Dublin Marathon 5:00 pace chart
A 5:00:00 finish at the Dublin 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 kilometre comes in around 6:16/km and the hardest around 7:40/km — about 84 seconds between the two extremes. Holding an identical number on every kilometre 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 2:30:33 — a 1:07 negative split, because the harder half comes first. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 4; at this goal time it should take 7:40/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Dublin on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 5:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Dublin 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.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7:04 | 11:23 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 7:04 |
| 2 | 6:58 | 11:13 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 14:03 |
| 3 | 6:45 | 10:52 | -32 ft (-10 m) | 20:48 |
| 4 | 7:34 | 12:10 | +39 ft (+12 m) | 28:21 |
| 5 | 7:40 | 12:20 | +47 ft (+14 m) | 36:01 |
| 6 | 7:26 | 11:58 | +29 ft (+9 m) | 43:27 |
| 7 | 7:00 | 11:16 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 50:28 |
| 8 | 7:30 | 12:05 | +35 ft (+11 m) | 57:58 |
| 9 | 7:20 | 11:48 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 1:05:18 |
| 10 | 7:13 | 11:37 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 1:12:31 |
| 11 | 7:30 | 12:04 | +33 ft (+10 m) | 1:20:01 |
| 12 | 7:05 | 11:24 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 1:27:06 |
| 13 | 6:16 | 10:04 | -84 ft (-26 m) | 1:33:22 |
| 14 | 7:09 | 11:31 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 1:40:31 |
| 15 | 6:47 | 10:56 | -32 ft (-10 m) | 1:47:19 |
| 16 | 6:29 | 10:25 | -58 ft (-18 m) | 1:53:47 |
| 17 | 7:17 | 11:43 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 2:01:04 |
| 18 | 7:27 | 11:59 | +27 ft (+8 m) | 2:08:31 |
| 19 | 6:56 | 11:10 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 2:15:27 |
| 20 | 7:10 | 11:32 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 2:22:37 |
| 21 | 7:12 | 11:36 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 2:29:49 |
| 22 | 7:30 | 12:04 | +33 ft (+10 m) | 2:37:19 |
| 23 | 7:32 | 12:08 | +37 ft (+11 m) | 2:44:51 |
| 24 | 7:04 | 11:23 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 2:51:56 |
| 25 | 7:14 | 11:39 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 2:59:10 |
| 26 | 7:05 | 11:25 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:06:15 |
| 27 | 7:03 | 11:21 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 3:13:18 |
| 28 | 7:20 | 11:49 | +21 ft (+6 m) | 3:20:38 |
| 29 | 6:42 | 10:48 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 3:27:21 |
| 30 | 7:06 | 11:26 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:34:27 |
| 31 | 6:53 | 11:05 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 3:41:20 |
| 32 | 6:35 | 10:35 | -47 ft (-14 m) | 3:47:55 |
| 33 | 7:01 | 11:17 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 3:54:56 |
| 34 | 7:13 | 11:37 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 4:02:09 |
| 35 | 7:31 | 12:06 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 4:09:40 |
| 36 | 7:20 | 11:47 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 4:17:00 |
| 37 | 6:34 | 10:35 | -49 ft (-15 m) | 4:23:34 |
| 38 | 6:43 | 10:48 | -33 ft (-10 m) | 4:30:17 |
| 39 | 6:50 | 10:59 | -23 ft (-7 m) | 4:37:06 |
| 40 | 7:02 | 11:19 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 4:44:09 |
| 41 | 7:05 | 11:23 | -2 ft (0 m) | 4:51:13 |
| 42 | 7:12 | 11:36 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 4:58:25 |
| 42.2 | 8:06 | 13:02 | +16 ft (+5 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 Dublin Marathon specifically, the elevation profile means even effort produces uneven splits — the table on this page gives the target for every kilometre.
What should my halfway split be for a 5:00 at the Dublin Marathon?
2:30:33. 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 Dublin Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:00 goal produces splits between 6:16 and 7:40 per kilometre — about 84 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 Dublin Marathon splits calculated?
Each kilometre 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.