Boston Marathon 5:30 pace chart
A 5:30:00 finish at the Boston Marathon averages 12:35 per mile (7:49 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 11:29/mi and the hardest around 14:02/mi — about 152 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 2:43:41 — a 2:39 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 14:02/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 5:30:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Boston Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 5:30:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Mile | Target /mi | Target /km | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11:37 | 7:13 | -107 ft (-33 m) | 11:37 |
| 2 | 12:04 | 7:30 | -57 ft (-17 m) | 23:41 |
| 3 | 12:06 | 7:31 | -56 ft (-17 m) | 35:47 |
| 4 | 12:01 | 7:28 | -59 ft (-18 m) | 47:48 |
| 5 | 12:56 | 8:02 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 1:00:45 |
| 6 | 12:27 | 7:44 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 1:13:12 |
| 7 | 12:36 | 7:50 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 1:25:48 |
| 8 | 12:48 | 7:57 | -1 ft (0 m) | 1:38:36 |
| 9 | 12:40 | 7:52 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 1:51:16 |
| 10 | 12:59 | 8:04 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 2:04:15 |
| 11 | 13:06 | 8:08 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 2:17:21 |
| 12 | 12:06 | 7:31 | -54 ft (-16 m) | 2:29:27 |
| 13 | 12:50 | 7:59 | +5 ft (+1 m) | 2:42:17 |
| 14 | 12:43 | 7:54 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 2:55:00 |
| 15 | 13:03 | 8:07 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 3:08:03 |
| 16 | 11:29 | 7:08 | -110 ft (-33 m) | 3:19:32 |
| 17 | 13:35 | 8:26 | +57 ft (+17 m) | 3:33:07 |
| 18 | 13:24 | 8:19 | +41 ft (+13 m) | 3:46:31 |
| 19 | 12:22 | 7:41 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 3:58:53 |
| 20 | 13:09 | 8:10 | +25 ft (+7 m) | 4:12:02 |
| 21 | 14:02 | 8:43 | +88 ft (+27 m) | 4:26:04 |
| 22 | 11:51 | 7:22 | -78 ft (-24 m) | 4:37:54 |
| 23 | 12:13 | 7:36 | -44 ft (-14 m) | 4:50:08 |
| 24 | 12:06 | 7:31 | -54 ft (-17 m) | 5:02:13 |
| 25 | 12:17 | 7:38 | -39 ft (-12 m) | 5:14:30 |
| 26 | 12:47 | 7:57 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 5:27:17 |
| 26.2 | 12:26 | 7:44 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 5:30:00 |
Frequently asked questions
What pace is a 5:30 marathon?
A 5:30:00 marathon is 12:35 per mile or 7:49 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 5:30 at the Boston Marathon?
2:43:41. That is the grade-adjusted halfway target for this course, not simply half of 5:30:00 — 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 5:30 goal produces splits between 11:29 and 14:02 per mile — about 152 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 5:30:00. Uphill sections get more time and downhill sections less, at a constant effort throughout.
Is 5:30 a realistic marathon goal?
5:30 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.