Paris Marathon 5:00 pace chart
A 5:00:00 finish at the Paris 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 6:11/km and the hardest around 7:52/km — about 101 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 2:29:54 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 39; at this goal time it should take 7:51/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Paris on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 5:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Paris 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 | 6:53 | 11:04 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 6:53 |
| 2 | 7:33 | 12:09 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 14:26 |
| 3 | 7:05 | 11:24 | +1 ft (0 m) | 21:31 |
| 4 | 6:32 | 10:31 | -50 ft (-15 m) | 28:03 |
| 5 | 7:52 | 12:39 | +58 ft (+18 m) | 35:55 |
| 6 | 6:50 | 11:00 | -22 ft (-7 m) | 42:45 |
| 7 | 6:58 | 11:12 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 49:43 |
| 8 | 7:04 | 11:22 | -1 ft (0 m) | 56:47 |
| 9 | 7:38 | 12:17 | +46 ft (+14 m) | 1:04:24 |
| 10 | 7:13 | 11:38 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 1:11:38 |
| 11 | 6:39 | 10:43 | -42 ft (-13 m) | 1:18:17 |
| 12 | 7:21 | 11:50 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 1:25:39 |
| 13 | 6:48 | 10:57 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 1:32:27 |
| 14 | 7:06 | 11:26 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:39:33 |
| 15 | 7:25 | 11:56 | +28 ft (+9 m) | 1:46:58 |
| 16 | 7:02 | 11:19 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 1:54:00 |
| 17 | 7:41 | 12:22 | +47 ft (+14 m) | 2:01:41 |
| 18 | 7:01 | 11:18 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 2:08:42 |
| 19 | 6:42 | 10:48 | -33 ft (-10 m) | 2:15:25 |
| 20 | 6:57 | 11:10 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 2:22:21 |
| 21 | 6:51 | 11:01 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 2:29:12 |
| 22 | 7:10 | 11:32 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 2:36:22 |
| 23 | 6:47 | 10:55 | -27 ft (-8 m) | 2:43:09 |
| 24 | 7:22 | 11:51 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 2:50:31 |
| 25 | 6:51 | 11:02 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 2:57:22 |
| 26 | 6:40 | 10:43 | -38 ft (-12 m) | 3:04:01 |
| 27 | 7:04 | 11:22 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:11:05 |
| 28 | 7:05 | 11:25 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:18:11 |
| 29 | 7:20 | 11:49 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 3:25:31 |
| 30 | 7:04 | 11:22 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 3:32:35 |
| 31 | 6:52 | 11:03 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 3:39:27 |
| 32 | 7:06 | 11:26 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 3:46:34 |
| 33 | 7:37 | 12:15 | +43 ft (+13 m) | 3:54:10 |
| 34 | 7:18 | 11:46 | +18 ft (+6 m) | 4:01:29 |
| 35 | 6:39 | 10:43 | -41 ft (-12 m) | 4:08:08 |
| 36 | 7:11 | 11:34 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 4:15:19 |
| 37 | 7:33 | 12:10 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 4:22:53 |
| 38 | 7:08 | 11:29 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 4:30:01 |
| 39 | 7:17 | 11:44 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 4:37:18 |
| 40 | 7:51 | 12:38 | +61 ft (+19 m) | 4:45:10 |
| 41 | 7:11 | 11:33 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 4:52:20 |
| 42 | 6:11 | 9:57 | -85 ft (-26 m) | 4:58:31 |
| 42.2 | 8:14 | 13:15 | +17 ft (+5 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 Paris 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 Paris Marathon?
2:29:54. 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 Paris Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:00 goal produces splits between 6:11 and 7:52 per kilometre — about 101 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 Paris 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.