Osaka Marathon 5:00 pace chart
A 5:00:00 finish at the Osaka 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 6:17/km and the hardest around 7:49/km — about 92 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 2:30:08 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 8; at this goal time it should take 7:49/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Osaka on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 5:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Osaka 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 | 6:48 | 10:56 | -40 ft (-12 m) | 6:48 |
| 2 | 6:56 | 11:10 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 13:44 |
| 3 | 7:34 | 12:10 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 21:17 |
| 4 | 6:48 | 10:57 | -26 ft (-8 m) | 28:05 |
| 5 | 7:41 | 12:22 | +47 ft (+14 m) | 35:46 |
| 6 | 6:50 | 10:59 | -28 ft (-9 m) | 42:36 |
| 7 | 7:15 | 11:41 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 49:51 |
| 8 | 6:52 | 11:02 | -35 ft (-11 m) | 56:43 |
| 9 | 7:49 | 12:35 | +44 ft (+13 m) | 1:04:32 |
| 10 | 7:08 | 11:29 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 1:11:40 |
| 11 | 7:45 | 12:28 | +43 ft (+13 m) | 1:19:25 |
| 12 | 6:17 | 10:07 | -81 ft (-25 m) | 1:25:42 |
| 13 | 6:57 | 11:11 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 1:32:39 |
| 14 | 6:54 | 11:06 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 1:39:32 |
| 15 | 7:13 | 11:38 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 1:46:46 |
| 16 | 7:04 | 11:23 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:53:50 |
| 17 | 7:02 | 11:20 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 2:00:53 |
| 18 | 7:09 | 11:31 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 2:08:02 |
| 19 | 7:05 | 11:24 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 2:15:07 |
| 20 | 6:49 | 10:59 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 2:21:56 |
| 21 | 7:31 | 12:06 | +34 ft (+10 m) | 2:29:27 |
| 22 | 6:55 | 11:08 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 2:36:22 |
| 23 | 7:03 | 11:20 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 2:43:25 |
| 24 | 7:05 | 11:25 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 2:50:30 |
| 25 | 7:06 | 11:26 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:57:36 |
| 26 | 7:01 | 11:18 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 3:04:38 |
| 27 | 7:07 | 11:27 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 3:11:45 |
| 28 | 7:24 | 11:55 | +25 ft (+8 m) | 3:19:09 |
| 29 | 7:16 | 11:42 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 3:26:25 |
| 30 | 6:52 | 11:03 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 3:33:17 |
| 31 | 7:07 | 11:27 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 3:40:24 |
| 32 | 7:43 | 12:25 | +48 ft (+15 m) | 3:48:07 |
| 33 | 7:12 | 11:36 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 3:55:19 |
| 34 | 6:45 | 10:51 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 4:02:04 |
| 35 | 6:47 | 10:54 | -27 ft (-8 m) | 4:08:51 |
| 36 | 7:07 | 11:27 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 4:15:57 |
| 37 | 7:05 | 11:24 | +1 ft (0 m) | 4:23:02 |
| 38 | 6:56 | 11:09 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 4:29:58 |
| 39 | 7:09 | 11:30 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 4:37:07 |
| 40 | 6:59 | 11:15 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 4:44:06 |
| 41 | 7:10 | 11:32 | +8 ft (+3 m) | 4:51:16 |
| 42 | 7:23 | 11:53 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 4:58:39 |
| 42.2 | 6:54 | 11:06 | -3 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 Osaka 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 Osaka Marathon?
2:30:08. 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 Osaka Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:00 goal produces splits between 6:17 and 7:49 per kilometre — about 92 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 Osaka 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.