Manchester Marathon 5:00 pace chart
A 5:00:00 finish at the Manchester 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 kilometre comes in around 6:27/km and the hardest around 7:33/km — about 66 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 2:30:37 — a 1:14 negative split, because the harder half comes first. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 20; at this goal time it should take 7:33/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Manchester on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 5:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Manchester 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.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7:02 | 11:20 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 7:02 |
| 2 | 7:01 | 11:18 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 14:04 |
| 3 | 7:10 | 11:32 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 21:14 |
| 4 | 7:06 | 11:26 | -1 ft (0 m) | 28:20 |
| 5 | 7:00 | 11:16 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 35:20 |
| 6 | 7:12 | 11:35 | +8 ft (+2 m) | 42:32 |
| 7 | 7:21 | 11:50 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 49:53 |
| 8 | 6:56 | 11:10 | -15 ft (-4 m) | 56:50 |
| 9 | 7:07 | 11:27 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:03:57 |
| 10 | 6:58 | 11:13 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 1:10:55 |
| 11 | 7:08 | 11:29 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 1:18:03 |
| 12 | 7:12 | 11:36 | +8 ft (+3 m) | 1:25:15 |
| 13 | 7:13 | 11:37 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 1:32:28 |
| 14 | 7:04 | 11:23 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 1:39:33 |
| 15 | 6:59 | 11:15 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 1:46:32 |
| 16 | 7:09 | 11:31 | +5 ft (+1 m) | 1:53:42 |
| 17 | 7:18 | 11:45 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 2:01:00 |
| 18 | 7:02 | 11:19 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 2:08:02 |
| 19 | 7:04 | 11:23 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 2:15:06 |
| 20 | 7:21 | 11:49 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 2:22:27 |
| 21 | 7:33 | 12:09 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 2:29:59 |
| 22 | 6:27 | 10:23 | -59 ft (-18 m) | 2:36:27 |
| 23 | 7:10 | 11:33 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 2:43:37 |
| 24 | 7:05 | 11:23 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 2:50:42 |
| 25 | 7:03 | 11:21 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 2:57:45 |
| 26 | 7:00 | 11:15 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 3:04:45 |
| 27 | 7:07 | 11:27 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:11:51 |
| 28 | 7:04 | 11:22 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 3:18:55 |
| 29 | 7:03 | 11:20 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 3:25:58 |
| 30 | 7:05 | 11:25 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:33:03 |
| 31 | 7:05 | 11:24 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:40:09 |
| 32 | 7:00 | 11:16 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 3:47:09 |
| 33 | 7:02 | 11:19 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 3:54:11 |
| 34 | 6:55 | 11:08 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 4:01:06 |
| 35 | 7:13 | 11:36 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 4:08:19 |
| 36 | 7:20 | 11:48 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 4:15:38 |
| 37 | 7:12 | 11:35 | +8 ft (+2 m) | 4:22:50 |
| 38 | 7:08 | 11:29 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 4:29:58 |
| 39 | 7:09 | 11:31 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 4:37:08 |
| 40 | 7:07 | 11:28 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 4:44:15 |
| 41 | 7:05 | 11:24 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 4:51:20 |
| 42 | 7:22 | 11:51 | +21 ft (+6 m) | 4:58:42 |
| 42.2 | 6:41 | 10:46 | -7 ft (-2 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 Manchester 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 5:00 at the Manchester Marathon?
2:30:37. 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 Manchester Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:00 goal produces splits between 6:27 and 7:33 per kilometre — about 66 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 Manchester 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 5:00:00. 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.