Vancouver Marathon 6:00 pace chart
A 6:00:00 finish at the Vancouver 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 6:47/km and the hardest around 10:55/km — about 248 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 2:58:24 — a 3:13 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 10:55/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 6:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Vancouver Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 6:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9:29 | 15:15 | +62 ft (+19 m) | 9:29 |
| 2 | 8:18 | 13:21 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 17:46 |
| 3 | 8:22 | 13:28 | -15 ft (-5 m) | 26:09 |
| 4 | 8:47 | 14:08 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 34:55 |
| 5 | 7:43 | 12:25 | -62 ft (-19 m) | 42:38 |
| 6 | 7:36 | 12:14 | -73 ft (-22 m) | 50:14 |
| 7 | 7:15 | 11:40 | -103 ft (-31 m) | 57:29 |
| 8 | 8:26 | 13:34 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 1:05:55 |
| 9 | 9:24 | 15:07 | +57 ft (+17 m) | 1:15:19 |
| 10 | 10:55 | 17:34 | +151 ft (+46 m) | 1:26:14 |
| 11 | 8:54 | 14:19 | +24 ft (+7 m) | 1:35:07 |
| 12 | 8:41 | 13:58 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 1:43:48 |
| 13 | 8:48 | 14:10 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 1:52:36 |
| 14 | 8:30 | 13:41 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 2:01:07 |
| 15 | 8:25 | 13:32 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 2:09:31 |
| 16 | 8:02 | 12:56 | -41 ft (-12 m) | 2:17:34 |
| 17 | 8:45 | 14:04 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 2:26:18 |
| 18 | 8:24 | 13:32 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 2:34:42 |
| 19 | 8:20 | 13:25 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 2:43:03 |
| 20 | 6:47 | 10:55 | -143 ft (-44 m) | 2:49:49 |
| 21 | 7:44 | 12:27 | -64 ft (-19 m) | 2:57:34 |
| 22 | 8:34 | 13:47 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:06:08 |
| 23 | 8:27 | 13:36 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 3:14:34 |
| 24 | 9:28 | 15:14 | +60 ft (+18 m) | 3:24:02 |
| 25 | 8:06 | 13:02 | -36 ft (-11 m) | 3:32:09 |
| 26 | 8:36 | 13:50 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 3:40:45 |
| 27 | 8:39 | 13:56 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 3:49:24 |
| 28 | 8:03 | 12:58 | -36 ft (-11 m) | 3:57:27 |
| 29 | 8:50 | 14:13 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 4:06:17 |
| 30 | 8:25 | 13:32 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 4:14:42 |
| 31 | 9:01 | 14:31 | +21 ft (+6 m) | 4:23:43 |
| 32 | 8:10 | 13:09 | -28 ft (-9 m) | 4:31:53 |
| 33 | 8:25 | 13:32 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 4:40:18 |
| 34 | 8:56 | 14:23 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 4:49:14 |
| 35 | 8:27 | 13:36 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 4:57:41 |
| 36 | 8:51 | 14:15 | +19 ft (+6 m) | 5:06:33 |
| 37 | 8:13 | 13:14 | -26 ft (-8 m) | 5:14:46 |
| 38 | 8:33 | 13:46 | 0 ft (0 m) | 5:23:19 |
| 39 | 8:43 | 14:02 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 5:32:03 |
| 40 | 8:22 | 13:28 | -15 ft (-4 m) | 5:40:25 |
| 41 | 8:33 | 13:45 | 0 ft (0 m) | 5:48:58 |
| 42 | 9:13 | 14:50 | +45 ft (+14 m) | 5:58:11 |
| 42.2 | 9:21 | 15:03 | +11 ft (+3 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 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 6:00 at the Vancouver Marathon?
2:58:24. 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 Vancouver Marathon?
Even effort at a 6:00 goal produces splits between 6:47 and 10:55 per kilometre — about 248 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 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.