Los Angeles Marathon 5:00 pace chart
A 5:00:00 finish at the Los Angeles 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 9:51/mi and the hardest around 12:51/mi — about 180 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 2:30:43 — a 1:26 negative split, because the harder half comes first. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 6; at this goal time it should take 12:24/mi, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Los Angeles on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Mile-by-mile targets for 5:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Los Angeles 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 | 9:51 | 6:07 | -162 ft (-49 m) | 9:51 |
| 2 | 11:00 | 6:50 | -50 ft (-15 m) | 20:51 |
| 3 | 11:10 | 6:57 | -31 ft (-10 m) | 32:01 |
| 4 | 12:51 | 7:59 | +104 ft (+32 m) | 44:53 |
| 5 | 12:24 | 7:42 | +55 ft (+17 m) | 57:16 |
| 6 | 11:18 | 7:02 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 1:08:35 |
| 7 | 11:00 | 6:50 | -48 ft (-15 m) | 1:19:35 |
| 8 | 11:49 | 7:21 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 1:31:24 |
| 9 | 11:46 | 7:19 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 1:43:11 |
| 10 | 11:27 | 7:07 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 1:54:38 |
| 11 | 11:23 | 7:05 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 2:06:01 |
| 12 | 11:12 | 6:58 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 2:17:14 |
| 13 | 12:16 | 7:37 | +61 ft (+19 m) | 2:29:30 |
| 14 | 11:09 | 6:55 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 2:40:38 |
| 15 | 9:59 | 6:12 | -153 ft (-47 m) | 2:50:37 |
| 16 | 11:29 | 7:08 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 3:02:06 |
| 17 | 11:45 | 7:18 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 3:13:50 |
| 18 | 11:59 | 7:27 | +39 ft (+12 m) | 3:25:49 |
| 19 | 11:10 | 6:56 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 3:36:59 |
| 20 | 11:41 | 7:16 | +14 ft (+4 m) | 3:48:40 |
| 21 | 12:19 | 7:39 | +65 ft (+20 m) | 4:00:59 |
| 22 | 11:26 | 7:06 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 4:12:25 |
| 23 | 11:27 | 7:07 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 4:23:52 |
| 24 | 11:14 | 6:59 | -26 ft (-8 m) | 4:35:06 |
| 25 | 10:54 | 6:47 | -53 ft (-16 m) | 4:46:01 |
| 26 | 12:04 | 7:30 | +43 ft (+13 m) | 4:58:05 |
| 26.2 | 11:50 | 7:21 | +5 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 Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles Marathon?
2:30:43. 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 Los Angeles Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:00 goal produces splits between 9:51 and 12:51 per mile — about 180 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 Los Angeles 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.