Philadelphia Marathon 6:00 pace chart
A 6:00:00 finish at the Philadelphia 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 mile comes in around 12:36/mi and the hardest around 15:01/mi — about 145 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 3:00:56 — a 1:52 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 14:51/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 6:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Philadelphia Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 6:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Mile | Target /mi | Target /km | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13:46 | 8:34 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 13:46 |
| 2 | 13:40 | 8:30 | -1 ft (0 m) | 27:27 |
| 3 | 13:21 | 8:18 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 40:48 |
| 4 | 13:47 | 8:34 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 54:35 |
| 5 | 13:47 | 8:34 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 1:08:22 |
| 6 | 13:57 | 8:40 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 1:22:19 |
| 7 | 13:07 | 8:09 | -42 ft (-13 m) | 1:35:26 |
| 8 | 15:01 | 9:20 | +90 ft (+27 m) | 1:50:27 |
| 9 | 13:02 | 8:06 | -51 ft (-16 m) | 2:03:29 |
| 10 | 14:51 | 9:14 | +72 ft (+22 m) | 2:18:20 |
| 11 | 13:52 | 8:37 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 2:32:12 |
| 12 | 13:27 | 8:22 | -18 ft (-5 m) | 2:45:39 |
| 13 | 13:43 | 8:32 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 2:59:23 |
| 14 | 14:12 | 8:49 | +34 ft (+10 m) | 3:13:35 |
| 15 | 13:35 | 8:26 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 3:27:09 |
| 16 | 12:36 | 7:50 | -86 ft (-26 m) | 3:39:46 |
| 17 | 13:40 | 8:30 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:53:26 |
| 18 | 13:41 | 8:30 | +1 ft (0 m) | 4:07:07 |
| 19 | 13:59 | 8:41 | +21 ft (+6 m) | 4:21:07 |
| 20 | 13:30 | 8:23 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 4:34:37 |
| 21 | 13:43 | 8:31 | -1 ft (0 m) | 4:48:20 |
| 22 | 13:44 | 8:32 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 5:02:03 |
| 23 | 13:37 | 8:27 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 5:15:40 |
| 24 | 13:40 | 8:30 | 0 ft (0 m) | 5:29:20 |
| 25 | 13:39 | 8:29 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 5:42:59 |
| 26 | 13:43 | 8:32 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 5:56:42 |
| 26.2 | 15:03 | 9:21 | +21 ft (+6 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 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 6:00 at the Philadelphia Marathon?
3:00:56. 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 Philadelphia Marathon?
Even effort at a 6:00 goal produces splits between 12:36 and 15:01 per mile — about 145 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 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.