Amsterdam Marathon 5:00 pace chart
A 5:00:00 finish at the Amsterdam Marathon averages 11:27 per mile (7:07 per kilometre) — a solid finish for a first marathon or a runner building back up. Run at even effort rather than even pace, the easiest kilometre comes in around 6:59/km and the hardest around 7:28/km — about 29 seconds between the two extremes. Holding an identical number on every kilometre of a course with this profile means running the climbs too hard and the descents too easy. Held at even effort, halfway comes up at 2:31:19 — a 2:39 negative split, because the harder half comes first. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 33; at this goal time it should take 7:28/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Amsterdam on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 5:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Amsterdam Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 5:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7:13 | 11:36 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 7:13 |
| 2 | 7:08 | 11:28 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 14:20 |
| 3 | 7:12 | 11:36 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 21:33 |
| 4 | 7:22 | 11:51 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 28:55 |
| 5 | 7:03 | 11:21 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 35:57 |
| 6 | 7:13 | 11:37 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 43:11 |
| 7 | 7:10 | 11:32 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 50:21 |
| 8 | 7:10 | 11:31 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 57:31 |
| 9 | 7:15 | 11:40 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 1:04:45 |
| 10 | 7:10 | 11:32 | -1 ft (0 m) | 1:11:56 |
| 11 | 7:07 | 11:28 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 1:19:03 |
| 12 | 7:12 | 11:35 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 1:26:15 |
| 13 | 7:06 | 11:26 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 1:33:21 |
| 14 | 7:05 | 11:24 | -8 ft (-3 m) | 1:40:26 |
| 15 | 7:12 | 11:35 | +2 ft (0 m) | 1:47:38 |
| 16 | 7:06 | 11:26 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 1:54:44 |
| 17 | 7:10 | 11:31 | -1 ft (0 m) | 2:01:53 |
| 18 | 7:11 | 11:34 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:09:05 |
| 19 | 7:13 | 11:36 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:16:17 |
| 20 | 7:10 | 11:32 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:23:27 |
| 21 | 7:10 | 11:32 | -1 ft (0 m) | 2:30:37 |
| 22 | 7:12 | 11:35 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 2:37:49 |
| 23 | 7:07 | 11:26 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 2:44:55 |
| 24 | 7:19 | 11:46 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 2:52:14 |
| 25 | 7:12 | 11:35 | +2 ft (0 m) | 2:59:26 |
| 26 | 7:09 | 11:30 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 3:06:34 |
| 27 | 7:11 | 11:34 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:13:45 |
| 28 | 7:13 | 11:37 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 3:20:58 |
| 29 | 7:07 | 11:27 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 3:28:05 |
| 30 | 7:14 | 11:39 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 3:35:19 |
| 31 | 7:08 | 11:29 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 3:42:28 |
| 32 | 7:07 | 11:27 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 3:49:35 |
| 33 | 7:10 | 11:32 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:56:45 |
| 34 | 7:28 | 12:01 | +24 ft (+7 m) | 4:04:13 |
| 35 | 7:12 | 11:35 | +1 ft (0 m) | 4:11:25 |
| 36 | 7:04 | 11:22 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 4:18:29 |
| 37 | 7:18 | 11:45 | +8 ft (+2 m) | 4:25:46 |
| 38 | 7:13 | 11:36 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 4:32:59 |
| 39 | 6:59 | 11:15 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 4:39:58 |
| 40 | 7:10 | 11:32 | -2 ft (0 m) | 4:47:08 |
| 41 | 7:14 | 11:38 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 4:54:22 |
| 41.8 | 7:12 | 11:35 | +1 ft (0 m) | 5:00:00 |
Frequently asked questions
What pace is a 5:00 marathon?
A 5:00:00 marathon is 11:27 per mile or 7:07 per kilometre held for the full 26.2 miles (42.195 km). On the Amsterdam Marathon specifically, the elevation profile means even effort produces uneven splits — the table on this page gives the target for every kilometre.
What should my halfway split be for a 5:00 at the Amsterdam Marathon?
2:31:19. That is the grade-adjusted halfway target for this course, not simply half of 5:00:00 — it accounts for where the climbing sits. Reaching the half meaningfully faster than this on this course usually means you have spent the effort you need for the closing miles.
Should I run even splits at the Amsterdam Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:00 goal produces splits between 6:59 and 7:28 per kilometre — about 29 seconds between the easiest and hardest one. Grade-adjusted pacing gives back time on the descents and spends it on the climbs, which is what running an even physiological effort actually looks like on a course with this profile.
How are these Amsterdam Marathon splits calculated?
Each kilometre is weighted by its gradient using the Minetti et al. (2002) cost-of-running polynomial, which measures the metabolic cost of running at grades from −45% to +45%. The total is then scaled so the whole course adds up to 5:00:00. Uphill sections get more time and downhill sections less, at a constant effort throughout.
Is 5:00 a realistic marathon goal?
5:00 is a solid finish for a first marathon or a runner building back up. Whether it is realistic for you depends on your recent race results and weekly volume rather than on the number itself — the race-time predictor on this site will convert a recent 5K, 10K or half-marathon result into a marathon estimate using the Riegel power-law model.