Endurometry
Even is 5:41/km the whole way — 10 km at 56:53, finish 4:00:00. Negative on the wristband is our ±5% ramp, not an elite protocol: first 5 km at 5:55 (29:33), last remnant ~5:24. Positive is the reverse (5 km in 27:20). Most road races want even or a slight negative, not a planned fast start.
Last updated October 5, 2026
Three clocks, one goal. Even means every kilometre is the same pace. Negative means the second half is faster than the first. Positive means you started faster and bled time. Marathon strategy is how to pick the goal; this page is what those three words do to the splits. Printing them on a wrist: how to use a pace band.
Same 4:00 marathon, three strategies
Average pace is always 14,400 s ÷ 42.195 km = 5:41/km. The printable wristband default is every 5 km (9 rows including 42.195). Even is an exact definition. Negative and positive apply factor = 1 ∓ 0.05 × (2i/n − 1) per row — an Endurometry layout, not a journal model. The simple card-grid generator is even only.
| Mark | Even clock / pace | Negative | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 km | 28:26 · 5:41 | 29:33 · 5:55 | 27:20 · 5:28 |
| 10 km | 56:53 · 5:41 | 58:46 · 5:51 | 54:59 · 5:32 |
| 20 km | 1:53:45 · 5:41 | 1:56:17 · 5:43 | 1:51:14 · 5:39 |
| 40 km | 3:47:31 · 5:41 | 3:47:31 · 5:28 | 3:47:31 · 5:55 |
| 42.195 | 4:00:00 · 5:41 | 3:59:23 · 5:24 | 4:00:37 · 5:58 |
Halfway is not a 5 km tick. Even through 21.0975 km is 2:00:00. Negative is still behind at 20 km; that is the point.
Positive usually loses more than it “banks”
Ten kilometres in 54:59 on a 56:53 even plan is ~1:54 in the bank. You rarely get that back after 30 km; you typically pay two or three times. The first 10 km of a marathon should feel embarrassingly easy. A 5K can tolerate a couple of seconds slow on km 1; it cannot tolerate a 400 m time trial. Arithmetic without hills: pace calculator.
The ramp does not re-scale to the second
Even’s last row is exactly 4:00:00. Negative’s leftover 2.195 km sits at factor 0.95, so the printed finish is 3:59:23; positive overshoots to 4:00:37. The method note that “the sum still equals the goal” is true for even; for ±5% with a remnant it is close, not exact. Treat the ramp as a shape, then believe kilometre markers. Equations: pace.
What to choose on the day
Even if you have not rehearsed a surge. Slight negative if long runs already finish faster than they start — and understand ±5% on a 4:00 is about 14 s/km at the ends (5:55 → 5:24), which is a lot for most people; elites often use a smaller gap. Do not plan positive for a marathon or half. Time trials that need a fast first kilometre are a different sport.
Related Tools
Printable Pace Wristband
Generate a single-column pace wristband sized to your wrist — no cutting, just wrap it once. Pick even / negative / positive split and 1/2/5/10 km (or mi) intervals, then print at 100%.
Pace Band Generator
Generate a printable pace band with the time you should pass every kilometre or mile at your goal finish time.
Running Pace Calculator
Enter distance and finish time to get your pace per km and mile, average speed and per-kilometre splits.
Related guides
How to use a pace band
Card grid versus wrap-around wristband, 40 mm × wrist+2.5 cm, print at 100%, 5 km rows on a 4:00 marathon, and why you read course markers instead of GPS.
Marathon Pace Strategy
How to pick a realistic marathon goal pace from a recent race, why even splits beat fast starts, and how to hold pace without watching your watch all day.
How the numbers are calculated
Pace, speed and distance · Rounding and displayed precision · Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ±5% what Boston winners run?
No. It is Endurometry’s linear ramp so the band has three modes. Real negative splits are often a few seconds per kilometre, not five percent.
Why is negative not exactly 4:00:00?
Each row gets a factor; the 2.195 km leftover is not re-weighted. Even is exact. Use markers, not a 37-second argument with the last line.
Does the card-grid generator do negative?
No. Even cumulative cards only. Strategy is on the wrap-around wristband.
Should a 5K go negative?
A first kilometre 2–3 seconds slow is enough. Do not save a 5% surge for kilometre four.
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