Sydney Marathon 6:00 pace chart
A 6:00:00 finish at the Sydney 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 6:55/km and the hardest around 11:53/km — about 298 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 3:01:42 — a 3:23 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 11:53/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 6:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Sydney Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 6:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7:33 | 12:09 | -95 ft (-29 m) | 7:33 |
| 2 | 6:55 | 11:08 | -159 ft (-48 m) | 14:28 |
| 3 | 9:37 | 15:29 | +64 ft (+19 m) | 24:05 |
| 4 | 10:10 | 16:22 | -55 ft (-17 m) | 34:15 |
| 5 | 8:17 | 13:20 | -23 ft (-7 m) | 42:33 |
| 6 | 9:01 | 14:31 | +35 ft (+11 m) | 51:34 |
| 7 | 7:43 | 12:25 | -59 ft (-18 m) | 59:17 |
| 8 | 8:35 | 13:49 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 1:07:52 |
| 9 | 9:37 | 15:29 | +82 ft (+25 m) | 1:17:29 |
| 10 | 7:49 | 12:35 | -54 ft (-16 m) | 1:25:18 |
| 11 | 9:18 | 14:59 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:34:36 |
| 12 | 8:16 | 13:18 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 1:42:52 |
| 13 | 8:42 | 13:59 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 1:51:33 |
| 14 | 11:53 | 19:07 | +209 ft (+64 m) | 2:03:26 |
| 15 | 8:00 | 12:53 | -61 ft (-19 m) | 2:11:27 |
| 16 | 7:33 | 12:09 | -75 ft (-23 m) | 2:19:00 |
| 17 | 9:25 | 15:10 | +69 ft (+21 m) | 2:28:25 |
| 18 | 7:53 | 12:42 | -36 ft (-11 m) | 2:36:18 |
| 19 | 7:46 | 12:30 | -50 ft (-15 m) | 2:44:04 |
| 20 | 8:42 | 14:00 | +21 ft (+6 m) | 2:52:46 |
| 21 | 8:07 | 13:04 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 3:00:53 |
| 22 | 8:19 | 13:23 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 3:09:12 |
| 23 | 8:11 | 13:10 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 3:17:23 |
| 24 | 8:32 | 13:44 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 3:25:56 |
| 25 | 8:26 | 13:34 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 3:34:21 |
| 26 | 8:51 | 14:14 | +31 ft (+9 m) | 3:43:12 |
| 27 | 8:49 | 14:12 | +29 ft (+9 m) | 3:52:01 |
| 28 | 7:59 | 12:50 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 4:00:00 |
| 29 | 8:26 | 13:34 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 4:08:25 |
| 30 | 8:12 | 13:11 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 4:16:37 |
| 31 | 8:56 | 14:22 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 4:25:33 |
| 32 | 8:40 | 13:56 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 4:34:12 |
| 33 | 8:02 | 12:56 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 4:42:15 |
| 34 | 8:08 | 13:06 | -18 ft (-6 m) | 4:50:23 |
| 35 | 9:03 | 14:34 | +46 ft (+14 m) | 4:59:26 |
| 36 | 8:25 | 13:32 | 0 ft (0 m) | 5:07:51 |
| 37 | 8:20 | 13:24 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 5:16:10 |
| 38 | 7:36 | 12:13 | -70 ft (-21 m) | 5:23:46 |
| 39 | 7:29 | 12:02 | -75 ft (-23 m) | 5:31:15 |
| 40 | 8:56 | 14:23 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 5:40:11 |
| 41 | 8:56 | 14:23 | +35 ft (+11 m) | 5:49:07 |
| 42 | 9:19 | 14:59 | +51 ft (+15 m) | 5:58:26 |
| 42.2 | 8:02 | 12:56 | -6 ft (-2 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 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 6:00 at the Sydney Marathon?
3:01:42. 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 Sydney Marathon?
Even effort at a 6:00 goal produces splits between 6:55 and 11:53 per kilometre — about 298 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 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.