Rome Marathon 6:00 pace chart
A 6:00:00 finish at the Rome 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 7:33/km and the hardest around 9:27/km — about 114 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 3:00:18 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 30; at this goal time it should take 9:27/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 6:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Rome Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 6:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7:58 | 12:49 | -47 ft (-14 m) | 7:58 |
| 2 | 8:56 | 14:22 | +30 ft (+9 m) | 16:54 |
| 3 | 8:05 | 13:00 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 24:59 |
| 4 | 9:07 | 14:40 | +39 ft (+12 m) | 34:06 |
| 5 | 7:54 | 12:43 | -45 ft (-14 m) | 42:00 |
| 6 | 8:32 | 13:44 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 50:32 |
| 7 | 8:43 | 14:02 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 59:15 |
| 8 | 8:23 | 13:30 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 1:07:38 |
| 9 | 8:07 | 13:04 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 1:15:45 |
| 10 | 8:45 | 14:05 | +18 ft (+6 m) | 1:24:30 |
| 11 | 8:53 | 14:17 | +27 ft (+8 m) | 1:33:23 |
| 12 | 8:22 | 13:28 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 1:41:45 |
| 13 | 9:10 | 14:45 | +41 ft (+12 m) | 1:50:55 |
| 14 | 7:52 | 12:39 | -59 ft (-18 m) | 1:58:47 |
| 15 | 8:52 | 14:15 | +23 ft (+7 m) | 2:07:38 |
| 16 | 8:04 | 12:59 | -33 ft (-10 m) | 2:15:42 |
| 17 | 9:10 | 14:45 | +42 ft (+13 m) | 2:24:52 |
| 18 | 8:42 | 14:00 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 2:33:34 |
| 19 | 8:08 | 13:06 | -43 ft (-13 m) | 2:41:42 |
| 20 | 9:15 | 14:53 | +49 ft (+15 m) | 2:50:57 |
| 21 | 8:32 | 13:43 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:59:29 |
| 22 | 8:22 | 13:28 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 3:07:51 |
| 23 | 8:38 | 13:54 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 3:16:29 |
| 24 | 8:19 | 13:23 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 3:24:48 |
| 25 | 8:03 | 12:57 | -33 ft (-10 m) | 3:32:51 |
| 26 | 8:31 | 13:43 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 3:41:22 |
| 27 | 8:17 | 13:20 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 3:49:39 |
| 28 | 8:37 | 13:53 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 3:58:16 |
| 29 | 9:03 | 14:33 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 4:07:19 |
| 30 | 8:15 | 13:17 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 4:15:34 |
| 31 | 9:27 | 15:12 | +59 ft (+18 m) | 4:25:01 |
| 32 | 7:33 | 12:09 | -75 ft (-23 m) | 4:32:34 |
| 33 | 8:45 | 14:05 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 4:41:19 |
| 34 | 8:46 | 14:06 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 4:50:04 |
| 35 | 8:05 | 13:00 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 4:58:09 |
| 36 | 8:21 | 13:26 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 5:06:30 |
| 37 | 8:55 | 14:21 | +30 ft (+9 m) | 5:15:25 |
| 38 | 8:44 | 14:04 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 5:24:09 |
| 39 | 8:37 | 13:52 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 5:32:46 |
| 40 | 8:29 | 13:39 | -1 ft (0 m) | 5:41:15 |
| 41 | 8:13 | 13:14 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 5:49:28 |
| 42 | 8:35 | 13:49 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 5:58:03 |
| 42.2 | 10:01 | 16:07 | +20 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 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 6:00 at the Rome Marathon?
3:00:18. 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 Rome Marathon?
Even effort at a 6:00 goal produces splits between 7:33 and 9:27 per kilometre — about 114 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 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.