Austin Marathon 5:00 pace chart
A 5:00:00 finish at the Austin 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 mile comes in around 10:13/mi and the hardest around 12:39/mi — about 147 seconds between the two extremes. Holding an identical number on every mile 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 2:31:17 — a 2:34 negative split, because the harder half comes first. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 1; at this goal time it should take 12:00/mi, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Austin on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Mile-by-mile targets for 5:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Austin 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.
| Mile | Target /mi | Target /km | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12:00 | 7:27 | +40 ft (+12 m) | 12:00 |
| 2 | 12:36 | 7:50 | +101 ft (+31 m) | 24:35 |
| 3 | 11:52 | 7:22 | +42 ft (+13 m) | 36:27 |
| 4 | 11:09 | 6:56 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 47:37 |
| 5 | 10:13 | 6:21 | -105 ft (-32 m) | 57:49 |
| 6 | 10:33 | 6:33 | -77 ft (-24 m) | 1:08:22 |
| 7 | 11:20 | 7:03 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 1:19:42 |
| 8 | 11:27 | 7:07 | +8 ft (+3 m) | 1:31:10 |
| 9 | 12:05 | 7:30 | +57 ft (+17 m) | 1:43:14 |
| 10 | 11:49 | 7:21 | +35 ft (+11 m) | 1:55:04 |
| 11 | 11:14 | 6:59 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 2:06:18 |
| 12 | 11:03 | 6:52 | -43 ft (-13 m) | 2:17:21 |
| 13 | 12:39 | 7:52 | +96 ft (+29 m) | 2:30:00 |
| 14 | 11:38 | 7:13 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 2:41:38 |
| 15 | 11:38 | 7:13 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 2:53:16 |
| 16 | 11:25 | 7:05 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 3:04:40 |
| 17 | 11:05 | 6:53 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 3:15:45 |
| 18 | 11:23 | 7:04 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 3:27:08 |
| 19 | 10:57 | 6:48 | -42 ft (-13 m) | 3:38:04 |
| 20 | 10:51 | 6:44 | -49 ft (-15 m) | 3:48:55 |
| 21 | 10:57 | 6:48 | -39 ft (-12 m) | 3:59:52 |
| 22 | 11:20 | 7:02 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 4:11:12 |
| 23 | 11:22 | 7:04 | +1 ft (0 m) | 4:22:34 |
| 24 | 11:23 | 7:04 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 4:33:57 |
| 25 | 11:25 | 7:06 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 4:45:22 |
| 26 | 12:03 | 7:30 | +51 ft (+16 m) | 4:57:26 |
| 26.2 | 11:46 | 7:19 | +2 ft (+1 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 Austin Marathon specifically, the elevation profile means even effort produces uneven splits — the table on this page gives the target for every mile.
What should my halfway split be for a 5:00 at the Austin Marathon?
2:31:17. 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 Austin Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:00 goal produces splits between 10:13 and 12:39 per mile — about 147 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 Austin Marathon splits calculated?
Each mile 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.