Amsterdam Marathon 6:00 pace chart
A 6:00:00 finish at the Amsterdam Marathon averages 13:44 per mile (8:32 per kilometre) — a steady, sustainable finish, and the pace most first-time marathoners should actually target. Run at even effort rather than even pace, the easiest kilometre comes in around 8:23/km and the hardest around 8:58/km — about 34 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 3:01:35 — a 3:10 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 8:58/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 6:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Amsterdam Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 6:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:39 | 13:55 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 8:39 |
| 2 | 8:33 | 13:46 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 17:12 |
| 3 | 8:39 | 13:55 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 25:51 |
| 4 | 8:50 | 14:14 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 34:41 |
| 5 | 8:27 | 13:37 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 43:09 |
| 6 | 8:40 | 13:57 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 51:49 |
| 7 | 8:36 | 13:51 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 1:00:25 |
| 8 | 8:35 | 13:50 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 1:09:01 |
| 9 | 8:42 | 14:00 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 1:17:43 |
| 10 | 8:36 | 13:51 | -1 ft (0 m) | 1:26:19 |
| 11 | 8:33 | 13:46 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 1:34:52 |
| 12 | 8:38 | 13:54 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 1:43:30 |
| 13 | 8:32 | 13:43 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 1:52:02 |
| 14 | 8:30 | 13:40 | -8 ft (-3 m) | 2:00:31 |
| 15 | 8:38 | 13:53 | +2 ft (0 m) | 2:09:09 |
| 16 | 8:31 | 13:43 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 2:17:40 |
| 17 | 8:35 | 13:50 | -1 ft (0 m) | 2:26:16 |
| 18 | 8:38 | 13:53 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:34:54 |
| 19 | 8:39 | 13:55 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:43:33 |
| 20 | 8:36 | 13:51 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:52:09 |
| 21 | 8:36 | 13:50 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:00:45 |
| 22 | 8:38 | 13:54 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 3:09:23 |
| 23 | 8:32 | 13:44 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 3:17:55 |
| 24 | 8:46 | 14:07 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 3:26:41 |
| 25 | 8:38 | 13:54 | +2 ft (0 m) | 3:35:19 |
| 26 | 8:34 | 13:48 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 3:43:53 |
| 27 | 8:37 | 13:53 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:52:30 |
| 28 | 8:39 | 13:56 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 4:01:10 |
| 29 | 8:32 | 13:44 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 4:09:42 |
| 30 | 8:41 | 13:59 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 4:18:23 |
| 31 | 8:34 | 13:47 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 4:26:57 |
| 32 | 8:32 | 13:45 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 4:35:30 |
| 33 | 8:36 | 13:51 | 0 ft (0 m) | 4:44:06 |
| 34 | 8:58 | 14:25 | +24 ft (+7 m) | 4:53:04 |
| 35 | 8:38 | 13:54 | +1 ft (0 m) | 5:01:42 |
| 36 | 8:28 | 13:38 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 5:10:10 |
| 37 | 8:45 | 14:06 | +8 ft (+2 m) | 5:18:56 |
| 38 | 8:39 | 13:56 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 5:27:35 |
| 39 | 8:23 | 13:30 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 5:35:58 |
| 40 | 8:36 | 13:50 | -2 ft (0 m) | 5:44:34 |
| 41 | 8:41 | 13:58 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 5:53:15 |
| 41.8 | 8:38 | 13:54 | +1 ft (0 m) | 6:00:00 |
Frequently asked questions
What pace is a 6:00 marathon?
A 6:00:00 marathon is 13:44 per mile or 8:32 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 6:00 at the Amsterdam Marathon?
3:01:35. That is the grade-adjusted halfway target for this course, not simply half of 6:00:00 — 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 6:00 goal produces splits between 8:23 and 8:58 per kilometre — about 34 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 6:00:00. Uphill sections get more time and downhill sections less, at a constant effort throughout.
Is 6:00 a realistic marathon goal?
6:00 is a steady, sustainable finish, and the pace most first-time marathoners should actually target. 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.