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 12:55/mi and the hardest around 14:30/mi — about 95 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 3:00:10 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 13; at this goal time it should take 14:23/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 | 13:36 | 8:27 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 13:36 |
| 2 | 13:19 | 8:16 | -33 ft (-10 m) | 26:54 |
| 3 | 13:47 | 8:34 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 40:42 |
| 4 | 13:07 | 8:09 | -44 ft (-14 m) | 53:49 |
| 5 | 14:19 | 8:54 | +42 ft (+13 m) | 1:08:08 |
| 6 | 13:13 | 8:13 | -37 ft (-11 m) | 1:21:22 |
| 7 | 14:09 | 8:47 | +28 ft (+9 m) | 1:35:30 |
| 8 | 13:10 | 8:11 | -39 ft (-12 m) | 1:48:40 |
| 9 | 14:23 | 8:56 | +45 ft (+14 m) | 2:03:03 |
| 10 | 13:57 | 8:40 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 2:17:00 |
| 11 | 14:30 | 9:01 | +54 ft (+17 m) | 2:31:30 |
| 12 | 12:59 | 8:04 | -52 ft (-16 m) | 2:44:30 |
| 13 | 14:11 | 8:48 | +33 ft (+10 m) | 2:58:40 |
| 14 | 13:36 | 8:27 | -8 ft (-3 m) | 3:12:16 |
| 15 | 12:55 | 8:02 | -63 ft (-19 m) | 3:25:12 |
| 16 | 14:09 | 8:47 | +32 ft (+10 m) | 3:39:20 |
| 17 | 14:14 | 8:51 | +38 ft (+11 m) | 3:53:35 |
| 18 | 14:16 | 8:52 | +40 ft (+12 m) | 4:07:50 |
| 19 | 13:24 | 8:20 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 4:21:15 |
| 20 | 13:38 | 8:28 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 4:34:53 |
| 21 | 13:49 | 8:35 | +8 ft (+2 m) | 4:48:41 |
| 22 | 13:03 | 8:06 | -47 ft (-14 m) | 5:01:44 |
| 23 | 13:31 | 8:24 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 5:15:15 |
| 24 | 13:34 | 8:26 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 5:28:49 |
| 25 | 13:53 | 8:38 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 5:42:42 |
| 26 | 14:11 | 8:49 | +32 ft (+10 m) | 5:56:53 |
| 26.2 | 14:13 | 8:50 | +6 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 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?
3:00:10. 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 12:55 and 14:30 per mile — about 95 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.