Berlin Marathon 6:00 pace chart
A 6:00:00 finish at the Berlin 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 8:07/km and the hardest around 9:29/km — about 81 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 2:59:50 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 38; at this goal time it should take 9:29/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Berlin on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 6:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Berlin 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 | 8:31 | 13:42 | -1 ft (0 m) | 8:31 |
| 2 | 8:25 | 13:32 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 16:55 |
| 3 | 8:30 | 13:40 | -1 ft (0 m) | 25:25 |
| 4 | 8:43 | 14:01 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 34:08 |
| 5 | 8:22 | 13:28 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 42:30 |
| 6 | 8:34 | 13:47 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 51:04 |
| 7 | 8:24 | 13:31 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 59:28 |
| 8 | 8:43 | 14:02 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 1:08:11 |
| 9 | 8:42 | 14:00 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 1:16:53 |
| 10 | 8:36 | 13:51 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 1:25:29 |
| 11 | 8:30 | 13:40 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 1:33:59 |
| 12 | 8:26 | 13:35 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 1:42:25 |
| 13 | 8:08 | 13:06 | -28 ft (-8 m) | 1:50:34 |
| 14 | 8:47 | 14:09 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 1:59:21 |
| 15 | 8:36 | 13:51 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 2:07:57 |
| 16 | 8:33 | 13:46 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:16:30 |
| 17 | 8:36 | 13:50 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 2:25:06 |
| 18 | 8:32 | 13:44 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:33:38 |
| 19 | 8:35 | 13:49 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 2:42:13 |
| 20 | 8:28 | 13:37 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 2:50:40 |
| 21 | 8:19 | 13:24 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 2:59:00 |
| 22 | 8:33 | 13:46 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 3:07:33 |
| 23 | 8:42 | 14:00 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 3:16:15 |
| 24 | 8:43 | 14:01 | +14 ft (+4 m) | 3:24:57 |
| 25 | 8:34 | 13:46 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:33:31 |
| 26 | 8:30 | 13:41 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:42:01 |
| 27 | 8:35 | 13:49 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 3:50:36 |
| 28 | 8:43 | 14:01 | +14 ft (+4 m) | 3:59:19 |
| 29 | 8:35 | 13:49 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 4:07:54 |
| 30 | 8:26 | 13:34 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 4:16:20 |
| 31 | 8:18 | 13:21 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 4:24:38 |
| 32 | 8:30 | 13:41 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 4:33:08 |
| 33 | 8:20 | 13:25 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 4:41:28 |
| 34 | 8:43 | 14:02 | +14 ft (+4 m) | 4:50:11 |
| 35 | 8:07 | 13:05 | -28 ft (-9 m) | 4:58:19 |
| 36 | 8:34 | 13:47 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 5:06:53 |
| 37 | 8:28 | 13:38 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 5:15:21 |
| 38 | 8:33 | 13:46 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 5:23:54 |
| 39 | 9:29 | 15:16 | +58 ft (+18 m) | 5:33:23 |
| 40 | 8:14 | 13:15 | -33 ft (-10 m) | 5:41:37 |
| 41 | 8:27 | 13:36 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 5:50:04 |
| 42 | 8:10 | 13:08 | -26 ft (-8 m) | 5:58:13 |
| 42.2 | 9:07 | 14:40 | +8 ft (+2 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 Berlin 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 Berlin Marathon?
2:59:50. 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 Berlin Marathon?
Even effort at a 6:00 goal produces splits between 8:07 and 9:29 per kilometre — about 81 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 Berlin 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.