Rome Marathon 5:00 pace chart
A 5:00:00 finish at the Rome 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 kilometre comes in around 6:17/km and the hardest around 7:52/km — about 95 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 2:30:15 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 30; at this goal time it should take 7:52/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Rome on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 5:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Rome 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.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6:38 | 10:41 | -47 ft (-14 m) | 6:38 |
| 2 | 7:26 | 11:58 | +30 ft (+9 m) | 14:05 |
| 3 | 6:44 | 10:50 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 20:49 |
| 4 | 7:36 | 12:13 | +39 ft (+12 m) | 28:25 |
| 5 | 6:35 | 10:36 | -45 ft (-14 m) | 35:00 |
| 6 | 7:06 | 11:26 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 42:06 |
| 7 | 7:16 | 11:41 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 49:22 |
| 8 | 7:00 | 11:15 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 56:22 |
| 9 | 6:46 | 10:54 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 1:03:08 |
| 10 | 7:17 | 11:44 | +18 ft (+6 m) | 1:10:25 |
| 11 | 7:24 | 11:55 | +27 ft (+8 m) | 1:17:49 |
| 12 | 6:59 | 11:14 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 1:24:48 |
| 13 | 7:38 | 12:17 | +41 ft (+12 m) | 1:32:26 |
| 14 | 6:33 | 10:33 | -59 ft (-18 m) | 1:38:59 |
| 15 | 7:23 | 11:53 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 1:46:22 |
| 16 | 6:43 | 10:49 | -33 ft (-10 m) | 1:53:05 |
| 17 | 7:38 | 12:18 | +42 ft (+13 m) | 2:00:44 |
| 18 | 7:15 | 11:40 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 2:07:59 |
| 19 | 6:47 | 10:55 | -43 ft (-13 m) | 2:14:45 |
| 20 | 7:42 | 12:24 | +49 ft (+15 m) | 2:22:28 |
| 21 | 7:06 | 11:26 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:29:34 |
| 22 | 6:58 | 11:13 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 2:36:32 |
| 23 | 7:12 | 11:35 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 2:43:44 |
| 24 | 6:56 | 11:09 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 2:50:40 |
| 25 | 6:43 | 10:48 | -33 ft (-10 m) | 2:57:23 |
| 26 | 7:06 | 11:26 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 3:04:29 |
| 27 | 6:54 | 11:06 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 3:11:23 |
| 28 | 7:11 | 11:34 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 3:18:34 |
| 29 | 7:32 | 12:08 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 3:26:06 |
| 30 | 6:53 | 11:04 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 3:32:58 |
| 31 | 7:52 | 12:40 | +59 ft (+18 m) | 3:40:51 |
| 32 | 6:17 | 10:07 | -75 ft (-23 m) | 3:47:08 |
| 33 | 7:18 | 11:44 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 3:54:26 |
| 34 | 7:18 | 11:45 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 4:01:44 |
| 35 | 6:44 | 10:50 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 4:08:28 |
| 36 | 6:57 | 11:12 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 4:15:25 |
| 37 | 7:26 | 11:57 | +30 ft (+9 m) | 4:22:50 |
| 38 | 7:17 | 11:43 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 4:30:07 |
| 39 | 7:11 | 11:34 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 4:37:18 |
| 40 | 7:04 | 11:23 | -1 ft (0 m) | 4:44:22 |
| 41 | 6:51 | 11:02 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 4:51:13 |
| 42 | 7:09 | 11:30 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 4:58:22 |
| 42.2 | 8:20 | 13:25 | +20 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 Rome 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 5:00 at the Rome Marathon?
2:30:15. 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 Rome Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:00 goal produces splits between 6:17 and 7:52 per kilometre — about 95 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 Rome 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 5:00:00. 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.