Philadelphia Marathon 5:00 pace chart
A 5:00:00 finish at the Philadelphia 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 mile comes in around 10:30/mi and the hardest around 12:31/mi — about 121 seconds between the two extremes. Holding an identical number on every mile 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 2:30:47 — a 1:33 negative split, because the harder half comes first. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 15; at this goal time it should take 12:23/mi, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Philadelphia on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Mile-by-mile targets for 5:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Philadelphia 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.
| Mile | Target /mi | Target /km | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11:29 | 7:08 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 11:29 |
| 2 | 11:24 | 7:05 | -1 ft (0 m) | 22:52 |
| 3 | 11:08 | 6:55 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 34:00 |
| 4 | 11:29 | 7:08 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 45:29 |
| 5 | 11:29 | 7:08 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 56:58 |
| 6 | 11:38 | 7:13 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 1:08:36 |
| 7 | 10:56 | 6:48 | -42 ft (-13 m) | 1:19:32 |
| 8 | 12:31 | 7:47 | +90 ft (+27 m) | 1:32:03 |
| 9 | 10:52 | 6:45 | -51 ft (-16 m) | 1:42:54 |
| 10 | 12:23 | 7:41 | +72 ft (+22 m) | 1:55:17 |
| 11 | 11:33 | 7:11 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 2:06:50 |
| 12 | 11:13 | 6:58 | -18 ft (-5 m) | 2:18:03 |
| 13 | 11:26 | 7:06 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 2:29:29 |
| 14 | 11:50 | 7:21 | +34 ft (+10 m) | 2:41:19 |
| 15 | 11:19 | 7:02 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 2:52:38 |
| 16 | 10:30 | 6:32 | -86 ft (-26 m) | 3:03:08 |
| 17 | 11:24 | 7:05 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:14:32 |
| 18 | 11:25 | 7:05 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:25:56 |
| 19 | 11:39 | 7:15 | +21 ft (+6 m) | 3:37:35 |
| 20 | 11:15 | 7:00 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 3:48:51 |
| 21 | 11:26 | 7:06 | -1 ft (0 m) | 4:00:16 |
| 22 | 11:27 | 7:07 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 4:11:43 |
| 23 | 11:20 | 7:03 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 4:23:03 |
| 24 | 11:23 | 7:05 | 0 ft (0 m) | 4:34:27 |
| 25 | 11:22 | 7:04 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 4:45:49 |
| 26 | 11:26 | 7:06 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 4:57:15 |
| 26.2 | 12:33 | 7:48 | +21 ft (+6 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 Philadelphia Marathon specifically, the elevation profile means even effort produces uneven splits — the table on this page gives the target for every mile.
What should my halfway split be for a 5:00 at the Philadelphia Marathon?
2:30:47. 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 Philadelphia Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:00 goal produces splits between 10:30 and 12:31 per mile — 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 Philadelphia Marathon splits calculated?
Each mile 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.