Los Angeles Marathon 5:30 pace chart
A 5:30:00 finish at the Los Angeles 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 mile comes in around 10:50/mi and the hardest around 14:08/mi — about 198 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 2:45:47 — a 1:34 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 13:38/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 5:30:00
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 5:30:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Mile | Target /mi | Target /km | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10:50 | 6:44 | -162 ft (-49 m) | 10:50 |
| 2 | 12:06 | 7:31 | -50 ft (-15 m) | 22:56 |
| 3 | 12:17 | 7:38 | -31 ft (-10 m) | 35:14 |
| 4 | 14:08 | 8:47 | +104 ft (+32 m) | 49:22 |
| 5 | 13:38 | 8:28 | +55 ft (+17 m) | 1:03:00 |
| 6 | 12:26 | 7:44 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 1:15:26 |
| 7 | 12:06 | 7:31 | -48 ft (-15 m) | 1:27:33 |
| 8 | 13:00 | 8:05 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 1:40:33 |
| 9 | 12:57 | 8:03 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 1:53:30 |
| 10 | 12:36 | 7:50 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 2:06:06 |
| 11 | 12:32 | 7:47 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 2:18:38 |
| 12 | 12:20 | 7:40 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 2:30:57 |
| 13 | 13:29 | 8:23 | +61 ft (+19 m) | 2:44:27 |
| 14 | 12:15 | 7:37 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 2:56:42 |
| 15 | 10:59 | 6:49 | -153 ft (-47 m) | 3:07:41 |
| 16 | 12:38 | 7:51 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 3:20:18 |
| 17 | 12:55 | 8:02 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 3:33:13 |
| 18 | 13:11 | 8:11 | +39 ft (+12 m) | 3:46:24 |
| 19 | 12:17 | 7:38 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 3:58:41 |
| 20 | 12:51 | 7:59 | +14 ft (+4 m) | 4:11:32 |
| 21 | 13:33 | 8:25 | +65 ft (+20 m) | 4:25:05 |
| 22 | 12:35 | 7:49 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 4:37:40 |
| 23 | 12:35 | 7:49 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 4:50:15 |
| 24 | 12:21 | 7:41 | -26 ft (-8 m) | 5:02:37 |
| 25 | 12:00 | 7:27 | -53 ft (-16 m) | 5:14:37 |
| 26 | 13:16 | 8:15 | +43 ft (+13 m) | 5:27:53 |
| 26.2 | 13:01 | 8:06 | +5 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 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 5:30 at the Los Angeles Marathon?
2:45:47. 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 Los Angeles Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:30 goal produces splits between 10:50 and 14:08 per mile — about 198 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 5:30:00. 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.