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 7:25/km and the hardest around 9:26/km — about 121 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 2:59:52 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 39; at this goal time it should take 9:26/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 | 8:15 | 13:17 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 8:15 |
| 2 | 9:04 | 14:35 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 17:19 |
| 3 | 8:30 | 13:41 | +1 ft (0 m) | 25:49 |
| 4 | 7:51 | 12:37 | -50 ft (-15 m) | 33:40 |
| 5 | 9:26 | 15:11 | +58 ft (+18 m) | 43:06 |
| 6 | 8:12 | 13:12 | -22 ft (-7 m) | 51:18 |
| 7 | 8:21 | 13:27 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 59:39 |
| 8 | 8:29 | 13:39 | -1 ft (0 m) | 1:08:08 |
| 9 | 9:09 | 14:44 | +46 ft (+14 m) | 1:17:17 |
| 10 | 8:40 | 13:57 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 1:25:57 |
| 11 | 7:59 | 12:51 | -42 ft (-13 m) | 1:33:57 |
| 12 | 8:50 | 14:12 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 1:42:46 |
| 13 | 8:10 | 13:08 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 1:50:56 |
| 14 | 8:31 | 13:43 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:59:27 |
| 15 | 8:54 | 14:19 | +28 ft (+9 m) | 2:08:21 |
| 16 | 8:26 | 13:35 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 2:16:48 |
| 17 | 9:14 | 14:51 | +47 ft (+14 m) | 2:26:01 |
| 18 | 8:25 | 13:33 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 2:34:27 |
| 19 | 8:03 | 12:57 | -33 ft (-10 m) | 2:42:30 |
| 20 | 8:20 | 13:24 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 2:50:49 |
| 21 | 8:13 | 13:13 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 2:59:02 |
| 22 | 8:36 | 13:51 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 3:07:38 |
| 23 | 8:08 | 13:05 | -27 ft (-8 m) | 3:15:46 |
| 24 | 8:51 | 14:14 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 3:24:37 |
| 25 | 8:13 | 13:14 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 3:32:50 |
| 26 | 7:59 | 12:52 | -38 ft (-12 m) | 3:40:50 |
| 27 | 8:29 | 13:39 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:49:18 |
| 28 | 8:30 | 13:42 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:57:49 |
| 29 | 8:48 | 14:10 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 4:06:37 |
| 30 | 8:29 | 13:39 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 4:15:06 |
| 31 | 8:15 | 13:16 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 4:23:20 |
| 32 | 8:32 | 13:44 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 4:31:52 |
| 33 | 9:08 | 14:42 | +43 ft (+13 m) | 4:41:00 |
| 34 | 8:46 | 14:07 | +18 ft (+6 m) | 4:49:47 |
| 35 | 7:59 | 12:51 | -41 ft (-12 m) | 4:57:46 |
| 36 | 8:38 | 13:53 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 5:06:23 |
| 37 | 9:04 | 14:36 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 5:15:28 |
| 38 | 8:34 | 13:47 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 5:24:01 |
| 39 | 8:45 | 14:05 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 5:32:46 |
| 40 | 9:26 | 15:10 | +61 ft (+19 m) | 5:42:12 |
| 41 | 8:37 | 13:52 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 5:50:49 |
| 42 | 7:25 | 11:56 | -85 ft (-26 m) | 5:58:14 |
| 42.2 | 9:52 | 15:53 | +17 ft (+5 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?
2:59:52. 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 7:25 and 9:26 per kilometre — about 121 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.