Tokyo Marathon 6:00 pace chart
A 6:00:00 finish at the Tokyo 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 7:54/km and the hardest around 9:20/km — about 86 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 2:57:15 — a 5:30 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 9:20/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 6:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Tokyo Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 6:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:11 | 13:11 | -97 ft (-29 m) | 8:11 |
| 2 | 8:22 | 13:28 | -8 ft (-3 m) | 16:34 |
| 3 | 8:09 | 13:08 | -30 ft (-9 m) | 24:43 |
| 4 | 7:54 | 12:43 | -43 ft (-13 m) | 32:37 |
| 5 | 8:28 | 13:38 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 41:05 |
| 6 | 8:01 | 12:54 | -36 ft (-11 m) | 49:06 |
| 7 | 8:53 | 14:17 | +22 ft (+7 m) | 57:59 |
| 8 | 8:42 | 14:00 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 1:06:41 |
| 9 | 8:21 | 13:26 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 1:15:01 |
| 10 | 8:52 | 14:17 | +28 ft (+9 m) | 1:23:54 |
| 11 | 8:07 | 13:04 | -28 ft (-8 m) | 1:32:01 |
| 12 | 8:22 | 13:28 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 1:40:23 |
| 13 | 8:32 | 13:43 | +5 ft (+1 m) | 1:48:55 |
| 14 | 8:17 | 13:20 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 1:57:12 |
| 15 | 8:39 | 13:55 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 2:05:51 |
| 16 | 8:48 | 14:09 | +18 ft (+5 m) | 2:14:38 |
| 17 | 8:08 | 13:05 | -26 ft (-8 m) | 2:22:46 |
| 18 | 8:22 | 13:28 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 2:31:08 |
| 19 | 8:27 | 13:36 | -1 ft (0 m) | 2:39:35 |
| 20 | 8:29 | 13:39 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:48:04 |
| 21 | 8:20 | 13:25 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 2:56:25 |
| 22 | 8:34 | 13:48 | +5 ft (+1 m) | 3:04:59 |
| 23 | 8:36 | 13:50 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 3:13:35 |
| 24 | 8:21 | 13:26 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 3:21:56 |
| 25 | 8:32 | 13:44 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:30:28 |
| 26 | 8:45 | 14:06 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 3:39:13 |
| 27 | 8:38 | 13:53 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 3:47:51 |
| 28 | 8:28 | 13:38 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:56:19 |
| 29 | 9:01 | 14:31 | +38 ft (+12 m) | 4:05:20 |
| 30 | 8:19 | 13:23 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 4:13:39 |
| 31 | 8:30 | 13:41 | -1 ft (0 m) | 4:22:09 |
| 32 | 8:56 | 14:23 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 4:31:05 |
| 33 | 8:00 | 12:52 | -38 ft (-12 m) | 4:39:05 |
| 34 | 9:20 | 15:01 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 4:48:25 |
| 35 | 8:30 | 13:41 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 4:56:55 |
| 36 | 8:27 | 13:37 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 5:05:23 |
| 37 | 8:45 | 14:05 | +20 ft (+6 m) | 5:14:08 |
| 38 | 8:44 | 14:03 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 5:22:52 |
| 39 | 8:41 | 13:58 | -37 ft (-11 m) | 5:31:32 |
| 40 | 9:07 | 14:41 | +36 ft (+11 m) | 5:40:40 |
| 41 | 9:03 | 14:33 | +25 ft (+8 m) | 5:49:42 |
| 42 | 8:40 | 13:57 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 5:58:22 |
| 42.2 | 8:22 | 13:27 | -2 ft (-1 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 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 6:00 at the Tokyo Marathon?
2:57:15. 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 Tokyo Marathon?
Even effort at a 6:00 goal produces splits between 7:54 and 9:20 per kilometre — about 86 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 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.