Austin Marathon 6:00 pace chart
A 6:00:00 finish at the Austin 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 mile comes in around 12:15/mi and the hardest around 15:11/mi — about 176 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 3:01:32 — a 3:04 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 14:23/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 6:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Austin Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 6:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Mile | Target /mi | Target /km | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14:23 | 8:57 | +40 ft (+12 m) | 14:23 |
| 2 | 15:07 | 9:24 | +101 ft (+31 m) | 29:30 |
| 3 | 14:14 | 8:51 | +42 ft (+13 m) | 43:45 |
| 4 | 13:23 | 8:19 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 57:08 |
| 5 | 12:15 | 7:37 | -105 ft (-32 m) | 1:09:23 |
| 6 | 12:39 | 7:52 | -77 ft (-24 m) | 1:22:02 |
| 7 | 13:36 | 8:27 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 1:35:39 |
| 8 | 13:45 | 8:32 | +8 ft (+3 m) | 1:49:24 |
| 9 | 14:30 | 9:00 | +57 ft (+17 m) | 2:03:53 |
| 10 | 14:11 | 8:49 | +35 ft (+11 m) | 2:18:04 |
| 11 | 13:29 | 8:23 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 2:31:34 |
| 12 | 13:16 | 8:14 | -43 ft (-13 m) | 2:44:49 |
| 13 | 15:11 | 9:26 | +96 ft (+29 m) | 3:00:01 |
| 14 | 13:57 | 8:40 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 3:13:58 |
| 15 | 13:57 | 8:40 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 3:27:55 |
| 16 | 13:41 | 8:30 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 3:41:36 |
| 17 | 13:17 | 8:16 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 3:54:54 |
| 18 | 13:40 | 8:29 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 4:08:33 |
| 19 | 13:08 | 8:10 | -42 ft (-13 m) | 4:21:41 |
| 20 | 13:01 | 8:05 | -49 ft (-15 m) | 4:34:42 |
| 21 | 13:08 | 8:10 | -39 ft (-12 m) | 4:47:50 |
| 22 | 13:36 | 8:27 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 5:01:26 |
| 23 | 13:39 | 8:29 | +1 ft (0 m) | 5:15:05 |
| 24 | 13:40 | 8:29 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 5:28:44 |
| 25 | 13:42 | 8:31 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 5:42:27 |
| 26 | 14:28 | 8:59 | +51 ft (+16 m) | 5:56:55 |
| 26.2 | 14:07 | 8:46 | +2 ft (+1 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 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 6:00 at the Austin Marathon?
3:01:32. 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 Austin Marathon?
Even effort at a 6:00 goal produces splits between 12:15 and 15:11 per mile — about 176 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 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.