Paris Marathon 5:30 pace chart
A 5:30:00 finish at the Paris Marathon averages 12:35 per mile (7:49 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 6:48/km and the hardest around 8:39/km — about 111 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 2:44:53 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 39; at this goal time it should take 8:38/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 5:30:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Paris Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 5:30:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7:34 | 12:11 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 7:34 |
| 2 | 8:18 | 13:22 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 15:52 |
| 3 | 7:48 | 12:32 | +1 ft (0 m) | 23:40 |
| 4 | 7:11 | 11:34 | -50 ft (-15 m) | 30:51 |
| 5 | 8:39 | 13:55 | +58 ft (+18 m) | 39:30 |
| 6 | 7:31 | 12:06 | -22 ft (-7 m) | 47:01 |
| 7 | 7:40 | 12:20 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 54:41 |
| 8 | 7:46 | 12:31 | -1 ft (0 m) | 1:02:27 |
| 9 | 8:23 | 13:30 | +46 ft (+14 m) | 1:10:51 |
| 10 | 7:57 | 12:47 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 1:18:48 |
| 11 | 7:19 | 11:47 | -42 ft (-13 m) | 1:26:07 |
| 12 | 8:06 | 13:01 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 1:34:12 |
| 13 | 7:29 | 12:03 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 1:41:41 |
| 14 | 7:49 | 12:34 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:49:30 |
| 15 | 8:09 | 13:08 | +28 ft (+9 m) | 1:57:40 |
| 16 | 7:44 | 12:27 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 2:05:24 |
| 17 | 8:27 | 13:37 | +47 ft (+14 m) | 2:13:51 |
| 18 | 7:43 | 12:26 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 2:21:34 |
| 19 | 7:23 | 11:52 | -33 ft (-10 m) | 2:28:57 |
| 20 | 7:38 | 12:17 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 2:36:35 |
| 21 | 7:32 | 12:07 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 2:44:07 |
| 22 | 7:53 | 12:42 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 2:52:00 |
| 23 | 7:27 | 12:00 | -27 ft (-8 m) | 2:59:28 |
| 24 | 8:06 | 13:03 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 3:07:34 |
| 25 | 7:32 | 12:08 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 3:15:06 |
| 26 | 7:19 | 11:47 | -38 ft (-12 m) | 3:22:25 |
| 27 | 7:46 | 12:31 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:30:12 |
| 28 | 7:48 | 12:33 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:38:00 |
| 29 | 8:04 | 12:59 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 3:46:04 |
| 30 | 7:46 | 12:30 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 3:53:50 |
| 31 | 7:33 | 12:10 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 4:01:24 |
| 32 | 7:49 | 12:35 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 4:09:13 |
| 33 | 8:23 | 13:29 | +43 ft (+13 m) | 4:17:35 |
| 34 | 8:02 | 12:56 | +18 ft (+6 m) | 4:25:38 |
| 35 | 7:19 | 11:47 | -41 ft (-12 m) | 4:32:57 |
| 36 | 7:55 | 12:44 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 4:40:51 |
| 37 | 8:19 | 13:23 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 4:49:10 |
| 38 | 7:51 | 12:38 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 4:57:01 |
| 39 | 8:01 | 12:54 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 5:05:02 |
| 40 | 8:38 | 13:54 | +61 ft (+19 m) | 5:13:41 |
| 41 | 7:54 | 12:43 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 5:21:35 |
| 42 | 6:48 | 10:57 | -85 ft (-26 m) | 5:28:22 |
| 42.2 | 9:03 | 14:34 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 5:30:00 |
Frequently asked questions
What pace is a 5:30 marathon?
A 5:30:00 marathon is 12:35 per mile or 7:49 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 5:30 at the Paris Marathon?
2:44:53. That is the grade-adjusted halfway target for this course, not simply half of 5:30:00 — 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 5:30 goal produces splits between 6:48 and 8:39 per kilometre — 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 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 5:30:00. Uphill sections get more time and downhill sections less, at a constant effort throughout.
Is 5:30 a realistic marathon goal?
5:30 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.