Los Angeles Marathon 6:00 pace chart
A 6:00:00 finish at the Los Angeles 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 mile comes in around 11:48/mi and the hardest around 15:21/mi — about 213 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 3:00:28 — a 0:56 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 14:52/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 6:00:00
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 6:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Mile | Target /mi | Target /km | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11:48 | 7:20 | -162 ft (-49 m) | 11:48 |
| 2 | 13:10 | 8:11 | -50 ft (-15 m) | 24:58 |
| 3 | 13:23 | 8:19 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 38:21 |
| 4 | 15:21 | 9:32 | +101 ft (+31 m) | 53:42 |
| 5 | 14:52 | 9:14 | +56 ft (+17 m) | 1:08:33 |
| 6 | 13:32 | 8:25 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 1:22:05 |
| 7 | 13:13 | 8:12 | -46 ft (-14 m) | 1:35:18 |
| 8 | 14:08 | 8:47 | +21 ft (+6 m) | 1:49:25 |
| 9 | 14:09 | 8:47 | +24 ft (+7 m) | 2:03:34 |
| 10 | 13:42 | 8:31 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 2:17:16 |
| 11 | 13:39 | 8:29 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 2:30:55 |
| 12 | 13:25 | 8:20 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 2:44:20 |
| 13 | 14:41 | 9:07 | +60 ft (+18 m) | 2:59:00 |
| 14 | 13:23 | 8:19 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 3:12:24 |
| 15 | 11:54 | 7:24 | -157 ft (-48 m) | 3:24:18 |
| 16 | 13:42 | 8:31 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 3:38:00 |
| 17 | 14:06 | 8:46 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 3:52:06 |
| 18 | 14:21 | 8:55 | +39 ft (+12 m) | 4:06:27 |
| 19 | 13:21 | 8:18 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 4:19:48 |
| 20 | 13:58 | 8:40 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 4:33:46 |
| 21 | 14:51 | 9:14 | +72 ft (+22 m) | 4:48:37 |
| 22 | 13:41 | 8:30 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 5:02:17 |
| 23 | 13:44 | 8:32 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 5:16:02 |
| 24 | 13:27 | 8:22 | -26 ft (-8 m) | 5:29:29 |
| 25 | 12:57 | 8:03 | -61 ft (-19 m) | 5:42:26 |
| 26 | 14:25 | 8:58 | +41 ft (+13 m) | 5:56:51 |
| 26.2 | 14:25 | 8:57 | +10 ft (+3 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 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 6:00 at the Los Angeles Marathon?
3:00:28. 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 Los Angeles Marathon?
Even effort at a 6:00 goal produces splits between 11:48 and 15:21 per mile — about 213 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 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.