Dublin Marathon 6:00 pace chart
A 6:00:00 finish at the Dublin 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 kilometre comes in around 7:31/km and the hardest around 9:12/km — about 101 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 3:00:40 — a 1:20 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 9:12/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 6:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Dublin Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 6:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:29 | 13:40 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 8:29 |
| 2 | 8:22 | 13:28 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 16:51 |
| 3 | 8:06 | 13:03 | -32 ft (-10 m) | 24:57 |
| 4 | 9:04 | 14:36 | +39 ft (+12 m) | 34:02 |
| 5 | 9:12 | 14:48 | +47 ft (+14 m) | 43:13 |
| 6 | 8:56 | 14:22 | +29 ft (+9 m) | 52:09 |
| 7 | 8:24 | 13:32 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 1:00:33 |
| 8 | 9:01 | 14:30 | +35 ft (+11 m) | 1:09:34 |
| 9 | 8:48 | 14:10 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 1:18:22 |
| 10 | 8:40 | 13:56 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 1:27:02 |
| 11 | 9:00 | 14:28 | +33 ft (+10 m) | 1:36:01 |
| 12 | 8:30 | 13:41 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 1:44:31 |
| 13 | 7:31 | 12:05 | -84 ft (-26 m) | 1:52:02 |
| 14 | 8:35 | 13:49 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 2:00:37 |
| 15 | 8:09 | 13:07 | -32 ft (-10 m) | 2:08:46 |
| 16 | 7:46 | 12:31 | -58 ft (-18 m) | 2:16:33 |
| 17 | 8:45 | 14:04 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 2:25:17 |
| 18 | 8:56 | 14:22 | +27 ft (+8 m) | 2:34:13 |
| 19 | 8:20 | 13:24 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 2:42:33 |
| 20 | 8:36 | 13:50 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 2:51:09 |
| 21 | 8:39 | 13:55 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 2:59:47 |
| 22 | 9:00 | 14:28 | +33 ft (+10 m) | 3:08:47 |
| 23 | 9:03 | 14:34 | +37 ft (+11 m) | 3:17:50 |
| 24 | 8:29 | 13:39 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 3:26:19 |
| 25 | 8:41 | 13:59 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 3:35:00 |
| 26 | 8:30 | 13:42 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:43:30 |
| 27 | 8:28 | 13:37 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 3:51:58 |
| 28 | 8:48 | 14:10 | +21 ft (+6 m) | 4:00:46 |
| 29 | 8:03 | 12:57 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 4:08:49 |
| 30 | 8:31 | 13:43 | +1 ft (0 m) | 4:17:21 |
| 31 | 8:16 | 13:17 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 4:25:36 |
| 32 | 7:54 | 12:42 | -47 ft (-14 m) | 4:33:30 |
| 33 | 8:25 | 13:33 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 4:41:55 |
| 34 | 8:40 | 13:56 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 4:50:35 |
| 35 | 9:01 | 14:31 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 4:59:36 |
| 36 | 8:47 | 14:09 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 5:08:23 |
| 37 | 7:53 | 12:42 | -49 ft (-15 m) | 5:16:17 |
| 38 | 8:03 | 12:58 | -33 ft (-10 m) | 5:24:20 |
| 39 | 8:12 | 13:11 | -23 ft (-7 m) | 5:32:32 |
| 40 | 8:27 | 13:35 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 5:40:58 |
| 41 | 8:29 | 13:40 | -2 ft (0 m) | 5:49:28 |
| 42 | 8:39 | 13:55 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 5:58:06 |
| 42.2 | 9:43 | 15:38 | +16 ft (+5 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 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 6:00 at the Dublin Marathon?
3:00:40. 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 Dublin Marathon?
Even effort at a 6:00 goal produces splits between 7:31 and 9:12 per kilometre — about 101 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 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.