Sydney Marathon 5:00 pace chart
A 5:00:00 finish at the Sydney 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 5:46/km and the hardest around 9:54/km — about 248 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 2:31:25 — a 2:50 negative split, because the harder half comes first. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 13; at this goal time it should take 9:54/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Sydney on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 5:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Sydney 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 | 6:18 | 10:08 | -95 ft (-29 m) | 6:18 |
| 2 | 5:46 | 9:17 | -159 ft (-48 m) | 12:04 |
| 3 | 8:01 | 12:54 | +64 ft (+19 m) | 20:04 |
| 4 | 8:29 | 13:38 | -55 ft (-17 m) | 28:33 |
| 5 | 6:54 | 11:07 | -23 ft (-7 m) | 35:27 |
| 6 | 7:31 | 12:06 | +35 ft (+11 m) | 42:58 |
| 7 | 6:26 | 10:21 | -59 ft (-18 m) | 49:24 |
| 8 | 7:09 | 11:30 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 56:33 |
| 9 | 8:01 | 12:54 | +82 ft (+25 m) | 1:04:34 |
| 10 | 6:31 | 10:29 | -54 ft (-16 m) | 1:11:05 |
| 11 | 7:45 | 12:29 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:18:50 |
| 12 | 6:53 | 11:05 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 1:25:43 |
| 13 | 7:15 | 11:40 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 1:32:58 |
| 14 | 9:54 | 15:56 | +209 ft (+64 m) | 1:42:52 |
| 15 | 6:40 | 10:44 | -61 ft (-19 m) | 1:49:32 |
| 16 | 6:18 | 10:08 | -75 ft (-23 m) | 1:55:50 |
| 17 | 7:51 | 12:38 | +69 ft (+21 m) | 2:03:41 |
| 18 | 6:34 | 10:35 | -36 ft (-11 m) | 2:10:15 |
| 19 | 6:28 | 10:25 | -50 ft (-15 m) | 2:16:43 |
| 20 | 7:15 | 11:40 | +21 ft (+6 m) | 2:23:58 |
| 21 | 6:46 | 10:53 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 2:30:44 |
| 22 | 6:56 | 11:09 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 2:37:40 |
| 23 | 6:49 | 10:59 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 2:44:29 |
| 24 | 7:07 | 11:27 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 2:51:36 |
| 25 | 7:01 | 11:18 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 2:58:38 |
| 26 | 7:22 | 11:52 | +31 ft (+9 m) | 3:06:00 |
| 27 | 7:21 | 11:50 | +29 ft (+9 m) | 3:13:21 |
| 28 | 6:39 | 10:42 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 3:20:00 |
| 29 | 7:01 | 11:18 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 3:27:01 |
| 30 | 6:50 | 10:59 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 3:33:51 |
| 31 | 7:26 | 11:58 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 3:41:17 |
| 32 | 7:13 | 11:37 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 3:48:30 |
| 33 | 6:42 | 10:47 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 3:55:12 |
| 34 | 6:47 | 10:55 | -18 ft (-6 m) | 4:01:59 |
| 35 | 7:32 | 12:08 | +46 ft (+14 m) | 4:09:32 |
| 36 | 7:01 | 11:17 | 0 ft (0 m) | 4:16:32 |
| 37 | 6:56 | 11:10 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 4:23:29 |
| 38 | 6:20 | 10:11 | -70 ft (-21 m) | 4:29:48 |
| 39 | 6:14 | 10:02 | -75 ft (-23 m) | 4:36:02 |
| 40 | 7:27 | 11:59 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 4:43:29 |
| 41 | 7:27 | 11:59 | +35 ft (+11 m) | 4:50:56 |
| 42 | 7:46 | 12:29 | +51 ft (+15 m) | 4:58:42 |
| 42.2 | 6:42 | 10:46 | -6 ft (-2 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 Sydney 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 Sydney Marathon?
2:31:25. 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 Sydney Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:00 goal produces splits between 5:46 and 9:54 per kilometre — about 248 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 Sydney 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.