Paris Marathon 6:00 pace chart
A 6:00:00 finish at the Paris 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 7:46/km and the hardest around 9:11/km — about 85 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 3:00:22 — a 0:45 negative split, because the harder half comes first. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 8; at this goal time it should take 9:11/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 6:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Paris Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 6:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:28 | 13:37 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 8:28 |
| 2 | 8:36 | 13:51 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 17:04 |
| 3 | 8:29 | 13:38 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 25:32 |
| 4 | 8:29 | 13:39 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 34:02 |
| 5 | 8:39 | 13:55 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 42:41 |
| 6 | 8:27 | 13:36 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 51:08 |
| 7 | 8:36 | 13:51 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 59:44 |
| 8 | 8:25 | 13:33 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 1:08:09 |
| 9 | 9:11 | 14:47 | +47 ft (+14 m) | 1:17:21 |
| 10 | 8:35 | 13:49 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 1:25:55 |
| 11 | 8:03 | 12:57 | -35 ft (-11 m) | 1:33:58 |
| 12 | 9:03 | 14:34 | +37 ft (+11 m) | 1:43:01 |
| 13 | 8:15 | 13:17 | -18 ft (-6 m) | 1:51:17 |
| 14 | 8:34 | 13:46 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 1:59:50 |
| 15 | 8:55 | 14:21 | +29 ft (+9 m) | 2:08:45 |
| 16 | 8:24 | 13:31 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 2:17:10 |
| 17 | 9:09 | 14:44 | +43 ft (+13 m) | 2:26:19 |
| 18 | 8:24 | 13:31 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 2:34:43 |
| 19 | 8:03 | 12:57 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 2:42:46 |
| 20 | 8:23 | 13:30 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 2:51:09 |
| 21 | 8:25 | 13:33 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 2:59:34 |
| 22 | 8:12 | 13:11 | -26 ft (-8 m) | 3:07:46 |
| 23 | 8:17 | 13:19 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 3:16:03 |
| 24 | 8:33 | 13:46 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 3:24:36 |
| 25 | 8:28 | 13:37 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 3:33:04 |
| 26 | 8:16 | 13:19 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 3:41:20 |
| 27 | 8:28 | 13:38 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 3:49:48 |
| 28 | 8:46 | 14:07 | +18 ft (+6 m) | 3:58:35 |
| 29 | 8:24 | 13:32 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 4:06:59 |
| 30 | 8:31 | 13:43 | 0 ft (0 m) | 4:15:30 |
| 31 | 8:38 | 13:54 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 4:24:09 |
| 32 | 8:19 | 13:24 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 4:32:28 |
| 33 | 8:34 | 13:47 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 4:41:02 |
| 34 | 8:48 | 14:10 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 4:49:50 |
| 35 | 8:26 | 13:35 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 4:58:16 |
| 36 | 8:30 | 13:40 | -1 ft (0 m) | 5:06:46 |
| 37 | 9:03 | 14:34 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 5:15:49 |
| 38 | 8:38 | 13:53 | +8 ft (+3 m) | 5:24:27 |
| 39 | 8:29 | 13:39 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 5:32:56 |
| 40 | 9:08 | 14:42 | +42 ft (+13 m) | 5:42:04 |
| 41 | 8:34 | 13:48 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 5:50:38 |
| 42 | 7:46 | 12:30 | -56 ft (-17 m) | 5:58:24 |
| 42.2 | 8:10 | 13:09 | -5 ft (-2 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 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 6:00 at the Paris Marathon?
3:00:22. 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 Paris Marathon?
Even effort at a 6:00 goal produces splits between 7:46 and 9:11 per kilometre — about 85 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 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.