Running pace calculator
Enter any two of time, distance and pace to get the third, per kilometre or per mile, with the splits you’d write on your wrist.
| Split | Elapsed |
|---|---|
| 1 km | 5:00 |
| 2 km | 10:00 |
| 3 km | 15:00 |
| 4 km | 20:00 |
| 5 km | 25:00 |
| 6 km | 30:00 |
| 7 km | 35:00 |
| 8 km | 40:00 |
| 9 km | 45:00 |
| 10 km | 50:00 |
Goal paces at a glance
The paces behind the round-number goals runners chase most. For every time between, open the full pace charts for the 5K, 10K, half marathon or marathon.
| Race | Goal | Per km | Per mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5K | 20:00 | 4:00 | 6:26 |
| 5K | 25:00 | 5:00 | 8:03 |
| 5K | 30:00 | 6:00 | 9:39 |
| 10K | 40:00 | 4:00 | 6:26 |
| 10K | 50:00 | 5:00 | 8:03 |
| 10K | 1:00:00 | 6:00 | 9:39 |
| Half marathon | 1:30:00 | 4:16 | 6:52 |
| Half marathon | 1:45:00 | 4:59 | 8:01 |
| Half marathon | 2:00:00 | 5:41 | 9:09 |
| Marathon | 3:00:00 | 4:16 | 6:52 |
| Marathon | 3:30:00 | 4:59 | 8:01 |
| Marathon | 4:00:00 | 5:41 | 9:09 |
How pace, time and distance fit together
Pace is time divided by distance; time is pace multiplied by distance; distance is time divided by pace. The only traps are units. A mile is 1.609 km, so a pace per mile is always 1.609 times longer than the same pace per km: 5:00/km is 8:03/mile. Race distances are fixed by World Athletics: a half marathon is 21.0975 km and a marathon 42.195 km.
Pace tells you what a goal demands, not whether you can hold it. To check that, feed a recent race into the race time predictor or the VDOT calculator, then log the result in your running log.
Questions runners ask
How do I calculate running pace?
Divide your time by your distance. A 5K in 25:00 is 1,500 seconds ÷ 5 km = 300 seconds, so 5:00 per km. In miles, 5 km is 3.107 miles, so the same run is 8:03 per mile.
What pace do I need for a sub-4 hour marathon?
A 3:59:59 marathon needs 5:41 per km or 9:09 per mile, held for all 42.195 km. Most runners aim a few seconds faster to bank time for water stations and crowded starts.
What pace is a 2 hour half marathon?
A 2:00:00 half marathon (21.0975 km) is 5:41 per km or 9:09 per mile, the same pace as a sub-4 marathon but for half the distance.
Why does my watch pace differ from this calculator?
GPS watches usually measure a race slightly long because you don’t run the perfect tangents the course was measured on. If your watch shows 42.6 km for a marathon, your watch pace will look faster than your official pace over 42.195 km.