Barcelona Marathon 5:00 pace chart
A 5:00:00 finish at the Barcelona 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 6:26/km and the hardest around 7:37/km — about 71 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 2:29:59 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 10; at this goal time it should take 7:37/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Barcelona on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 5:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Barcelona 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 | 6:47 | 10:55 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 6:47 |
| 2 | 7:08 | 11:29 | +1 ft (0 m) | 13:55 |
| 3 | 7:33 | 12:09 | +35 ft (+11 m) | 21:28 |
| 4 | 7:09 | 11:31 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 28:37 |
| 5 | 7:06 | 11:26 | 0 ft (0 m) | 35:44 |
| 6 | 7:16 | 11:42 | +14 ft (+4 m) | 43:00 |
| 7 | 7:01 | 11:17 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 50:01 |
| 8 | 6:53 | 11:05 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 56:54 |
| 9 | 7:01 | 11:17 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 1:03:55 |
| 10 | 6:26 | 10:21 | -61 ft (-19 m) | 1:10:21 |
| 11 | 7:37 | 12:15 | +33 ft (+10 m) | 1:17:58 |
| 12 | 7:27 | 12:00 | +28 ft (+9 m) | 1:25:25 |
| 13 | 7:13 | 11:37 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 1:32:38 |
| 14 | 7:12 | 11:35 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 1:39:49 |
| 15 | 7:27 | 11:59 | +29 ft (+9 m) | 1:47:16 |
| 16 | 7:05 | 11:24 | -2 ft (0 m) | 1:54:21 |
| 17 | 7:05 | 11:24 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 2:01:26 |
| 18 | 6:37 | 10:38 | -45 ft (-14 m) | 2:08:03 |
| 19 | 7:16 | 11:42 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 2:15:19 |
| 20 | 6:57 | 11:11 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 2:22:16 |
| 21 | 7:01 | 11:18 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 2:29:17 |
| 22 | 7:06 | 11:25 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 2:36:23 |
| 23 | 6:57 | 11:11 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 2:43:20 |
| 24 | 6:39 | 10:42 | -43 ft (-13 m) | 2:49:58 |
| 25 | 7:25 | 11:56 | +25 ft (+8 m) | 2:57:23 |
| 26 | 7:04 | 11:22 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 3:04:27 |
| 27 | 6:52 | 11:03 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 3:11:19 |
| 28 | 6:56 | 11:09 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 3:18:14 |
| 29 | 7:10 | 11:31 | +5 ft (+1 m) | 3:25:24 |
| 30 | 7:07 | 11:28 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 3:32:31 |
| 31 | 7:08 | 11:28 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:39:39 |
| 32 | 7:05 | 11:24 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 3:46:44 |
| 33 | 7:22 | 11:52 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 3:54:07 |
| 34 | 6:55 | 11:08 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 4:01:01 |
| 35 | 7:19 | 11:46 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 4:08:20 |
| 36 | 6:59 | 11:14 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 4:15:19 |
| 37 | 7:05 | 11:24 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 4:22:24 |
| 38 | 7:13 | 11:37 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 4:29:37 |
| 39 | 7:02 | 11:19 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 4:36:38 |
| 40 | 7:24 | 11:55 | +25 ft (+8 m) | 4:44:03 |
| 41 | 7:19 | 11:47 | +18 ft (+5 m) | 4:51:22 |
| 42 | 7:28 | 12:01 | +29 ft (+9 m) | 4:58:50 |
| 42.2 | 6:00 | 9:40 | -20 ft (-6 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 Barcelona 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 Barcelona Marathon?
2:29:59. 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 Barcelona Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:00 goal produces splits between 6:26 and 7:37 per kilometre — about 71 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 Barcelona 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.