prints that number for every kilometre. It is simple to follow, and it hides the course: a kilometre that climbs 20 m gets the same target as one that drops 20 m, so you work hard on the first and coast on the second.
An even-effort plan starts from how much each kilometre costs to run. It gives climbs a slower target and descents a quicker one, sized by the cost of each gradient, and the total still adds up to your goal. Measured as grade-adjusted pace, every kilometre is the same.
How far apart they get on real courses
Each course below at a 3:30:00 goal. “Ahead” and “behind” are where the even-effort plan’s clock is furthest from an even pace band’s. Both finish on 3:30:00.
| Course | Most ahead | Most behind | Split range /km |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Marathon | 1:38 at km 6 | 0:54 at km 34 | 84 s |
| London Marathon | 0:47 at km 8 | 0:18 at km 3 | 51 s |
| California International Marathon | 0:50 at km 6 | never | 44 s |
| Berlin Marathon | never | 0:30 at km 28 | 22 s |
| Rotterdam Marathon | 0:13 at km 10 | 0:03 at km 29 | 16 s |
On the Boston Marathon the two plans are 2:32 apart from one extreme to the other, and the even-effort splits range over 84 seconds per kilometre. On the Rotterdam Marathon the whole drift is 0:15: for a course that flat, an even pace band is a fine plan.
Why even effort is faster
A climb costs more time than the same descent gives back, so holding even pace over hills means pushing hardest exactly where the effort buys the least. You arrive at the top having spent more than the plan assumed, and the debt comes due late in the race. Running to even effort spreads the same energy over every kilometre instead, so nothing is borrowed from the finish.
The catch is that even effort feels wrong at the time. On a downhill start the plan runs ahead of an even band, and on a late climb it falls behind. A runner checking a single pace sees both as mistakes. Printing the graded split for each kilometre, with the cumulative clock, removes the guesswork: you are on plan when the clock matches the band, whatever the average says.
Which to run
- A flat course: either. The plans differ by seconds, and an even band is easier to remember.
- A rolling or point-to-point course: even effort. Look at where the two plans drift apart most, and expect to be ahead of or behind an even band at those points.
- Racing by heart rate or feel: you are already running even effort. A graded band tells you what that effort should look like on the clock.
Pick your race on the course pages, or make a graded pace band from any GPX.
Get the even-effort plan for your own course.
Plan my race from a GPXPacing guidance only, not medical advice. Adjust for heat, wind and how you feel on the day.