Free running calculators
Running Pace Calculator
Give it any two of distance, time and pace, and it works out the third. You also get your speed and an even-pace split for every mile or kilometer, ready to write on your wrist.
How to calculate running pace
Pace is time divided by distance. Running 10 kilometers in 50 minutes is a pace of 50 ÷ 10 = 5 minutes per kilometer. The same run in miles is 6.21 miles, so 50 ÷ 6.21 = 8.05 minutes, or 8:03 per mile.
pace = time ÷ distance
Turn it around for the other two questions. Finish time is pace times distance: 9:00 per mile over a marathon's 26.22 miles is 3:55:58. Distance is time divided by pace: an hour at 8:00 per mile covers 7.5 miles.
The fiddly part is that times are in minutes and seconds, not decimals. 8:30 per mile is 8.5 minutes, not 8.3. The calculator handles the conversion, so you can type times exactly as your watch shows them.
Pace, speed and treadmills
Speed is the same thing upside down: distance per hour instead of time per distance. Divide 60 by your pace in minutes to get speed: 8:00 per mile is 60 ÷ 8 = 7.5 miles per hour. Treadmills display speed, which is why the calculator shows it alongside your pace.
To convert between pace per mile and per kilometer, divide a per-mile pace by 1.609 or multiply a per-km pace by 1.609. 5:00 per km is 8:03 per mile; 10:00 per mile is 6:13 per km.
Running pace chart
Finish times for common race distances at even paces from 6:00 to 13:00 per mile. Find your goal time in a column and read the pace to hold across the row.
| Per mile | Per km | 5K | 10K | Half marathon | Marathon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 | 3:44 | 18:38 | 37:17 | 1:18:39 | 2:37:19 |
| 6:30 | 4:02 | 20:12 | 40:23 | 1:25:13 | 2:50:25 |
| 7:00 | 4:21 | 21:45 | 43:30 | 1:31:46 | 3:03:32 |
| 7:30 | 4:40 | 23:18 | 46:36 | 1:38:19 | 3:16:38 |
| 8:00 | 4:58 | 24:51 | 49:43 | 1:44:53 | 3:29:45 |
| 8:30 | 5:17 | 26:24 | 52:49 | 1:51:26 | 3:42:52 |
| 9:00 | 5:36 | 27:58 | 55:55 | 1:57:59 | 3:55:58 |
| 9:30 | 5:54 | 29:31 | 59:02 | 2:04:32 | 4:09:05 |
| 10:00 | 6:13 | 31:04 | 1:02:08 | 2:11:06 | 4:22:11 |
| 10:30 | 6:31 | 32:37 | 1:05:15 | 2:17:39 | 4:35:18 |
| 11:00 | 6:50 | 34:11 | 1:08:21 | 2:24:12 | 4:48:24 |
| 11:30 | 7:09 | 35:44 | 1:11:27 | 2:30:45 | 5:01:31 |
| 12:00 | 7:27 | 37:17 | 1:14:34 | 2:37:19 | 5:14:38 |
| 12:30 | 7:46 | 38:50 | 1:17:40 | 2:43:52 | 5:27:44 |
| 13:00 | 8:05 | 40:23 | 1:20:47 | 2:50:25 | 5:40:51 |
Using splits on race day
Splits are your target time at each mile or kilometer marker. Checking them as you pass each marker tells you early whether you're on pace, long before the finish clock does.
- Even pacing is the efficient default. Most distance records are set at close to even pace. Going out fast banks time you pay back with interest in the last third.
- Allow for the course. Watch GPS reads a little long on a measured race course, because you rarely run the shortest line. Pace by the markers, not by the watch's distance, or aim a few seconds per mile faster than goal on the watch.
- Hills change the split, not the effort. Expect slower miles uphill and faster ones down. Hold steady effort and let the splits even out.
Not sure what pace to aim for? The race time predictor turns a recent race into a realistic goal time, and this calculator turns that goal into splits.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good running pace?
It depends on age, experience and distance. Many recreational runners race a 5K at 8:00 to 12:00 per mile; a 10:00 per mile pace finishes a 5K in about 31 minutes. Easy training runs should feel conversational and are usually 1 to 2 minutes per mile slower than 5K race pace.
What pace do I need for a sub-4 hour marathon?
9:09 per mile (5:41 per km) finishes in 3:59:54. Most runners aim a few seconds per mile faster to cover the extra distance of running wide on corners and the time lost at drink stations.
How do I convert minutes per mile to miles per hour?
Divide 60 by your pace in decimal minutes. 7:30 per mile is 7.5 minutes, and 60 ÷ 7.5 = 8 miles per hour.