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Running pace calculator

  

Pace is time divided by distance, and race predictions simply hold that pace. Real long races slow down, so a marathon at your 10K pace is optimistic: add 5 to 10% for the longer distances.

Distance in

km

Pace per km

5:30

5:30 per km and 8:51 per mile. Speed 10.91 km/h.

Pace, speed and what they mean for race day

Pace is how long one kilometre or mile takes. Speed is how far you go in an hour. They are two ways to say the same thing: running 10 km in 55 minutes is 5:30 per km, or about 10.9 km/h. Runners prefer pace because it is easier to track on a watch.

Working backwards helps with goals. To run a 10K in under an hour you need 6:00 per km. To break two hours for a half marathon, the figure is about 5:41. A 4-hour marathon needs 5:41 per km as well, held for more than twice the distance.

The race table in the calculator holds your pace constant, and real races do not work like that. Fatigue slows nearly everyone in the last third of a long race. A better method is to treat the 10K time as a guide and add several minutes per hour of running for the half, and more for the full.

Go by effort as well as numbers, especially in heat or hills. Most of your runs should feel conversational. Faster work belongs in a couple of sessions a week, and any plan should build up gradually to avoid injury.

Sources

What this calculator does not account for

  • Slowing down over long distances, hills and heat.
  • Stops, and GPS error in the distance.
  • Your training and fitness for the race distance.

How this is calculated

Formula: Pace and speed

pace =time ÷ distance; speed =distance ÷ time

What the symbols mean

  • timeTotal running time in minutes and seconds.
  • distanceDistance in kilometres or miles.

Good to know

  • One mile is 1.609344 km. A 5:00 min/km pace is 8:03 per mile.
  • Training also costs energy. See your daily needs with the TDEE calculator.

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Worked examples

Each example is worked out by the same code as the calculator above.

10 km in 55 minutes

Pace 5:30 per km, or 8:51 per mile. Speed 10.9 km/h. Held for a half marathon that would be 1:56:02.

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The frame shows the tool only.

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Questions

What is a good 5K time?

Many new runners finish in 30 to 35 minutes, which is a pace of 6:00 to 7:00 min/km. Under 25 minutes is a strong recreational time.

How do I convert min/km to min/mile?

Multiply by 1.609. A 6:00 min/km pace is about 9:39 per mile.

How fast is a 5:00 min/km pace?

12 km/h. A 10K at that pace takes 50 minutes and a marathon about 3 hours 31 minutes.

Will I hold my 5K pace for a marathon?

Almost certainly not. A common estimate is that marathon pace is 15 to 20% slower than 5K pace for a trained runner.