Running Pace Calculator

Find your running pace per km and per mile and your speed from a distance and time, or your finish time from a distance and pace, with 5K, 10K, half and full marathon presets.

Your details

Used for a custom distance and for the pace you enter.

h
min
s

Pace

5:00 /km

Pace per km
5:00 /km
Pace per mile
8:03 /mi
Speed
12 km/h
Speed
7.46 mph
Distance
5 km / 3.11 mi
  • The bands are a rough guide to effort for a recreational runner, not a fitness test; your own scale depends on age, terrain and training.

Visual breakdown

12 km/h

  • Walkslower than 10:00 /km
  • Easy jog10:00 – 6:40 /km
  • Steady run6:40 – 5:00 /km
  • Fast5:00 – 4:00 /km
  • Racing4:00 – 3:00 /km
  • Elitefaster than 3:00 /km

5:00 /km, 8:03 /mi

  1. 1

    The distance

    the race distance

    = 5K (5 km)

    = 5 km = 3.11 mi

  2. 2

    Add up the time in seconds

    seconds = hours × 3,600 + minutes × 60 + seconds

    = 0 × 3,600 + 25 × 60 + 0

    = 1,500 s

  3. 3

    Divide the time by the distance

    pace per km = seconds ÷ km

    = 1,500 s ÷ 5 km

    = 5:00 /km

  4. 4

    Pace per mile

    pace per mile = pace per km × 1.609344

    = 5:00 /km × 1.609344

    = 8:03 /mi

  5. 5

    Speed

    speed = distance ÷ time

    = 5 km ÷ 0.4167 h

    = 12 km/h = 7.46 mph

A 5K in 25 minutes is a pace of 5:00 per km (8:03 per mile) and a speed of 12 km/h. Give a distance and a time to get the pace, or a distance and a pace to get the finish time.

What this calculates

Choose a distance (5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon or your own), then either enter your time to get your pace per kilometre and per mile and your speed, or enter a pace to get your finish time. It shows the working step by step and marks your speed on a scale from a walk to elite running.

The formula

Pace

pace per km = time in seconds ÷ distance in km

Speed

speed (km/h) = distance in km ÷ time in hours

Finish time

time = pace per km × distance in km

Miles

pace per mile = pace per km × 1.609344

A mile is exactly 1.609344 km. Paces and times are shown to the nearest second.

Worked example

When to use it, and the mistakes to avoid

Use it to set a goal time for a race, to check a split on a training run, or to convert between treadmill speeds in km/h or mph and the pace per kilometre or mile on your watch.

The mistakes that cost the most:

  • Mixing kilometres and miles. Check the unit: a 9:00 mile is a 5:36 kilometre.
  • Reading pace as speed. Pace is time per distance, so a lower pace number is faster.
  • Using a rounded distance. A marathon is 42.195 km, not 42; the difference is about a minute at 5:30 per km.
  • Starting too fast. An even or slightly negative split usually beats a fast start and a fade.
  • Forgetting the watch's error. GPS can read a few per cent long or short, which moves the pace by the same amount.

FAQ

How do I work out my running pace?

Divide your time by your distance. A 5K in 25 minutes is 25 ÷ 5 = 5 minutes per kilometre, which is 5:00 /km, or about 8:03 per mile. Enter the distance and your time and this does the sum, including the conversion to miles.

What pace do I need for a sub-4-hour marathon?

About 5:41 per kilometre, or 9:09 per mile: 4 hours is 14,400 seconds, divided by 42.195 km. Switch to finish-time mode, enter a pace and see what time it gives.

How do I convert pace per km to pace per mile?

Multiply by 1.609344, since a mile is that many kilometres. 5:00 per km is 300 seconds, and 300 × 1.609344 = 483 seconds, or 8:03 per mile. To go the other way, divide.

What are the standard race distances?

5K is 5 km, 10K is 10 km, the half marathon is 21.0975 km (13.1 miles) and the marathon is 42.195 km (26.2 miles). The presets use those exact distances.

Should I run every kilometre at the same pace?

Not necessarily. The pace here is an average over the whole distance. Most runners go a little slower in the first kilometres, hold a steady effort in the middle and finish fast. Hills, heat and wind change the pace you can hold, so treat the average as a target, not a rule for every split.

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