London Marathon 5:30 pace chart
A 5:30:00 finish at the London Marathon averages 12:35 per mile (7:49 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 6:49/km and the hardest around 8:22/km — about 93 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 2:44:09 — a 1:41 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 8:22/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 5:30:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the London Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 5:30:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:06 | 13:03 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 8:06 |
| 2 | 8:00 | 12:52 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 16:06 |
| 3 | 7:44 | 12:28 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 23:50 |
| 4 | 7:35 | 12:13 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 31:26 |
| 5 | 6:49 | 10:58 | -86 ft (-26 m) | 38:15 |
| 6 | 7:27 | 11:59 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 45:41 |
| 7 | 7:46 | 12:30 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 53:27 |
| 8 | 7:51 | 12:38 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 1:01:18 |
| 9 | 7:50 | 12:36 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:09:08 |
| 10 | 8:08 | 13:05 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 1:17:16 |
| 11 | 7:29 | 12:02 | -28 ft (-8 m) | 1:24:44 |
| 12 | 7:58 | 12:49 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 1:32:42 |
| 13 | 7:39 | 12:19 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 1:40:21 |
| 14 | 7:57 | 12:48 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 1:48:19 |
| 15 | 7:50 | 12:36 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:56:08 |
| 16 | 7:46 | 12:30 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 2:03:54 |
| 17 | 7:49 | 12:35 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:11:44 |
| 18 | 7:46 | 12:31 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 2:19:30 |
| 19 | 7:52 | 12:40 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 2:27:22 |
| 20 | 7:40 | 12:20 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 2:35:02 |
| 21 | 8:22 | 13:27 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 2:43:24 |
| 22 | 7:44 | 12:27 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 2:51:09 |
| 23 | 7:40 | 12:21 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 2:58:49 |
| 24 | 8:15 | 13:17 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 3:07:04 |
| 25 | 7:39 | 12:19 | -27 ft (-8 m) | 3:14:43 |
| 26 | 7:38 | 12:17 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 3:22:21 |
| 27 | 7:48 | 12:34 | -2 ft (0 m) | 3:30:09 |
| 28 | 8:16 | 13:18 | +33 ft (+10 m) | 3:38:25 |
| 29 | 7:35 | 12:13 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 3:46:00 |
| 30 | 8:03 | 12:58 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 3:54:04 |
| 31 | 8:01 | 12:54 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 4:02:05 |
| 32 | 7:46 | 12:30 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 4:09:51 |
| 33 | 7:53 | 12:41 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 4:17:44 |
| 34 | 7:58 | 12:49 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 4:25:41 |
| 35 | 7:51 | 12:38 | +1 ft (0 m) | 4:33:32 |
| 36 | 7:57 | 12:47 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 4:41:29 |
| 37 | 8:08 | 13:05 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 4:49:37 |
| 38 | 7:57 | 12:48 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 4:57:34 |
| 39 | 7:11 | 11:33 | -55 ft (-17 m) | 5:04:45 |
| 40 | 8:06 | 13:03 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 5:12:51 |
| 41 | 7:52 | 12:40 | 0 ft (0 m) | 5:20:43 |
| 42 | 7:49 | 12:34 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 5:28:32 |
| 42.2 | 7:34 | 12:10 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 5:30:00 |
Frequently asked questions
What pace is a 5:30 marathon?
A 5:30:00 marathon is 12:35 per mile or 7:49 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 5:30 at the London Marathon?
2:44:09. That is the grade-adjusted halfway target for this course, not simply half of 5:30:00 — 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 5:30 goal produces splits between 6:49 and 8:22 per kilometre — about 93 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 5:30:00. Uphill sections get more time and downhill sections less, at a constant effort throughout.
Is 5:30 a realistic marathon goal?
5:30 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.