Sub-3 marathon pacing
The San Francisco Marathon sub-3 pacing plan
A 2:59:59 at The San Francisco Marathon is not just 4:16/km on a spreadsheet. The course profile, altitude, and typical race climate change how those kilometres should feel.
- Target
- 2:59:59
- Avg pace
- 4:16/km
- Course VDOT
- 55.0
- Typical climate
- 15 °C
Deterministic splits
Sub-3 checkpoints
Adjusted for 15 °C / 80% humidity.
km 5
21:42
4:28/km
km 10
43:50
4:27/km
km 15
1:05:37
4:24/km
km 20
1:26:59
4:10/km
km 25
1:47:38
4:12/km
km 30
2:08:54
4:23/km
km 35
2:30:01
4:06/km
km 40
2:50:54
4:16/km
km 42.2
3:00:00
4:09/km
Sub-3 risk notes
- The opening 5 km should feel deliberately contained; banking time early usually turns into a larger loss after 30 km.
- Required VDOT is course-adjusted. A flat-sea-level sub-3 marker is not always enough on warmer, hillier, or higher-altitude courses.
- Fueling is part of the pacing plan. The deterministic target sits in the higher carbohydrate window and needs practice before race day.
Step 1 · Free preview
See the course-adjusted plan first
Enter one recent result. The preview returns course cost, first splits, and fuel target from the deterministic engine and the current course data model.
VDOT
49.1
Estimate
3:18:18
Course cost
+4:34
Fuel target
90 g/h
First 5 km preview
full race locked
- km 14:37
- km 24:38
- km 34:59
- km 44:45
- km 54:55
First race free · then €7 Race Pass · no monthly subscription
Uses an approximate course model; verify final logistics against the official race packet.
Not chasing sub-3? Go back to the main The San Francisco Marathon pacing guide.