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 6:51/km and the hardest around 9:39/km — about 168 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 2:59:27 — a 1:05 positive split, which is what the terrain costs you rather than a pacing error. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 2; at this goal time it should take 9:39/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 | 6:51 | 11:01 | -139 ft (-42 m) | 6:51 |
| 2 | 7:19 | 11:47 | -114 ft (-35 m) | 14:10 |
| 3 | 9:39 | 15:32 | +63 ft (+19 m) | 23:49 |
| 4 | 7:50 | 12:37 | -69 ft (-21 m) | 31:39 |
| 5 | 8:23 | 13:30 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 40:02 |
| 6 | 9:18 | 14:59 | +49 ft (+15 m) | 49:21 |
| 7 | 7:59 | 12:51 | -46 ft (-14 m) | 57:20 |
| 8 | 8:33 | 13:46 | -1 ft (0 m) | 1:05:53 |
| 9 | 9:16 | 14:54 | +46 ft (+14 m) | 1:15:08 |
| 10 | 7:56 | 12:45 | -50 ft (-15 m) | 1:23:04 |
| 11 | 8:37 | 13:52 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:31:41 |
| 12 | 8:35 | 13:49 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:40:16 |
| 13 | 8:46 | 14:06 | +14 ft (+4 m) | 1:49:02 |
| 14 | 8:56 | 14:23 | +25 ft (+8 m) | 1:57:58 |
| 15 | 9:26 | 15:11 | +58 ft (+18 m) | 2:07:24 |
| 16 | 8:27 | 13:36 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 2:15:51 |
| 17 | 9:36 | 15:28 | +70 ft (+21 m) | 2:25:28 |
| 18 | 8:08 | 13:06 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 2:33:36 |
| 19 | 8:10 | 13:08 | -28 ft (-9 m) | 2:41:46 |
| 20 | 8:42 | 14:01 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 2:50:28 |
| 21 | 8:09 | 13:07 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 2:58:37 |
| 22 | 8:34 | 13:47 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:07:11 |
| 23 | 8:28 | 13:38 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 3:15:39 |
| 24 | 8:37 | 13:52 | +5 ft (+1 m) | 3:24:16 |
| 25 | 8:34 | 13:47 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:32:50 |
| 26 | 8:54 | 14:19 | +24 ft (+7 m) | 3:41:44 |
| 27 | 8:57 | 14:24 | +28 ft (+8 m) | 3:50:41 |
| 28 | 8:21 | 13:26 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 3:59:02 |
| 29 | 8:28 | 13:38 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 4:07:30 |
| 30 | 8:25 | 13:33 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 4:15:55 |
| 31 | 8:57 | 14:25 | +28 ft (+8 m) | 4:24:53 |
| 32 | 8:40 | 13:57 | +8 ft (+2 m) | 4:33:33 |
| 33 | 8:17 | 13:20 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 4:41:50 |
| 34 | 8:35 | 13:48 | +1 ft (0 m) | 4:50:24 |
| 35 | 9:22 | 15:05 | +55 ft (+17 m) | 4:59:47 |
| 36 | 8:19 | 13:23 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 5:08:05 |
| 37 | 8:28 | 13:38 | -8 ft (-3 m) | 5:16:34 |
| 38 | 7:38 | 12:18 | -70 ft (-21 m) | 5:24:12 |
| 39 | 8:00 | 12:53 | -43 ft (-13 m) | 5:32:12 |
| 40 | 8:45 | 14:05 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 5:40:58 |
| 41 | 9:02 | 14:32 | +31 ft (+10 m) | 5:49:59 |
| 42 | 8:41 | 13:58 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 5:58:40 |
| 42.2 | 6:51 | 11:01 | -26 ft (-8 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?
2:59:27. 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 6:51 and 9:39 per kilometre — about 168 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.