6:00 marathon pace

Per mile	13:44
Per km	8:32
Halfway	3:00:00
Speed	7.0 km/h

A 6:00:00 marathon averages 13:44 per mile or 8:32 per kilometre — 7.0 km/h (4.4 mph) — held for all 26.2 miles (42.195 km). It is a steady, sustainable finish, and the pace most first-time marathoners should actually target.

Run evenly, you reach halfway in 3:00:00. On a flat course that is the target: a first half a shade slower costs very little, while banking time early is the most reliable way to lose it, and more, in the last 10 km.

Riegel's race-prediction formula puts the equivalent half marathon at 2:50:17, the 10K at 1:16:02 and the 5K at 35:58. Treat those as the minimum rather than the target: the formula assumes marathon-specific endurance, and runners on lower weekly mileage — first-timers especially — usually need to be faster over the shorter distances to hold this pace for the full marathon.

These are even splits for a flat course. On a hilly one the same finish time needs a different target for every kilometre; the course pages below grade-adjust 6:00 for each marathon's own elevation profile.

Kilometre checkpoints for 6:00:00

Distance	Elapsed
5 km	42:40
10 km	1:25:19
15 km	2:07:59
20 km	2:50:38
Half	3:00:00
25 km	3:33:18
30 km	4:15:57
35 km	4:58:37
40 km	5:41:16
Finish	6:00:00

Mile splits for 6:00:00

Mile	Elapsed
1	13:44
2	27:28
3	41:12
4	54:55
5	1:08:39
6	1:22:23
7	1:36:07
8	1:49:51
9	2:03:35
10	2:17:18
11	2:31:02
12	2:44:46
13	2:58:30
14	3:12:14
15	3:25:58
16	3:39:41
17	3:53:25
18	4:07:09
19	4:20:53
20	4:34:37
21	4:48:21
22	5:02:04
23	5:15:48
24	5:29:32
25	5:43:16
26	5:57:00
26.2	6:00:00

Race times that predict 6:00

Riegel's formula with the distance-dependent exponent the race predictor uses. Treat these as a floor, not a target.

Race	Time	Pace /km
5K	35:58	7:12
10K	1:16:02	7:36
Half marathon	2:50:17	8:04

6:00 splits adjusted for each course

Frequently asked questions

What pace is a 6:00 marathon?

13:44 per mile, or 8:32 per kilometre, for the full 26.2 miles. That is 7.0 km/h or 4.4 mph.

What is the halfway split for a 6:00 marathon?

3:00:00 at even pace. On a flat course, arriving a little later than that is safer than arriving early; on a hilly course the right halfway time depends on where the climbing sits.

What half marathon time do I need for a 6:00 marathon?

Riegel's formula says 2:50:17 (8:04/km). Most runners need to be somewhat quicker than that — the prediction assumes you have the long-run endurance to hold pace for twice the distance, and it is optimistic for runners on modest weekly mileage.

What 5K and 10K times match a 6:00 marathon?

About 35:58 for 5K and 1:16:02 for 10K by the same formula. Shorter races are a weaker guide to the marathon than a half is, because they depend much less on endurance.

Is 6:00 a good marathon time?

It is a steady, sustainable finish, and the pace most first-time marathoners should actually target. Whether it is the right goal for you depends on your recent race results and training, not on where it sits in the field.