Vancouver Marathon 5:30 pace chart
A 5:30:00 finish at the Vancouver Marathon averages 12:35 per mile (7:49 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 6:13/km and the hardest around 10:00/km — about 227 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 2:43:41 — a 2:38 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 10:00/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 5:30:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Vancouver Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 5:30:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:38 | 13:53 | +57 ft (+17 m) | 8:38 |
| 2 | 7:38 | 12:16 | -19 ft (-6 m) | 16:15 |
| 3 | 7:40 | 12:20 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 23:55 |
| 4 | 8:04 | 12:59 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 31:59 |
| 5 | 7:05 | 11:24 | -62 ft (-19 m) | 39:04 |
| 6 | 6:59 | 11:14 | -73 ft (-22 m) | 46:03 |
| 7 | 6:40 | 10:43 | -102 ft (-31 m) | 52:42 |
| 8 | 7:43 | 12:26 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 1:00:25 |
| 9 | 8:38 | 13:54 | +58 ft (+18 m) | 1:09:04 |
| 10 | 10:00 | 16:06 | +150 ft (+46 m) | 1:19:04 |
| 11 | 8:10 | 13:09 | +25 ft (+7 m) | 1:27:15 |
| 12 | 8:02 | 12:55 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 1:35:16 |
| 13 | 8:03 | 12:57 | +14 ft (+4 m) | 1:43:19 |
| 14 | 7:47 | 12:31 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 1:51:06 |
| 15 | 7:45 | 12:29 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 1:58:51 |
| 16 | 7:20 | 11:48 | -43 ft (-13 m) | 2:06:11 |
| 17 | 8:03 | 12:57 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 2:14:14 |
| 18 | 7:41 | 12:22 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 2:21:55 |
| 19 | 7:38 | 12:16 | -18 ft (-6 m) | 2:29:33 |
| 20 | 6:13 | 10:00 | -144 ft (-44 m) | 2:35:46 |
| 21 | 7:09 | 11:30 | -59 ft (-18 m) | 2:42:55 |
| 22 | 7:54 | 12:43 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 2:50:49 |
| 23 | 7:42 | 12:23 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 2:58:31 |
| 24 | 8:42 | 14:00 | +60 ft (+18 m) | 3:07:13 |
| 25 | 7:27 | 12:00 | -35 ft (-11 m) | 3:14:40 |
| 26 | 7:54 | 12:42 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 3:22:34 |
| 27 | 7:57 | 12:48 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 3:30:31 |
| 28 | 7:23 | 11:53 | -37 ft (-11 m) | 3:37:54 |
| 29 | 8:06 | 13:03 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 3:46:00 |
| 30 | 7:54 | 12:43 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 3:53:54 |
| 31 | 8:06 | 13:02 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 4:02:00 |
| 32 | 7:32 | 12:08 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 4:09:32 |
| 33 | 7:43 | 12:25 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 4:17:15 |
| 34 | 8:11 | 13:11 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 4:25:26 |
| 35 | 7:49 | 12:35 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 4:33:16 |
| 36 | 7:53 | 12:42 | +1 ft (0 m) | 4:41:09 |
| 37 | 7:42 | 12:23 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 4:48:51 |
| 38 | 7:50 | 12:36 | -1 ft (0 m) | 4:56:41 |
| 39 | 7:59 | 12:51 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 5:04:40 |
| 40 | 7:41 | 12:22 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 5:12:21 |
| 41 | 7:51 | 12:37 | -1 ft (0 m) | 5:20:12 |
| 42 | 8:30 | 13:41 | +49 ft (+15 m) | 5:28:42 |
| 42.1 | 8:43 | 14:01 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 5:30:00 |
Frequently asked questions
What pace is a 5:30 marathon?
A 5:30:00 marathon is 12:35 per mile or 7:49 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 5:30 at the Vancouver Marathon?
2:43:41. That is the grade-adjusted halfway target for this course, not simply half of 5:30:00 — 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 5:30 goal produces splits between 6:13 and 10:00 per kilometre — about 227 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 5:30:00. Uphill sections get more time and downhill sections less, at a constant effort throughout.
Is 5:30 a realistic marathon goal?
5:30 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.