Charlotte Marathon 6:00 pace chart
A 6:00:00 finish at the Charlotte 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 13:03/mi and the hardest around 14:45/mi — about 102 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 3:01:45 — a 3:29 negative split, because the harder half comes first. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 13; at this goal time it should take 14:33/mi, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Charlotte on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Mile-by-mile targets for 6:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Charlotte 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 | 13:41 | 8:30 | -15 ft (-4 m) | 13:41 |
| 2 | 13:27 | 8:22 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 27:09 |
| 3 | 13:51 | 8:37 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 41:00 |
| 4 | 13:14 | 8:13 | -44 ft (-13 m) | 54:14 |
| 5 | 14:31 | 9:01 | +47 ft (+14 m) | 1:08:45 |
| 6 | 13:14 | 8:14 | -43 ft (-13 m) | 1:22:00 |
| 7 | 14:21 | 8:55 | +34 ft (+10 m) | 1:36:20 |
| 8 | 13:15 | 8:14 | -42 ft (-13 m) | 1:49:35 |
| 9 | 14:33 | 9:02 | +48 ft (+15 m) | 2:04:08 |
| 10 | 13:51 | 8:36 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:17:59 |
| 11 | 14:45 | 9:10 | +64 ft (+19 m) | 2:32:44 |
| 12 | 13:25 | 8:20 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 2:46:09 |
| 13 | 14:06 | 8:46 | +21 ft (+6 m) | 3:00:15 |
| 14 | 13:37 | 8:28 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 3:13:52 |
| 15 | 13:03 | 8:06 | -61 ft (-19 m) | 3:26:55 |
| 16 | 14:11 | 8:49 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 3:41:06 |
| 17 | 14:30 | 9:00 | +48 ft (+15 m) | 3:55:36 |
| 18 | 14:19 | 8:54 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 4:09:55 |
| 19 | 13:27 | 8:22 | -25 ft (-7 m) | 4:23:22 |
| 20 | 14:00 | 8:42 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 4:37:22 |
| 21 | 13:39 | 8:29 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 4:51:01 |
| 22 | 13:07 | 8:09 | -50 ft (-15 m) | 5:04:08 |
| 23 | 13:47 | 8:34 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 5:17:55 |
| 24 | 13:26 | 8:21 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 5:31:22 |
| 25 | 14:29 | 9:00 | +45 ft (+14 m) | 5:45:51 |
| 26 | 14:07 | 8:46 | +18 ft (+5 m) | 5:59:58 |
| 26.0 | 19:55 | 12:23 | +1 ft (0 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 Charlotte 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 Charlotte Marathon?
3:01:45. 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 Charlotte Marathon?
Even effort at a 6:00 goal produces splits between 13:03 and 14:45 per mile — about 102 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 Charlotte 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.