First marathon territory. Finish strong.
Plan your sub-5 marathon (or sub-4:59) with first/second-half splits. This is the most common first-marathon target — even pacing or slight negative wins here.
For a 4:00:00 marathon with a -2% negative, run the first half in 2:01:13 and the second in 1:58:47.
Cumulative time at each 5K mark. Print this and stick it on your wrist on race day.
| Distance | Target pace | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| 5K | 5:45/km | 28:44 |
| 10K | 5:45/km | 57:27 |
| 15K | 5:45/km | 1:26:11 |
| 20K | 5:45/km | 1:54:54 |
| 25K | 5:38/km | 2:23:11 |
| 30K | 5:38/km | 2:51:20 |
| 35K | 5:38/km | 3:19:29 |
| 40K | 5:38/km | 3:47:38 |
| Marathon | 5:38/km | 4:00:00 |
A 5:00 marathon is 7:07/km. Reference splits — for first marathons, even or -1% pacing is usually the safest bet.
| Strategy | First half | Second half | Pace 1st | Pace 2nd | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Even split | 2:30:00 | 2:30:00 | 7:07/km | 7:07/km | Most common first-marathon strategy. Just hit halfway in 2:30. |
| -1% negative | 2:31:16 | 2:28:44 | 7:10/km | 7:03/km | Slight buffer for late-race wall. |
| -2% negative | 2:32:32 | 2:27:28 | 7:14/km | 6:59/km | Aggressive for first marathon. Only if very well-trained. |
| Walk-run mix | varies | varies | ~7:00/km running | ~9:00/km walking breaks | Many sub-5 finishers run 9 min / walk 1 min throughout. |