Grandma's Marathon 6:00 pace chart
A 6:00:00 finish at the Grandma's 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 12:58/mi and the hardest around 14:13/mi — about 75 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 2:59:27 — a 1:07 positive split, which is what the terrain costs you rather than a pacing error. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 35; at this goal time it should take 13:57/mi, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Duluth on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Mile-by-mile targets for 6:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Grandma's 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 | 13:27 | 8:21 | -26 ft (-8 m) | 27:03 |
| 3 | 13:23 | 8:19 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 40:26 |
| 4 | 13:49 | 8:35 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 54:15 |
| 5 | 13:33 | 8:25 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 1:07:49 |
| 6 | 13:43 | 8:31 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 1:21:32 |
| 7 | 13:49 | 8:35 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 1:35:21 |
| 8 | 14:09 | 8:48 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 1:49:31 |
| 9 | 14:01 | 8:42 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 2:03:31 |
| 10 | 12:58 | 8:03 | -62 ft (-19 m) | 2:16:29 |
| 11 | 14:11 | 8:49 | +29 ft (+9 m) | 2:30:40 |
| 12 | 13:42 | 8:31 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 2:44:23 |
| 13 | 13:33 | 8:25 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 2:57:55 |
| 14 | 13:53 | 8:38 | +8 ft (+2 m) | 3:11:48 |
| 15 | 13:47 | 8:34 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:25:36 |
| 16 | 13:40 | 8:30 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 3:39:16 |
| 17 | 13:55 | 8:39 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 3:53:11 |
| 18 | 14:06 | 8:46 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 4:07:17 |
| 19 | 13:21 | 8:18 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 4:20:39 |
| 20 | 14:13 | 8:50 | +31 ft (+9 m) | 4:34:51 |
| 21 | 14:02 | 8:43 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 4:48:53 |
| 22 | 13:29 | 8:23 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 5:02:23 |
| 23 | 13:57 | 8:40 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 5:16:20 |
| 24 | 13:42 | 8:31 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 5:30:02 |
| 25 | 13:32 | 8:25 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 5:43:34 |
| 26 | 13:26 | 8:21 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 5:57:00 |
| 26.2 | 13:41 | 8:30 | -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 Grandma's 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 Grandma's Marathon?
2:59:27. 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 Grandma's Marathon?
Even effort at a 6:00 goal produces splits between 12:58 and 14:13 per mile — about 75 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 Grandma's 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.