Sydney Marathon 5:30 pace chart
A 5:30:00 finish at the Sydney Marathon averages 12:35 per mile (7:49 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 6:21/km and the hardest around 10:53/km — about 273 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 2:46:33 — a 3:06 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 10:53/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 5:30:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Sydney Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 5:30:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6:55 | 11:08 | -95 ft (-29 m) | 6:55 |
| 2 | 6:21 | 10:12 | -159 ft (-48 m) | 13:16 |
| 3 | 8:49 | 14:11 | +64 ft (+19 m) | 22:05 |
| 4 | 9:19 | 15:00 | -55 ft (-17 m) | 31:24 |
| 5 | 7:36 | 12:14 | -23 ft (-7 m) | 39:00 |
| 6 | 8:16 | 13:19 | +35 ft (+11 m) | 47:16 |
| 7 | 7:04 | 11:23 | -59 ft (-18 m) | 54:21 |
| 8 | 7:52 | 12:39 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 1:02:12 |
| 9 | 8:49 | 14:11 | +82 ft (+25 m) | 1:11:01 |
| 10 | 7:10 | 11:32 | -54 ft (-16 m) | 1:18:11 |
| 11 | 8:32 | 13:44 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:26:43 |
| 12 | 7:34 | 12:11 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 1:34:17 |
| 13 | 7:58 | 12:49 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 1:42:16 |
| 14 | 10:53 | 17:31 | +209 ft (+64 m) | 1:53:09 |
| 15 | 7:20 | 11:49 | -61 ft (-19 m) | 2:00:29 |
| 16 | 6:55 | 11:08 | -75 ft (-23 m) | 2:07:25 |
| 17 | 8:38 | 13:54 | +69 ft (+21 m) | 2:16:03 |
| 18 | 7:14 | 11:38 | -36 ft (-11 m) | 2:23:17 |
| 19 | 7:07 | 11:27 | -50 ft (-15 m) | 2:30:24 |
| 20 | 7:58 | 12:50 | +21 ft (+6 m) | 2:38:22 |
| 21 | 7:27 | 11:59 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 2:45:49 |
| 22 | 7:38 | 12:16 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 2:53:26 |
| 23 | 7:30 | 12:04 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 3:00:56 |
| 24 | 7:50 | 12:36 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 3:08:46 |
| 25 | 7:43 | 12:26 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 3:16:29 |
| 26 | 8:06 | 13:03 | +31 ft (+9 m) | 3:24:36 |
| 27 | 8:05 | 13:01 | +29 ft (+9 m) | 3:32:41 |
| 28 | 7:19 | 11:46 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 3:40:00 |
| 29 | 7:43 | 12:26 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 3:47:43 |
| 30 | 7:31 | 12:05 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 3:55:14 |
| 31 | 8:11 | 13:10 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 4:03:25 |
| 32 | 7:56 | 12:46 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 4:11:21 |
| 33 | 7:22 | 11:52 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 4:18:44 |
| 34 | 7:28 | 12:00 | -18 ft (-6 m) | 4:26:11 |
| 35 | 8:18 | 13:21 | +46 ft (+14 m) | 4:34:29 |
| 36 | 7:43 | 12:25 | 0 ft (0 m) | 4:42:11 |
| 37 | 7:38 | 12:17 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 4:49:50 |
| 38 | 6:58 | 11:12 | -70 ft (-21 m) | 4:56:47 |
| 39 | 6:51 | 11:02 | -75 ft (-23 m) | 5:03:39 |
| 40 | 8:12 | 13:11 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 5:11:50 |
| 41 | 8:11 | 13:11 | +35 ft (+11 m) | 5:20:02 |
| 42 | 8:32 | 13:44 | +51 ft (+15 m) | 5:28:34 |
| 42.2 | 7:22 | 11:51 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 5:30:00 |
Frequently asked questions
What pace is a 5:30 marathon?
A 5:30:00 marathon is 12:35 per mile or 7:49 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 5:30 at the Sydney Marathon?
2:46:33. That is the grade-adjusted halfway target for this course, not simply half of 5:30:00 — 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 5:30 goal produces splits between 6:21 and 10:53 per kilometre — about 273 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 5:30:00. Uphill sections get more time and downhill sections less, at a constant effort throughout.
Is 5:30 a realistic marathon goal?
5:30 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.