Boston Marathon 5:00 pace chart
A 5:00:00 finish at the Boston 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 10:26/mi and the hardest around 12:45/mi — about 139 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 2:28:48 — a 2:24 positive split, which is what the terrain costs you rather than a pacing error. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 33; at this goal time it should take 12:45/mi, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Boston on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Mile-by-mile targets for 5:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Boston 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 | 10:33 | 6:34 | -107 ft (-33 m) | 10:33 |
| 2 | 10:58 | 6:49 | -57 ft (-17 m) | 21:31 |
| 3 | 11:00 | 6:50 | -56 ft (-17 m) | 32:32 |
| 4 | 10:56 | 6:48 | -59 ft (-18 m) | 43:28 |
| 5 | 11:46 | 7:18 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 55:13 |
| 6 | 11:19 | 7:02 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 1:06:33 |
| 7 | 11:28 | 7:07 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 1:18:00 |
| 8 | 11:38 | 7:14 | -1 ft (0 m) | 1:29:38 |
| 9 | 11:31 | 7:09 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 1:41:09 |
| 10 | 11:48 | 7:20 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 1:52:57 |
| 11 | 11:55 | 7:24 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 2:04:52 |
| 12 | 11:00 | 6:50 | -54 ft (-16 m) | 2:15:52 |
| 13 | 11:40 | 7:15 | +5 ft (+1 m) | 2:27:32 |
| 14 | 11:33 | 7:11 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 2:39:05 |
| 15 | 11:52 | 7:22 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 2:50:57 |
| 16 | 10:26 | 6:29 | -110 ft (-33 m) | 3:01:24 |
| 17 | 12:21 | 7:40 | +57 ft (+17 m) | 3:13:45 |
| 18 | 12:11 | 7:34 | +41 ft (+13 m) | 3:25:55 |
| 19 | 11:15 | 6:59 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 3:37:10 |
| 20 | 11:57 | 7:26 | +25 ft (+7 m) | 3:49:07 |
| 21 | 12:45 | 7:55 | +88 ft (+27 m) | 4:01:53 |
| 22 | 10:46 | 6:41 | -78 ft (-24 m) | 4:12:38 |
| 23 | 11:07 | 6:54 | -44 ft (-14 m) | 4:23:45 |
| 24 | 11:00 | 6:50 | -54 ft (-17 m) | 4:34:45 |
| 25 | 11:10 | 6:56 | -39 ft (-12 m) | 4:45:54 |
| 26 | 11:37 | 7:13 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 4:57:32 |
| 26.2 | 11:18 | 7:02 | -5 ft (-2 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 Boston 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 Boston Marathon?
2:28:48. 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 Boston Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:00 goal produces splits between 10:26 and 12:45 per mile — about 139 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 Boston 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.