Twin Cities Marathon 6:00 pace chart
A 6:00:00 finish at the Twin Cities 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 mile comes in around 12:43/mi and the hardest around 14:55/mi — about 132 seconds between the two extremes. Holding an identical number on every mile 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 2:59:17 — a 1:25 positive split, which is what the terrain costs you rather than a pacing error. The hardest mile on the course sits near kilometre 2; at this goal time it should take 14:43/mi, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Minneapolis on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Mile-by-mile targets for 6:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Twin Cities 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.
| Mile | Target /mi | Target /km | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13:43 | 8:31 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 13:43 |
| 2 | 14:43 | 9:09 | +66 ft (+20 m) | 28:26 |
| 3 | 12:55 | 8:02 | -58 ft (-18 m) | 41:21 |
| 4 | 13:42 | 8:31 | +1 ft (0 m) | 55:03 |
| 5 | 13:40 | 8:30 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:08:43 |
| 6 | 13:38 | 8:28 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 1:22:21 |
| 7 | 13:38 | 8:28 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 1:35:59 |
| 8 | 13:45 | 8:32 | +5 ft (+1 m) | 1:49:44 |
| 9 | 13:36 | 8:27 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 2:03:20 |
| 10 | 13:25 | 8:20 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 2:16:45 |
| 11 | 13:48 | 8:35 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 2:30:33 |
| 12 | 13:31 | 8:24 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 2:44:04 |
| 13 | 13:41 | 8:30 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:57:45 |
| 14 | 14:03 | 8:44 | +25 ft (+8 m) | 3:11:48 |
| 15 | 13:18 | 8:16 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 3:25:06 |
| 16 | 13:37 | 8:28 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 3:38:42 |
| 17 | 13:29 | 8:22 | -15 ft (-4 m) | 3:52:11 |
| 18 | 14:01 | 8:43 | +24 ft (+7 m) | 4:06:12 |
| 19 | 12:43 | 7:54 | -97 ft (-29 m) | 4:18:56 |
| 20 | 14:55 | 9:16 | +68 ft (+21 m) | 4:33:51 |
| 21 | 14:06 | 8:46 | +28 ft (+8 m) | 4:47:57 |
| 22 | 14:46 | 9:11 | +74 ft (+23 m) | 5:02:43 |
| 23 | 14:24 | 8:57 | +49 ft (+15 m) | 5:17:07 |
| 24 | 13:19 | 8:16 | -28 ft (-8 m) | 5:30:26 |
| 25 | 13:49 | 8:35 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 5:44:15 |
| 26 | 12:43 | 7:54 | -74 ft (-23 m) | 5:56:58 |
| 26.2 | 13:53 | 8:37 | +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 Twin Cities Marathon specifically, the elevation profile means even effort produces uneven splits — the table on this page gives the target for every mile.
What should my halfway split be for a 6:00 at the Twin Cities Marathon?
2:59:17. 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 Twin Cities Marathon?
Even effort at a 6:00 goal produces splits between 12:43 and 14:55 per mile — about 132 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 Twin Cities Marathon splits calculated?
Each mile 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.