Boston Marathon 6:00 pace chart
A 6:00:00 finish at the Boston 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 12:32/mi and the hardest around 15:18/mi — about 166 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 2:58:33 — a 2:53 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 15:18/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 6:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Boston Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 6:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Mile | Target /mi | Target /km | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12:40 | 7:52 | -107 ft (-33 m) | 12:40 |
| 2 | 13:10 | 8:11 | -57 ft (-17 m) | 25:50 |
| 3 | 13:12 | 8:12 | -56 ft (-17 m) | 39:02 |
| 4 | 13:07 | 8:09 | -59 ft (-18 m) | 52:09 |
| 5 | 14:07 | 8:46 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 1:06:16 |
| 6 | 13:35 | 8:27 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 1:19:51 |
| 7 | 13:45 | 8:33 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 1:33:36 |
| 8 | 13:58 | 8:40 | -1 ft (0 m) | 1:47:34 |
| 9 | 13:49 | 8:35 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 2:01:23 |
| 10 | 14:09 | 8:48 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 2:15:32 |
| 11 | 14:18 | 8:53 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 2:29:50 |
| 12 | 13:12 | 8:12 | -54 ft (-16 m) | 2:43:02 |
| 13 | 14:00 | 8:42 | +5 ft (+1 m) | 2:57:02 |
| 14 | 13:52 | 8:37 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 3:10:54 |
| 15 | 14:15 | 8:51 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 3:25:09 |
| 16 | 12:32 | 7:47 | -110 ft (-33 m) | 3:37:41 |
| 17 | 14:49 | 9:12 | +57 ft (+17 m) | 3:52:30 |
| 18 | 14:37 | 9:05 | +41 ft (+13 m) | 4:07:07 |
| 19 | 13:30 | 8:23 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 4:20:36 |
| 20 | 14:21 | 8:55 | +25 ft (+7 m) | 4:34:57 |
| 21 | 15:18 | 9:30 | +88 ft (+27 m) | 4:50:15 |
| 22 | 12:55 | 8:02 | -78 ft (-24 m) | 5:03:10 |
| 23 | 13:20 | 8:17 | -44 ft (-14 m) | 5:16:30 |
| 24 | 13:11 | 8:12 | -54 ft (-17 m) | 5:29:42 |
| 25 | 13:24 | 8:19 | -39 ft (-12 m) | 5:43:05 |
| 26 | 13:57 | 8:40 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 5:57:02 |
| 26.2 | 13:34 | 8:26 | -5 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 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 6:00 at the Boston Marathon?
2:58:33. 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 Boston Marathon?
Even effort at a 6:00 goal produces splits between 12:32 and 15:18 per mile — about 166 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 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.