London Marathon 6:00 pace chart
A 6:00:00 finish at the London 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 kilometre comes in around 7:20/km and the hardest around 8:50/km — about 89 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 2:59:25 — a 1:10 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 8:50/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 6:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the London Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 6:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:49 | 14:12 | +18 ft (+5 m) | 8:49 |
| 2 | 8:43 | 14:01 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 17:32 |
| 3 | 8:39 | 13:55 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 26:11 |
| 4 | 8:18 | 13:22 | -18 ft (-6 m) | 34:29 |
| 5 | 7:20 | 11:49 | -93 ft (-28 m) | 41:49 |
| 6 | 8:11 | 13:11 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 50:01 |
| 7 | 8:30 | 13:41 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 58:31 |
| 8 | 8:28 | 13:38 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 1:06:59 |
| 9 | 8:34 | 13:47 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:15:33 |
| 10 | 8:45 | 14:05 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 1:24:18 |
| 11 | 8:26 | 13:34 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 1:32:43 |
| 12 | 8:36 | 13:50 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 1:41:19 |
| 13 | 8:25 | 13:33 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 1:49:44 |
| 14 | 8:46 | 14:06 | +14 ft (+4 m) | 1:58:30 |
| 15 | 8:31 | 13:42 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 2:07:01 |
| 16 | 8:30 | 13:41 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 2:15:32 |
| 17 | 8:36 | 13:50 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:24:08 |
| 18 | 8:30 | 13:41 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 2:32:38 |
| 19 | 8:31 | 13:43 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 2:41:09 |
| 20 | 8:35 | 13:50 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:49:44 |
| 21 | 8:50 | 14:12 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 2:58:34 |
| 22 | 8:39 | 13:55 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 3:07:13 |
| 23 | 8:22 | 13:28 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 3:15:35 |
| 24 | 8:27 | 13:36 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 3:24:02 |
| 25 | 8:34 | 13:47 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 3:32:35 |
| 26 | 8:30 | 13:40 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 3:41:05 |
| 27 | 8:35 | 13:49 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 3:49:40 |
| 28 | 8:40 | 13:57 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 3:58:21 |
| 29 | 8:37 | 13:51 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 4:06:57 |
| 30 | 8:49 | 14:12 | +18 ft (+5 m) | 4:15:46 |
| 31 | 8:22 | 13:29 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 4:24:09 |
| 32 | 8:31 | 13:42 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 4:32:40 |
| 33 | 8:34 | 13:47 | 0 ft (0 m) | 4:41:13 |
| 34 | 8:46 | 14:06 | +14 ft (+4 m) | 4:49:59 |
| 35 | 8:37 | 13:52 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 4:58:36 |
| 36 | 8:28 | 13:38 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 5:07:04 |
| 37 | 8:45 | 14:05 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 5:15:50 |
| 38 | 8:19 | 13:22 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 5:24:08 |
| 39 | 8:26 | 13:34 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 5:32:34 |
| 40 | 8:36 | 13:50 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 5:41:10 |
| 41 | 8:40 | 13:57 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 5:49:50 |
| 42 | 8:28 | 13:37 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 5:58:18 |
| 42.2 | 8:45 | 14:05 | +3 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 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 6:00 at the London Marathon?
2:59:25. 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 London Marathon?
Even effort at a 6:00 goal produces splits between 7:20 and 8:50 per kilometre — about 89 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 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.