Athens Marathon 5:00 pace chart
A 5:00:00 finish at the Athens 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 6:04/km and the hardest around 8:16/km — about 132 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 2:31:06 — a 2:12 negative split, because the harder half comes first. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 30; at this goal time it should take 8:16/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Athens on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 5:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Athens 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 | 6:46 | 10:53 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 6:46 |
| 2 | 6:40 | 10:44 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 13:26 |
| 3 | 6:54 | 11:06 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 20:20 |
| 4 | 6:53 | 11:04 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 27:13 |
| 5 | 6:54 | 11:07 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 34:07 |
| 6 | 7:05 | 11:24 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 41:12 |
| 7 | 6:54 | 11:07 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 48:07 |
| 8 | 7:05 | 11:24 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 55:12 |
| 9 | 7:14 | 11:39 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 1:02:26 |
| 10 | 7:13 | 11:36 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 1:09:39 |
| 11 | 7:24 | 11:55 | +32 ft (+10 m) | 1:17:03 |
| 12 | 7:50 | 12:36 | +66 ft (+20 m) | 1:24:52 |
| 13 | 7:27 | 12:00 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 1:32:20 |
| 14 | 6:55 | 11:07 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 1:39:14 |
| 15 | 7:12 | 11:36 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 1:46:27 |
| 16 | 8:13 | 13:13 | +92 ft (+28 m) | 1:54:40 |
| 17 | 6:04 | 9:46 | -95 ft (-29 m) | 2:00:44 |
| 18 | 6:27 | 10:22 | -60 ft (-18 m) | 2:07:10 |
| 19 | 7:12 | 11:35 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 2:14:22 |
| 20 | 8:01 | 12:54 | +80 ft (+24 m) | 2:22:23 |
| 21 | 7:59 | 12:50 | +77 ft (+23 m) | 2:30:22 |
| 22 | 7:37 | 12:15 | +49 ft (+15 m) | 2:37:58 |
| 23 | 7:32 | 12:07 | +43 ft (+13 m) | 2:45:30 |
| 24 | 7:22 | 11:52 | +29 ft (+9 m) | 2:52:53 |
| 25 | 8:15 | 13:17 | +99 ft (+30 m) | 3:01:08 |
| 26 | 7:48 | 12:33 | +64 ft (+20 m) | 3:08:56 |
| 27 | 7:30 | 12:04 | +40 ft (+12 m) | 3:16:25 |
| 28 | 7:40 | 12:21 | +54 ft (+16 m) | 3:24:06 |
| 29 | 6:53 | 11:05 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 3:30:59 |
| 30 | 7:17 | 11:43 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 3:38:16 |
| 31 | 8:16 | 13:19 | +101 ft (+31 m) | 3:46:32 |
| 32 | 6:24 | 10:18 | -61 ft (-19 m) | 3:52:56 |
| 33 | 6:29 | 10:26 | -48 ft (-15 m) | 3:59:25 |
| 34 | 6:36 | 10:38 | -36 ft (-11 m) | 4:06:02 |
| 35 | 6:52 | 11:03 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 4:12:53 |
| 36 | 6:50 | 11:00 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 4:19:43 |
| 37 | 6:24 | 10:18 | -56 ft (-17 m) | 4:26:07 |
| 38 | 6:37 | 10:38 | -37 ft (-11 m) | 4:32:44 |
| 39 | 6:37 | 10:39 | -36 ft (-11 m) | 4:39:21 |
| 40 | 6:09 | 9:54 | -83 ft (-25 m) | 4:45:30 |
| 41 | 6:43 | 10:49 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 4:52:13 |
| 42 | 6:12 | 9:59 | -81 ft (-25 m) | 4:58:25 |
| 42.2 | 8:05 | 13:00 | +16 ft (+5 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 Athens 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 Athens Marathon?
2:31:06. 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 Athens Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:00 goal produces splits between 6:04 and 8:16 per kilometre — about 132 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 Athens 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.