London Marathon 5:00 pace chart
A 5:00:00 finish at the London 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 6:11/km and the hardest around 7:36/km — about 85 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 2:29:14 — a 1:32 positive split, which is what the terrain costs you rather than a pacing error. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 20; at this goal time it should take 7:36/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing London on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 5:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the London 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 | 7:22 | 11:51 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 7:22 |
| 2 | 7:16 | 11:42 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 14:38 |
| 3 | 7:02 | 11:20 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 21:40 |
| 4 | 6:54 | 11:06 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 28:34 |
| 5 | 6:11 | 9:58 | -86 ft (-26 m) | 34:46 |
| 6 | 6:46 | 10:53 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 41:32 |
| 7 | 7:04 | 11:22 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 48:36 |
| 8 | 7:08 | 11:29 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 55:44 |
| 9 | 7:07 | 11:27 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:02:51 |
| 10 | 7:23 | 11:54 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 1:10:14 |
| 11 | 6:48 | 10:56 | -28 ft (-8 m) | 1:17:02 |
| 12 | 7:14 | 11:39 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 1:24:17 |
| 13 | 6:57 | 11:12 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 1:31:14 |
| 14 | 7:14 | 11:38 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 1:38:28 |
| 15 | 7:07 | 11:27 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:45:35 |
| 16 | 7:04 | 11:22 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 1:52:38 |
| 17 | 7:07 | 11:27 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:59:45 |
| 18 | 7:04 | 11:22 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 2:06:49 |
| 19 | 7:09 | 11:31 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 2:13:59 |
| 20 | 6:58 | 11:13 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 2:20:57 |
| 21 | 7:36 | 12:14 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 2:28:33 |
| 22 | 7:02 | 11:19 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 2:35:35 |
| 23 | 6:58 | 11:13 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 2:42:33 |
| 24 | 7:30 | 12:05 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 2:50:04 |
| 25 | 6:58 | 11:12 | -27 ft (-8 m) | 2:57:01 |
| 26 | 6:56 | 11:10 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 3:03:57 |
| 27 | 7:06 | 11:25 | -2 ft (0 m) | 3:11:03 |
| 28 | 7:31 | 12:05 | +33 ft (+10 m) | 3:18:34 |
| 29 | 6:54 | 11:06 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 3:25:28 |
| 30 | 7:19 | 11:47 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 3:32:47 |
| 31 | 7:17 | 11:44 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 3:40:05 |
| 32 | 7:04 | 11:22 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 3:47:08 |
| 33 | 7:10 | 11:32 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 3:54:18 |
| 34 | 7:14 | 11:39 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 4:01:32 |
| 35 | 7:08 | 11:29 | +1 ft (0 m) | 4:08:40 |
| 36 | 7:13 | 11:37 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 4:15:54 |
| 37 | 7:23 | 11:53 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 4:23:17 |
| 38 | 7:14 | 11:38 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 4:30:31 |
| 39 | 6:32 | 10:30 | -55 ft (-17 m) | 4:37:02 |
| 40 | 7:22 | 11:51 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 4:44:25 |
| 41 | 7:09 | 11:31 | 0 ft (0 m) | 4:51:34 |
| 42 | 7:06 | 11:26 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 4:58:40 |
| 42.2 | 6:52 | 11:04 | -4 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 London 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 London Marathon?
2:29:14. 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 London Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:00 goal produces splits between 6:11 and 7:36 per kilometre — about 85 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 London 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.