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 7:32/km and the hardest around 9:23/km — about 110 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 3:00:09 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 8; at this goal time it should take 9:23/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 | 8:09 | 13:07 | -40 ft (-12 m) | 8:09 |
| 2 | 8:20 | 13:24 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 16:29 |
| 3 | 9:04 | 14:36 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 25:33 |
| 4 | 8:10 | 13:08 | -26 ft (-8 m) | 33:42 |
| 5 | 9:13 | 14:50 | +47 ft (+14 m) | 42:55 |
| 6 | 8:11 | 13:11 | -28 ft (-9 m) | 51:07 |
| 7 | 8:42 | 14:01 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 59:49 |
| 8 | 8:14 | 13:15 | -35 ft (-11 m) | 1:08:03 |
| 9 | 9:23 | 15:06 | +44 ft (+13 m) | 1:17:26 |
| 10 | 8:34 | 13:47 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 1:26:00 |
| 11 | 9:18 | 14:58 | +43 ft (+13 m) | 1:35:18 |
| 12 | 7:32 | 12:08 | -81 ft (-25 m) | 1:42:50 |
| 13 | 8:20 | 13:25 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 1:51:10 |
| 14 | 8:17 | 13:19 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 1:59:27 |
| 15 | 8:40 | 13:57 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 2:08:07 |
| 16 | 8:29 | 13:39 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:16:36 |
| 17 | 8:27 | 13:36 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 2:25:03 |
| 18 | 8:35 | 13:49 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 2:33:38 |
| 19 | 8:30 | 13:41 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 2:42:08 |
| 20 | 8:11 | 13:10 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 2:50:19 |
| 21 | 9:01 | 14:31 | +34 ft (+10 m) | 2:59:21 |
| 22 | 8:18 | 13:21 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 3:07:38 |
| 23 | 8:27 | 13:37 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 3:16:06 |
| 24 | 8:31 | 13:42 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 3:24:36 |
| 25 | 8:31 | 13:43 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 3:33:08 |
| 26 | 8:26 | 13:34 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 3:41:33 |
| 27 | 8:32 | 13:44 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 3:50:05 |
| 28 | 8:53 | 14:18 | +25 ft (+8 m) | 3:58:58 |
| 29 | 8:44 | 14:03 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 4:07:42 |
| 30 | 8:14 | 13:15 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 4:15:56 |
| 31 | 8:32 | 13:44 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 4:24:29 |
| 32 | 9:16 | 14:54 | +48 ft (+15 m) | 4:33:44 |
| 33 | 8:39 | 13:55 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 4:42:23 |
| 34 | 8:06 | 13:02 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 4:50:29 |
| 35 | 8:08 | 13:05 | -27 ft (-8 m) | 4:58:37 |
| 36 | 8:32 | 13:44 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 5:07:09 |
| 37 | 8:30 | 13:41 | +1 ft (0 m) | 5:15:39 |
| 38 | 8:19 | 13:23 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 5:23:58 |
| 39 | 8:35 | 13:48 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 5:32:32 |
| 40 | 8:23 | 13:30 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 5:40:56 |
| 41 | 8:36 | 13:51 | +8 ft (+3 m) | 5:49:32 |
| 42 | 8:52 | 14:15 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 5:58:23 |
| 42.2 | 8:16 | 13:19 | -3 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?
3:00:09. 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 7:32 and 9:23 per kilometre — about 110 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.