Mesa Marathon 5:00 pace chart
A 5:00:00 finish at the Mesa 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 10:03/mi and the hardest around 13:07/mi — about 184 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 2:27:06 — a 5:47 positive split, which is what the terrain costs you rather than a pacing error. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 8; at this goal time it should take 12:35/mi, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Mesa on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Mile-by-mile targets for 5:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Mesa 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 | 10:14 | 6:21 | -139 ft (-42 m) | 10:14 |
| 2 | 10:46 | 6:41 | -92 ft (-28 m) | 21:00 |
| 3 | 10:38 | 6:37 | -102 ft (-31 m) | 31:38 |
| 4 | 10:41 | 6:38 | -96 ft (-29 m) | 42:19 |
| 5 | 13:07 | 8:09 | +103 ft (+31 m) | 55:26 |
| 6 | 12:35 | 7:49 | +56 ft (+17 m) | 1:08:01 |
| 7 | 10:03 | 6:15 | -157 ft (-48 m) | 1:18:05 |
| 8 | 11:18 | 7:01 | -44 ft (-14 m) | 1:29:22 |
| 9 | 11:05 | 6:53 | -62 ft (-19 m) | 1:40:27 |
| 10 | 11:04 | 6:53 | -64 ft (-19 m) | 1:51:32 |
| 11 | 11:42 | 7:16 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 2:03:14 |
| 12 | 11:06 | 6:54 | -59 ft (-18 m) | 2:14:20 |
| 13 | 11:31 | 7:09 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 2:25:51 |
| 14 | 11:30 | 7:09 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 2:37:21 |
| 15 | 11:37 | 7:13 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 2:48:58 |
| 16 | 11:35 | 7:12 | -18 ft (-5 m) | 3:00:34 |
| 17 | 11:36 | 7:13 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 3:12:10 |
| 18 | 11:37 | 7:13 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 3:23:47 |
| 19 | 11:37 | 7:13 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 3:35:24 |
| 20 | 11:46 | 7:19 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 3:47:10 |
| 21 | 11:42 | 7:16 | -8 ft (-3 m) | 3:58:52 |
| 22 | 11:49 | 7:20 | +1 ft (0 m) | 4:10:41 |
| 23 | 11:53 | 7:23 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 4:22:34 |
| 24 | 11:49 | 7:21 | +1 ft (0 m) | 4:34:23 |
| 25 | 11:41 | 7:16 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 4:46:04 |
| 26 | 11:22 | 7:04 | -38 ft (-12 m) | 4:57:26 |
| 26.2 | 11:43 | 7:17 | -2 ft (0 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 Mesa 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 Mesa Marathon?
2:27:06. 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 Mesa Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:00 goal produces splits between 10:03 and 13:07 per mile — about 184 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 Mesa 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.