How to pace a hilly marathon

Even effort, not even pace

An even pace band gives every kilometre or mile the same target. That works on a flat course. On a hilly one it asks you to work harder on every climb: holding your flat pace up a 2% grade takes about 11% more effort, according to the cost-of-running curve. Do that on each climb and the bill arrives in the last 10 km.

Even effort means letting the pace slip on climbs and picking it up on descents, by amounts that match the gradient. Because a climb costs more time than the same descent gives back, a hilly course is slower than a flat one at the same effort. A graded plan builds that in, so your goal stays realistic instead of quietly asking for more.

Worked example: Boston at 3:30

Boston is a useful test because its hills are in awkward places: it drops about 82 m in the first four miles, then climbs through Newton between miles 16 and 21, when your legs are already tired. An even band for 3:30 says 8:01 per mile, every mile.

The graded plan starts quicker, at 7:21, 7:41, 7:40, 7:42 for the first four miles, because those miles are downhill and cost less. By mile 4 it is 1:38 ahead of the even band. That time is not banked by running harder; it comes from the course. Through the Newton hills the plan slows to as much as 8:51 (mile 21) and loses 1:23 against the even band, leaving the hills 1:03 behind it. The downhill miles after Boston College close the gap, and the plan finishes on 3:30:00 at the same effort all the way.

Even band: 8:01 per mile. Course from OpenStreetMap, elevation from USGS 3DEP; sources and every goal time on the Boston pace plan.

Running it on the day

Check the clock at markers, not your watch’s pace. Instant pace jumps around on hills and under bridges. The cumulative time at each kilometre or mile marker is steadier, and it is what a pace band prints.

Don’t chase seconds on a climb. If you reach the top a little behind the plan, the next descent is where the plan expects to win time back. Pushing on the climb costs more than it recovers.

Run descents relaxed, not hard. The plan already asks for quicker splits downhill. Going faster than that spends your legs, and on long or steep descents the quads take damage that shows up later.

On a hot or windy day, change the goal, not the shape. The plan knows the hills but not the weather. Pick a slower goal time and the graded splits scale with it.

Build the plan for your race

1. 1. Get the course file. The organiser’s GPX is best. If there isn’t one, our GPX guide lists the alternatives and the checks to run.
2. 2. Set your finish goal for this course. Base it on your training and on how hilly the course is; the planner then spreads it across the course by gradient.
3. 3. Find the climbs. Note where the slowest targets fall, so they don’t surprise you.
4. 4. Print the band. Wear the cumulative times, and check them at the markers.

Running a major? The course pages have the graded plan ready for common goal times.