Honolulu Marathon 5:00 pace chart
A 5:00:00 finish at the Honolulu 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 mile comes in around 10:22/mi and the hardest around 12:43/mi — about 141 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 2:30:04 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 12; at this goal time it should take 12:43/mi, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Honolulu on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Mile-by-mile targets for 5:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Honolulu 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.
| Mile | Target /mi | Target /km | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11:25 | 7:06 | 0 ft (0 m) | 11:25 |
| 2 | 11:30 | 7:09 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 22:55 |
| 3 | 11:20 | 7:03 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 34:15 |
| 4 | 11:25 | 7:06 | 0 ft (0 m) | 45:40 |
| 5 | 11:25 | 7:06 | 0 ft (0 m) | 57:05 |
| 6 | 11:25 | 7:06 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:08:30 |
| 7 | 11:26 | 7:06 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:19:56 |
| 8 | 12:43 | 7:54 | +101 ft (+31 m) | 1:32:39 |
| 9 | 11:18 | 7:01 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 1:43:57 |
| 10 | 10:58 | 6:49 | -56 ft (-17 m) | 1:54:54 |
| 11 | 11:28 | 7:07 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:06:22 |
| 12 | 11:07 | 6:54 | -28 ft (-9 m) | 2:17:29 |
| 13 | 11:21 | 7:03 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 2:28:49 |
| 14 | 11:25 | 7:06 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:40:14 |
| 15 | 11:25 | 7:06 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:51:39 |
| 16 | 11:30 | 7:09 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 3:03:09 |
| 17 | 11:20 | 7:03 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 3:14:29 |
| 18 | 11:25 | 7:06 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:25:54 |
| 19 | 11:25 | 7:06 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:37:19 |
| 20 | 11:25 | 7:06 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:48:44 |
| 21 | 11:28 | 7:08 | +5 ft (+1 m) | 4:00:12 |
| 22 | 11:42 | 7:16 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 4:11:55 |
| 23 | 11:06 | 6:54 | -28 ft (-9 m) | 4:23:01 |
| 24 | 11:54 | 7:23 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 4:34:54 |
| 25 | 12:13 | 7:35 | +63 ft (+19 m) | 4:47:07 |
| 26 | 10:22 | 6:26 | -101 ft (-31 m) | 4:57:29 |
| 26.2 | 11:31 | 7:09 | +2 ft (+1 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 Honolulu 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 5:00 at the Honolulu Marathon?
2:30:04. 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 Honolulu Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:00 goal produces splits between 10:22 and 12:43 per mile — about 141 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 Honolulu 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 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.