Osaka Marathon 6:00 pace chart
A 6:00:00 finish at the Osaka 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 kilometre comes in around 8:00/km and the hardest around 9:07/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 2:59:32 — a 0:56 positive split, which is what the terrain costs you rather than a pacing error. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 32; at this goal time it should take 9:07/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 6:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Osaka Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 6:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:00 | 12:53 | -40 ft (-12 m) | 8:00 |
| 2 | 8:34 | 13:46 | +1 ft (0 m) | 16:34 |
| 3 | 8:29 | 13:40 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 25:03 |
| 4 | 8:33 | 13:46 | +1 ft (0 m) | 33:36 |
| 5 | 8:33 | 13:45 | +1 ft (0 m) | 42:09 |
| 6 | 8:36 | 13:50 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 50:45 |
| 7 | 8:31 | 13:43 | -2 ft (0 m) | 59:16 |
| 8 | 8:26 | 13:34 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 1:07:42 |
| 9 | 8:36 | 13:50 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 1:16:18 |
| 10 | 8:29 | 13:40 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 1:24:47 |
| 11 | 8:37 | 13:51 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 1:33:24 |
| 12 | 8:30 | 13:40 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 1:41:53 |
| 13 | 8:27 | 13:36 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 1:50:20 |
| 14 | 8:35 | 13:49 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 1:58:55 |
| 15 | 8:28 | 13:37 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 2:07:23 |
| 16 | 8:32 | 13:45 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:15:56 |
| 17 | 8:32 | 13:44 | -1 ft (0 m) | 2:24:28 |
| 18 | 8:32 | 13:44 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:33:00 |
| 19 | 8:37 | 13:52 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 2:41:37 |
| 20 | 8:40 | 13:56 | +8 ft (+3 m) | 2:50:16 |
| 21 | 8:26 | 13:34 | -8 ft (-3 m) | 2:58:42 |
| 22 | 8:32 | 13:44 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:07:14 |
| 23 | 8:32 | 13:44 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:15:46 |
| 24 | 8:34 | 13:47 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 3:24:20 |
| 25 | 8:33 | 13:45 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:32:53 |
| 26 | 8:31 | 13:42 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 3:41:23 |
| 27 | 8:33 | 13:46 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:49:57 |
| 28 | 8:32 | 13:44 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:58:29 |
| 29 | 8:39 | 13:56 | +8 ft (+3 m) | 4:07:08 |
| 30 | 8:31 | 13:42 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 4:15:39 |
| 31 | 8:37 | 13:52 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 4:24:16 |
| 32 | 8:44 | 14:03 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 4:33:00 |
| 33 | 9:07 | 14:40 | +37 ft (+11 m) | 4:42:07 |
| 34 | 8:07 | 13:03 | -32 ft (-10 m) | 4:50:13 |
| 35 | 8:15 | 13:17 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 4:58:28 |
| 36 | 8:31 | 13:42 | -2 ft (0 m) | 5:06:59 |
| 37 | 8:32 | 13:44 | 0 ft (0 m) | 5:15:31 |
| 38 | 8:27 | 13:35 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 5:23:58 |
| 39 | 8:34 | 13:47 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 5:32:32 |
| 40 | 8:31 | 13:42 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 5:41:02 |
| 41 | 8:33 | 13:45 | +1 ft (0 m) | 5:49:35 |
| 42 | 8:43 | 14:02 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 5:58:18 |
| 42.2 | 8:41 | 13:58 | +2 ft (+1 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 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 6:00 at the Osaka Marathon?
2:59:32. 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 Osaka Marathon?
Even effort at a 6:00 goal produces splits between 8:00 and 9:07 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 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 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.