Goal time
Sub-5-hour marathon pace
Five hours is the marathon target with the most runners chasing it and the least written about it. The pace is gentle enough that the race is decided almost entirely by what happens after twenty miles.
The pace this target demands
- Finish time
- 5:00:00
- Per mile
- 11:27
- Per kilometer
- 7:07
- Speed
- 5.2 mph
The time to actually aim at
5:00:00 is a ceiling, not a target. Plan for 4:59:00 instead and you get 11:24 per mile, which buys back the seconds a long tangent, a crowded water station or a slow first quarter-mile will cost you.
The paces on this page are shown to the nearest second, which is how a watch shows them. Typing a rounded pace back into a calculator will not return the exact target time, and no amount of decimal places fixes that on a real course.
At this pace the race is long — a great deal longer, in time, than a three-hour marathon — and much of the field will be alternating running and walking by design. That does not make the split table irrelevant. It makes the average it produces the number to plan around, with the walk breaks built into it rather than bolted on afterwards.
Splits every 1 mi
An even effort from start to finish. Cumulative time is the clock reading as you pass each marker.
If you are planning run-walk intervals, use the cumulative column rather than the split column. It is the running average across each mile that has to come out right, not the pace of the running portions.
Scroll the table sideways on a narrow screen.
Splits every 1 mi
| Split | Distance | Split time | Cumulative | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.00 | 11:27 | 11:27 | 11:27 |
| 2 | 2.00 | 11:27 | 22:53 | 11:27 |
| 3 | 3.00 | 11:27 | 34:20 | 11:27 |
| 4 | 4.00 | 11:27 | 45:46 | 11:27 |
| 5 | 5.00 | 11:27 | 57:13 | 11:27 |
| 6 | 6.00 | 11:27 | 1:08:39 | 11:27 |
| 7 | 7.00 | 11:27 | 1:20:06 | 11:27 |
| 8 | 8.00 | 11:27 | 1:31:32 | 11:27 |
| 9 | 9.00 | 11:27 | 1:42:59 | 11:27 |
| 10 | 10.00 | 11:27 | 1:54:25 | 11:27 |
| 11 | 11.00 | 11:27 | 2:05:52 | 11:27 |
| 12 | 12.00 | 11:27 | 2:17:18 | 11:27 |
| 13 | 13.00 | 11:27 | 2:28:45 | 11:27 |
| 14 | 14.00 | 11:27 | 2:40:11 | 11:27 |
| 15 | 15.00 | 11:27 | 2:51:38 | 11:27 |
| 16 | 16.00 | 11:27 | 3:03:05 | 11:27 |
| 17 | 17.00 | 11:27 | 3:14:31 | 11:27 |
| 18 | 18.00 | 11:27 | 3:25:58 | 11:27 |
| 19 | 19.00 | 11:27 | 3:37:24 | 11:27 |
| 20 | 20.00 | 11:27 | 3:48:51 | 11:27 |
| 21 | 21.00 | 11:27 | 4:00:17 | 11:27 |
| 22 | 22.00 | 11:27 | 4:11:44 | 11:27 |
| 23 | 23.00 | 11:27 | 4:23:10 | 11:27 |
| 24 | 24.00 | 11:27 | 4:34:37 | 11:27 |
| 25 | 25.00 | 11:27 | 4:46:03 | 11:27 |
| 26 | 26.00 | 11:27 | 4:57:30 | 11:27 |
| 27 | 26.22 | 2:30 | 5:00:00 | 11:27 |
Splits every 1 km
| Split | Distance | Split time | Cumulative | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.00 | 7:07 | 7:07 | 7:07 |
| 2 | 2.00 | 7:07 | 14:13 | 7:07 |
| 3 | 3.00 | 7:07 | 21:20 | 7:07 |
| 4 | 4.00 | 7:07 | 28:26 | 7:07 |
| 5 | 5.00 | 7:07 | 35:33 | 7:07 |
| 6 | 6.00 | 7:07 | 42:40 | 7:07 |
| 7 | 7.00 | 7:07 | 49:46 | 7:07 |
| 8 | 8.00 | 7:07 | 56:53 | 7:07 |
| 9 | 9.00 | 7:07 | 1:03:59 | 7:07 |
| 10 | 10.00 | 7:07 | 1:11:06 | 7:07 |
| 11 | 11.00 | 7:07 | 1:18:12 | 7:07 |
| 12 | 12.00 | 7:07 | 1:25:19 | 7:07 |
| 13 | 13.00 | 7:07 | 1:32:26 | 7:07 |
| 14 | 14.00 | 7:07 | 1:39:32 | 7:07 |
| 15 | 15.00 | 7:07 | 1:46:39 | 7:07 |
| 16 | 16.00 | 7:07 | 1:53:45 | 7:07 |
| 17 | 17.00 | 7:07 | 2:00:52 | 7:07 |
| 18 | 18.00 | 7:07 | 2:07:59 | 7:07 |
| 19 | 19.00 | 7:07 | 2:15:05 | 7:07 |
| 20 | 20.00 | 7:07 | 2:22:12 | 7:07 |
| 21 | 21.00 | 7:07 | 2:29:18 | 7:07 |
| 22 | 22.00 | 7:07 | 2:36:25 | 7:07 |
| 23 | 23.00 | 7:07 | 2:43:32 | 7:07 |
| 24 | 24.00 | 7:07 | 2:50:38 | 7:07 |
| 25 | 25.00 | 7:07 | 2:57:45 | 7:07 |
| 26 | 26.00 | 7:07 | 3:04:51 | 7:07 |
| 27 | 27.00 | 7:07 | 3:11:58 | 7:07 |
| 28 | 28.00 | 7:07 | 3:19:05 | 7:07 |
| 29 | 29.00 | 7:07 | 3:26:11 | 7:07 |
| 30 | 30.00 | 7:07 | 3:33:18 | 7:07 |
| 31 | 31.00 | 7:07 | 3:40:24 | 7:07 |
| 32 | 32.00 | 7:07 | 3:47:31 | 7:07 |
| 33 | 33.00 | 7:07 | 3:54:37 | 7:07 |
| 34 | 34.00 | 7:07 | 4:01:44 | 7:07 |
| 35 | 35.00 | 7:07 | 4:08:51 | 7:07 |
| 36 | 36.00 | 7:07 | 4:15:57 | 7:07 |
| 37 | 37.00 | 7:07 | 4:23:04 | 7:07 |
| 38 | 38.00 | 7:07 | 4:30:10 | 7:07 |
| 39 | 39.00 | 7:07 | 4:37:17 | 7:07 |
| 40 | 40.00 | 7:07 | 4:44:24 | 7:07 |
| 41 | 41.00 | 7:07 | 4:51:30 | 7:07 |
| 42 | 42.00 | 7:07 | 4:58:37 | 7:07 |
| 43 | 42.20 | 1:23 | 5:00:00 | 7:07 |
Three ways to spend the same time
The finish time is identical in all three. What changes is where the effort goes, and how the opening miles feel.
Scroll the table sideways on a narrow screen.
| Strategy | Opens at | Closes at | First half | Second half | Second half vs first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Even splits | 11:27 | 11:27 | 2:30:00 | 2:30:00 | Level |
| Negative splits | 11:40 | 11:12 | 2:31:31 | 2:28:29 | 3:01 faster |
| Positive splits | 11:13 | 11:41 | 2:28:29 | 2:31:31 | 3:02 slower |
Even splits
The same pace for every split. It is the plan that needs the least judgment and the one every other plan is measured against, and for a first attempt at a barrier it is usually the right answer.
Negative splits
Set here at 2 percent, which means the opening pace is 2 percent slower than even and the closing pace is 2 percent faster — a spread of 4 percent from the first split to the last. On the clock that is 11:40 out of the gate and 11:12 coming home. It costs discipline early and gives back a second half 3:01 quicker.
Positive splits
The mirror image, and the one that happens by accident more often than by choice. The same 4 percent spread, run the other way round: 11:13 early, 11:41 late. It is a real plan for a course that climbs at the end, and a warning sign everywhere else.
The percentage is the swing at each end, not the difference between the halves. Doubling it gives the spread from the first split to the last.
A five-hour marathon run positively is a five-and-a-half-hour marathon. Of every target on this site, this is the one where a conservative first half pays back the most.
Clock time at every marker
An even effort, at the points a race actually marks. Worth writing on a wristband.
| Point | Elapsed | Remaining |
|---|---|---|
| 5 km | 35:33 | 4:24:27 |
| 10 km | 1:11:06 | 3:48:54 |
| 15 km | 1:46:39 | 3:13:21 |
| 20 km | 2:22:12 | 2:37:48 |
| Halfway | 2:30:00 | 2:30:00 |
| 25 km | 2:57:45 | 2:02:15 |
| 30 km | 3:33:18 | 1:26:42 |
| 20 mi | 3:48:51 | 1:11:09 |
| 35 km | 4:08:51 | 51:09 |
| 40 km | 4:44:24 | 15:36 |
| Finish | 5:00:00 | 0:00 |
What being off pace costs
Every row starts from the exact required pace and shifts it. This is the table to look at when the first mile comes up quick.
Per mile
| Off pace by | Pace | Finish time | Vs target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 s faster | 11:12 | 4:53:27 | 6:33 inside |
| 10 s faster | 11:17 | 4:55:38 | 4:22 inside |
| 5 s faster | 11:22 | 4:57:49 | 2:11 inside |
| Exactly on pace | 11:27 | 5:00:00 | On the line |
| 5 s slower | 11:32 | 5:02:11 | 2:11 over |
| 10 s slower | 11:37 | 5:04:22 | 4:22 over |
| 15 s slower | 11:42 | 5:06:33 | 6:33 over |
Per kilometer
| Off pace by | Pace | Finish time | Vs target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 s faster | 6:52 | 4:49:27 | 10:33 inside |
| 10 s faster | 6:57 | 4:52:58 | 7:02 inside |
| 5 s faster | 7:02 | 4:56:29 | 3:31 inside |
| Exactly on pace | 7:07 | 5:00:00 | On the line |
| 5 s slower | 7:12 | 5:03:31 | 3:31 over |
| 10 s slower | 7:17 | 5:07:02 | 7:02 over |
| 15 s slower | 7:22 | 5:10:33 | 10:33 over |
The middle row is the definition of the target rather than a way to hit it. Finishing at exactly 5:00:00 does not beat 5:00:00, which is the whole reason the aim-for time above exists.
The finish times here move more per second of pace than at any other marathon target, simply because there are more miles' worth of hours in play.
The targets either side
Every other pace for this distance
The full lookup table for the Marathon, from a pace almost nobody holds down to a comfortable one, with finish times for all of them.
A distance that is not on this list?
The web calculator takes any distance, any time and any pace, and works out the rest as you type. Nothing to install, nothing to sign up for.
The app
Take the numbers to the start line
Simple Pace Calculator is a free app for iPhone & iPad. Distance, time, pace and speed stay in sync while you edit any one of them, and a lock shows which value is being held fixed. All calculations work offline.
$2.99 (US), one-time unlocks two extra tools, once, with no subscription: Splits, for even, negative or positive pacing at any interval, and ETA, for working out when a runner reaches your spot on the course.
For this distance the app offers splits every 1 km, 1 mi, 5 km, 5 mi, 1/2, 1/4, plus a custom interval of your own.
Everything on this page stays free on the web, whether or not you ever install anything.
