Vancouver Marathon 5:00 pace chart
A 5:00:00 finish at the Vancouver 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 5:39/km and the hardest around 9:06/km — about 207 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 2:28:48 — a 2:24 positive split, which is what the terrain costs you rather than a pacing error. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 9; at this goal time it should take 9:06/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Vancouver on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 5:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Vancouver 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 | 7:51 | 12:38 | +57 ft (+17 m) | 7:51 |
| 2 | 6:56 | 11:09 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 14:47 |
| 3 | 6:58 | 11:12 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 21:45 |
| 4 | 7:20 | 11:48 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 29:04 |
| 5 | 6:27 | 10:22 | -62 ft (-19 m) | 35:31 |
| 6 | 6:21 | 10:12 | -73 ft (-22 m) | 41:51 |
| 7 | 6:03 | 9:45 | -102 ft (-31 m) | 47:55 |
| 8 | 7:01 | 11:18 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 54:56 |
| 9 | 7:51 | 12:38 | +58 ft (+18 m) | 1:02:47 |
| 10 | 9:06 | 14:38 | +150 ft (+46 m) | 1:11:53 |
| 11 | 7:26 | 11:57 | +25 ft (+7 m) | 1:19:19 |
| 12 | 7:18 | 11:45 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 1:26:37 |
| 13 | 7:19 | 11:46 | +14 ft (+4 m) | 1:33:55 |
| 14 | 7:04 | 11:23 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 1:41:00 |
| 15 | 7:03 | 11:21 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 1:48:03 |
| 16 | 6:40 | 10:44 | -43 ft (-13 m) | 1:54:43 |
| 17 | 7:19 | 11:46 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 2:02:02 |
| 18 | 6:59 | 11:15 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 2:09:01 |
| 19 | 6:56 | 11:10 | -18 ft (-6 m) | 2:15:57 |
| 20 | 5:39 | 9:06 | -144 ft (-44 m) | 2:21:36 |
| 21 | 6:30 | 10:28 | -59 ft (-18 m) | 2:28:06 |
| 22 | 7:11 | 11:34 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:35:17 |
| 23 | 7:00 | 11:16 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 2:42:17 |
| 24 | 7:55 | 12:44 | +60 ft (+18 m) | 2:50:12 |
| 25 | 6:47 | 10:54 | -35 ft (-11 m) | 2:56:58 |
| 26 | 7:11 | 11:33 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 3:04:09 |
| 27 | 7:14 | 11:38 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 3:11:22 |
| 28 | 6:43 | 10:48 | -37 ft (-11 m) | 3:18:05 |
| 29 | 7:22 | 11:51 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 3:25:27 |
| 30 | 7:11 | 11:33 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 3:32:38 |
| 31 | 7:22 | 11:51 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 3:40:00 |
| 32 | 6:51 | 11:01 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 3:46:51 |
| 33 | 7:01 | 11:17 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 3:53:52 |
| 34 | 7:27 | 11:59 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 4:01:18 |
| 35 | 7:07 | 11:27 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 4:08:25 |
| 36 | 7:10 | 11:33 | +1 ft (0 m) | 4:15:35 |
| 37 | 7:00 | 11:16 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 4:22:35 |
| 38 | 7:07 | 11:28 | -1 ft (0 m) | 4:29:43 |
| 39 | 7:16 | 11:41 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 4:36:58 |
| 40 | 6:59 | 11:14 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 4:43:57 |
| 41 | 7:08 | 11:28 | -1 ft (0 m) | 4:51:05 |
| 42 | 7:44 | 12:27 | +49 ft (+15 m) | 4:58:49 |
| 42.1 | 7:55 | 12:45 | +10 ft (+3 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 Vancouver 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 Vancouver Marathon?
2:28:48. 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 Vancouver Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:00 goal produces splits between 5:39 and 9:06 per kilometre — about 207 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 Vancouver 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.