Athens Marathon 6:00 pace chart
A 6:00:00 finish at the Athens 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 7:17/km and the hardest around 9:56/km — about 159 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 3:01:19 — a 2:39 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 9:56/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 6:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Athens Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 6:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:07 | 13:04 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 8:07 |
| 2 | 8:00 | 12:53 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 16:07 |
| 3 | 8:17 | 13:19 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 24:24 |
| 4 | 8:15 | 13:17 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 32:39 |
| 5 | 8:17 | 13:20 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 40:57 |
| 6 | 8:30 | 13:41 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 49:27 |
| 7 | 8:17 | 13:20 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 57:44 |
| 8 | 8:30 | 13:41 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 1:06:14 |
| 9 | 8:41 | 13:59 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 1:14:55 |
| 10 | 8:39 | 13:56 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 1:23:34 |
| 11 | 8:53 | 14:18 | +32 ft (+10 m) | 1:32:27 |
| 12 | 9:24 | 15:07 | +66 ft (+20 m) | 1:41:51 |
| 13 | 8:57 | 14:24 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 1:50:48 |
| 14 | 8:18 | 13:21 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 1:59:05 |
| 15 | 8:39 | 13:55 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 2:07:44 |
| 16 | 9:51 | 15:52 | +92 ft (+28 m) | 2:17:36 |
| 17 | 7:17 | 11:43 | -95 ft (-29 m) | 2:24:52 |
| 18 | 7:44 | 12:27 | -60 ft (-18 m) | 2:32:36 |
| 19 | 8:38 | 13:54 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 2:41:14 |
| 20 | 9:37 | 15:29 | +80 ft (+24 m) | 2:50:52 |
| 21 | 9:34 | 15:24 | +77 ft (+23 m) | 3:00:26 |
| 22 | 9:08 | 14:42 | +49 ft (+15 m) | 3:09:34 |
| 23 | 9:02 | 14:33 | +43 ft (+13 m) | 3:18:36 |
| 24 | 8:51 | 14:14 | +29 ft (+9 m) | 3:27:27 |
| 25 | 9:54 | 15:56 | +99 ft (+30 m) | 3:37:21 |
| 26 | 9:22 | 15:04 | +64 ft (+20 m) | 3:46:43 |
| 27 | 9:00 | 14:29 | +40 ft (+12 m) | 3:55:43 |
| 28 | 9:13 | 14:49 | +54 ft (+16 m) | 4:04:55 |
| 29 | 8:16 | 13:18 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 4:13:11 |
| 30 | 8:44 | 14:04 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 4:21:55 |
| 31 | 9:56 | 15:59 | +101 ft (+31 m) | 4:31:51 |
| 32 | 7:41 | 12:22 | -61 ft (-19 m) | 4:39:32 |
| 33 | 7:47 | 12:31 | -48 ft (-15 m) | 4:47:18 |
| 34 | 7:56 | 12:46 | -36 ft (-11 m) | 4:55:14 |
| 35 | 8:14 | 13:15 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 5:03:28 |
| 36 | 8:12 | 13:12 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 5:11:40 |
| 37 | 7:41 | 12:21 | -56 ft (-17 m) | 5:19:21 |
| 38 | 7:56 | 12:46 | -37 ft (-11 m) | 5:27:17 |
| 39 | 7:57 | 12:47 | -36 ft (-11 m) | 5:35:13 |
| 40 | 7:23 | 11:53 | -83 ft (-25 m) | 5:42:36 |
| 41 | 8:04 | 12:59 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 5:50:40 |
| 42 | 7:27 | 11:59 | -81 ft (-25 m) | 5:58:07 |
| 42.2 | 9:42 | 15:36 | +16 ft (+5 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 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 6:00 at the Athens Marathon?
3:01:19. 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 Athens Marathon?
Even effort at a 6:00 goal produces splits between 7:17 and 9:56 per kilometre — about 159 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 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.