Pace Calculator - Running Pace per km or Mile

About the Pace Calculator

Runners think in pace — minutes per kilometre or per mile — because it translates directly into split times and finish times. If you want to break 50 minutes for 10 km, you need to average 5:00 per km; if you run a half marathon at 5:30 per km, you will finish in just under two hours. Working these numbers out on the move, or converting between kilometres and miles, is where a pace calculator earns its keep.

This pace calculator works three ways. Give it a distance and time to find your pace; a distance and pace to find your finish time; or a time and pace to find the distance covered. It shows pace per kilometre and per mile, your speed in km/h and mph, and your finish times at the same pace for 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon.

How to Use the Pace Calculator

Choose what to find: pace, time or distance.

Enter the other two values. Times are entered as h:mm:ss or m:ss — 50:00 or 1:45:30 — and paces as m:ss, such as 5:00.

Choose kilometres or miles.

The Formulas

  pace     = time ÷ distance
  time     = pace × distance
  distance = time ÷ pace
  speed    = distance ÷ time          (km/h = 60 ÷ pace in minutes per km)

  1 mile = 1.609344 km
  pace per mile = pace per km × 1.609344

Step-by-Step Examples

10 km in 50:00.

  pace  = 50:00 ÷ 10 = 5:00 per km
  per mile: 5:00 × 1.609 = 8:03 per mile
  speed = 10 km ÷ (50 ÷ 60) h = 12 km/h (7.46 mph)

A marathon at 5:00 per km.

  time = 5:00 × 42.195 = 210.98 min = 3:30:59

One hour at 6:00 per km.

  distance = 60 min ÷ 6 min per km = 10 km

Common Race Distances

  5K              5 km          3.11 miles
  10K            10 km          6.21 miles
  Half marathon  21.0975 km    13.11 miles
  Marathon       42.195 km     26.22 miles

At a 5:00 per km pace these take 25:00, 50:00, 1:45:29 and 3:30:59.

Pace Chart

  Pace/km   Pace/mile   km/h    5K        10K       Half       Marathon
  4:00      6:26        15.0    20:00     40:00     1:24:23    2:48:47
  4:30      7:15        13.3    22:30     45:00     1:34:56    3:09:53
  5:00      8:03        12.0    25:00     50:00     1:45:29    3:30:59
  5:30      8:51        10.9    27:30     55:00     1:56:02    3:52:04
  6:00      9:39        10.0    30:00     1:00:00   2:06:35    4:13:10
  7:00     11:16         8.6    35:00     1:10:00   2:27:41    4:55:22

Goal Paces for Popular Targets

Many runners train towards a round-number goal. Breaking 25 minutes for 5K needs an average of 5:00 per km, or 8:03 per mile. A sub-50-minute 10K needs the same 5:00 per km. A sub-2-hour half marathon needs about 5:41 per km or 9:09 per mile, and a sub-4-hour marathon about 5:41 per km as well — the two targets share almost exactly the same pace, which is why many runners use the half as a stepping stone. A sub-3-hour marathon requires 4:15 per km, or 6:52 per mile, for the whole 42.195 km. Choose the time mode, enter the distance and your target pace, and check the finish time it produces.

Why Your Watch and the Course Disagree

GPS watches often measure a race as slightly longer than its certified distance. Certified courses are measured along the shortest possible line, while runners weave around others and take corners wide, typically adding 0.5 to 1.5 percent. Over a marathon that can be 200 to 600 metres. So if your watch says you averaged 5:00 per km but your official time works out at 5:03, both can be right. To hit a target time, aim a few seconds per kilometre faster than the calculated pace.

Converting a Treadmill Speed

Treadmills show speed rather than pace. To convert, divide 60 by the speed in km/h: 12 km/h is 5:00 per km, 10 km/h is 6:00 per km and 15 km/h is 4:00 per km. In miles per hour, 60 ÷ 6 mph gives 10:00 per mile. Many runners set the treadmill to a 1 percent incline to make the effort closer to running outdoors, where wind resistance adds a little work.

Pace for Training

Different sessions call for different paces. Easy runs, the bulk of most training, are typically 60 to 90 seconds per km slower than 5K race pace — comfortable enough to hold a conversation. Tempo runs are around the pace you could hold for an hour. Intervals are near or faster than 5K pace, with recovery between. Knowing your race paces lets you set these targets precisely, and the pace calculator converts them into the times to aim for on each lap or kilometre.

Pacing a Race

Once you know your target pace, the challenge is holding it. Most runners start too fast, carried along by adrenaline and the crowd, and pay for it later. Checking the first kilometre or mile split against the target — and slowing down if it is quick — is one of the simplest ways to improve a race time.

Walking Pace

The calculator works for walking too. A brisk walk is about 6 km/h, a pace of 10:00 per km or about 16:06 per mile; a leisurely stroll is closer to 4 or 5 km/h. For a charity walk of 10 km at 6 km/h, allow about 1 hour 40 minutes, plus stops.

Understanding Your Result

The headline gives the pace, time or distance you asked for.

The pace line gives the pace per kilometre and per mile.

The speed line gives km/h and mph.

The run line summarises the distance and time.

The race times line gives 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon times at this pace.

When Should You Use This Calculator?

Use it to set a target pace for a race.

Use it to check the pace of a training run from your watch.

Use it to convert between minutes per km and minutes per mile.

Use it to plan walking and hiking times.

Common Mistakes

Entering 1:45 meaning 1 hour 45 minutes. Two parts are read as minutes and seconds; write 1:45:00.

Mixing kilometres and miles. Check the unit before entering the distance.

Averaging paces instead of times. Average pace is total time ÷ total distance.

Forgetting the extra 195 metres. A marathon is 42.195 km, not 42.

Setting a target pace from your best ever run. Base it on recent races, allowing for hills, heat and wind on the day.