Honolulu Marathon 6:00 pace chart
A 6:00:00 finish at the Honolulu 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 12:26/mi and the hardest around 15:16/mi — about 170 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 3:00:05 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 12; at this goal time it should take 15:16/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 6:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Honolulu Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 6:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Mile | Target /mi | Target /km | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13:42 | 8:31 | 0 ft (0 m) | 13:42 |
| 2 | 13:48 | 8:34 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 27:29 |
| 3 | 13:37 | 8:27 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 41:06 |
| 4 | 13:42 | 8:31 | 0 ft (0 m) | 54:48 |
| 5 | 13:42 | 8:31 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:08:30 |
| 6 | 13:42 | 8:31 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:22:12 |
| 7 | 13:43 | 8:31 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:35:55 |
| 8 | 15:16 | 9:29 | +101 ft (+31 m) | 1:51:10 |
| 9 | 13:34 | 8:26 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 2:04:44 |
| 10 | 13:09 | 8:10 | -56 ft (-17 m) | 2:17:53 |
| 11 | 13:46 | 8:33 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:31:39 |
| 12 | 13:20 | 8:17 | -28 ft (-9 m) | 2:44:59 |
| 13 | 13:37 | 8:27 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 2:58:35 |
| 14 | 13:42 | 8:31 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:12:17 |
| 15 | 13:42 | 8:31 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:25:59 |
| 16 | 13:48 | 8:34 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 3:39:47 |
| 17 | 13:36 | 8:27 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 3:53:23 |
| 18 | 13:42 | 8:31 | 0 ft (0 m) | 4:07:05 |
| 19 | 13:42 | 8:31 | 0 ft (0 m) | 4:20:47 |
| 20 | 13:42 | 8:31 | 0 ft (0 m) | 4:34:29 |
| 21 | 13:46 | 8:33 | +5 ft (+1 m) | 4:48:15 |
| 22 | 14:03 | 8:44 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 5:02:18 |
| 23 | 13:19 | 8:16 | -28 ft (-9 m) | 5:15:37 |
| 24 | 14:16 | 8:52 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 5:29:53 |
| 25 | 14:40 | 9:07 | +63 ft (+19 m) | 5:44:33 |
| 26 | 12:26 | 7:44 | -101 ft (-31 m) | 5:56:59 |
| 26.2 | 13:49 | 8:35 | +2 ft (+1 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 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 6:00 at the Honolulu Marathon?
3:00:05. 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 Honolulu Marathon?
Even effort at a 6:00 goal produces splits between 12:26 and 15:16 per mile — about 170 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 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.