Tokyo Marathon 5:00 pace chart
A 5:00:00 finish at the Tokyo 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 6:35/km and the hardest around 7:47/km — about 72 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 2:27:42 — a 4:35 positive split, which is what the terrain costs you rather than a pacing error. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 33; at this goal time it should take 7:47/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Tokyo on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 5:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Tokyo 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 | 6:49 | 10:59 | -97 ft (-29 m) | 6:49 |
| 2 | 6:59 | 11:14 | -8 ft (-3 m) | 13:48 |
| 3 | 6:48 | 10:56 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 20:36 |
| 4 | 6:35 | 10:36 | -43 ft (-13 m) | 27:11 |
| 5 | 7:03 | 11:21 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 34:15 |
| 6 | 6:41 | 10:45 | -36 ft (-11 m) | 40:55 |
| 7 | 7:24 | 11:54 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 48:19 |
| 8 | 7:15 | 11:40 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 55:34 |
| 9 | 6:57 | 11:11 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 1:02:31 |
| 10 | 7:24 | 11:54 | +28 ft (+9 m) | 1:09:55 |
| 11 | 6:46 | 10:53 | -28 ft (-8 m) | 1:16:41 |
| 12 | 6:58 | 11:13 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 1:23:39 |
| 13 | 7:06 | 11:26 | +5 ft (+1 m) | 1:30:46 |
| 14 | 6:54 | 11:07 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 1:37:40 |
| 15 | 7:13 | 11:36 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 1:44:52 |
| 16 | 7:20 | 11:48 | +18 ft (+5 m) | 1:52:12 |
| 17 | 6:47 | 10:55 | -26 ft (-8 m) | 1:58:59 |
| 18 | 6:58 | 11:13 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 2:05:57 |
| 19 | 7:02 | 11:20 | -1 ft (0 m) | 2:12:59 |
| 20 | 7:04 | 11:22 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:20:03 |
| 21 | 6:57 | 11:11 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 2:27:01 |
| 22 | 7:09 | 11:30 | +5 ft (+1 m) | 2:34:09 |
| 23 | 7:10 | 11:32 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 2:41:19 |
| 24 | 6:58 | 11:12 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 2:48:17 |
| 25 | 7:07 | 11:26 | -1 ft (0 m) | 2:55:23 |
| 26 | 7:18 | 11:45 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 3:02:41 |
| 27 | 7:11 | 11:34 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 3:09:53 |
| 28 | 7:03 | 11:21 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:16:56 |
| 29 | 7:31 | 12:06 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 3:24:27 |
| 30 | 6:56 | 11:09 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 3:31:23 |
| 31 | 7:05 | 11:24 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:38:28 |
| 32 | 7:27 | 11:59 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 3:45:55 |
| 33 | 6:40 | 10:43 | -38 ft (-12 m) | 3:52:34 |
| 34 | 7:47 | 12:31 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 4:00:21 |
| 35 | 7:05 | 11:24 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 4:07:26 |
| 36 | 7:03 | 11:20 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 4:14:29 |
| 37 | 7:18 | 11:44 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 4:21:47 |
| 38 | 7:17 | 11:43 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 4:29:03 |
| 39 | 7:14 | 11:38 | -37 ft (-11 m) | 4:36:17 |
| 40 | 7:36 | 12:14 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 4:43:53 |
| 41 | 7:32 | 12:08 | +25 ft (+8 m) | 4:51:25 |
| 42 | 7:13 | 11:37 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 4:58:39 |
| 42.2 | 6:58 | 11:13 | -2 ft (-1 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 Tokyo 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 Tokyo Marathon?
2:27:42. 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 Tokyo Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:00 goal produces splits between 6:35 and 7:47 per kilometre — about 72 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 Tokyo 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.