New York City Marathon 5:00 pace chart
A 5:00:00 finish at the New York City 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 10:26/mi and the hardest around 12:17/mi — about 111 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 2:29:11 — a 1:38 positive split, which is what the terrain costs you rather than a pacing error. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 37; at this goal time it should take 12:17/mi, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing New York on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Mile-by-mile targets for 5:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the New York City 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 | 10:26 | 6:29 | -117 ft (-36 m) | 10:26 |
| 2 | 12:11 | 7:34 | +58 ft (+18 m) | 22:36 |
| 3 | 11:43 | 7:17 | +24 ft (+7 m) | 34:20 |
| 4 | 11:31 | 7:09 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 45:51 |
| 5 | 11:10 | 6:56 | -23 ft (-7 m) | 57:01 |
| 6 | 11:11 | 6:57 | -23 ft (-7 m) | 1:08:11 |
| 7 | 11:18 | 7:01 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 1:19:29 |
| 8 | 11:34 | 7:11 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 1:31:04 |
| 9 | 11:51 | 7:22 | +32 ft (+10 m) | 1:42:54 |
| 10 | 10:46 | 6:42 | -57 ft (-17 m) | 1:53:41 |
| 11 | 11:54 | 7:24 | +39 ft (+12 m) | 2:05:34 |
| 12 | 10:59 | 6:50 | -38 ft (-12 m) | 2:16:34 |
| 13 | 11:22 | 7:04 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 2:27:56 |
| 14 | 11:26 | 7:06 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:39:22 |
| 15 | 11:30 | 7:08 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 2:50:52 |
| 16 | 12:04 | 7:30 | +45 ft (+14 m) | 3:02:56 |
| 17 | 11:08 | 6:55 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 3:14:04 |
| 18 | 11:07 | 6:55 | -28 ft (-9 m) | 3:25:11 |
| 19 | 11:28 | 7:08 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 3:36:39 |
| 20 | 11:39 | 7:14 | +18 ft (+5 m) | 3:48:19 |
| 21 | 11:07 | 6:55 | -27 ft (-8 m) | 3:59:26 |
| 22 | 11:40 | 7:15 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 4:11:06 |
| 23 | 11:31 | 7:09 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 4:22:36 |
| 24 | 12:17 | 7:38 | +69 ft (+21 m) | 4:34:53 |
| 25 | 11:11 | 6:57 | -27 ft (-8 m) | 4:46:05 |
| 26 | 11:27 | 7:07 | -1 ft (0 m) | 4:57:31 |
| 26.2 | 11:20 | 7:02 | -2 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 New York City 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 New York City Marathon?
2:29:11. 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 New York City Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:00 goal produces splits between 10:26 and 12:17 per mile — about 111 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 New York City 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.