Pace Calculator

Calculate your running pace, speed, and split times for any distance. Perfect for race planning.

Pace

5:00 /km

Speed12 km/h

Per km5:00

Per mile8:03

Enter Your Run

Distance Unit

Quick Distances

Distance

Time

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

Running 5 km in 25:00

5:00 per km

(12 km/h • 7.46 mph)

Split Times

Distance	Split	Total Time
1 km	5:00	5:00
2 km	5:00	10:00
3 km	5:00	15:00
4 km	5:00	20:00
5 km	5:00	25:00

Training Paces

Based on your race pace, here are suggested paces for different training zones:

Recovery(Easy jog)

6:30 - 7:30

Easy(Conversational pace)

5:45 - 6:30

Tempo(Comfortably hard)

5:00 - 5:24

Threshold(Race pace)

4:45 - 5:00

Interval(Hard effort)

4:15 - 4:45

What is Running Pace?

Pace is how long it takes you to cover a set distance — typically shown as minutes per kilometer (min/km) or minutes per mile (min/mi).

For example:

5:00/km means you run 1 kilometer in 5 minutes
8:00/mi means you run 1 mile in 8 minutes

Pace is the opposite of speed. While speed tells you how far you go in an hour (km/h), pace tells you how long each unit of distance takes.

Most runners think in pace, not speed. It's easier to maintain "6:30 per km" than to think "I need to run at 9.23 km/h."

Common Race Distances & Paces

Here's what different paces look like for popular race distances:

Pace/km	5K Time	10K Time	Half Marathon	Marathon
4:00	20:00	40:00	1:24:22	2:48:45
5:00	25:00	50:00	1:45:28	3:30:56
6:00	30:00	1:00:00	2:06:33	4:13:06
7:00	35:00	1:10:00	2:27:39	4:55:17

What's a "good" pace?

Beginner: 7:00-8:00/km (11:00-13:00/mi)
Intermediate: 5:30-6:30/km (9:00-10:30/mi)
Advanced: 4:30-5:30/km (7:15-9:00/mi)
Elite: Under 4:00/km (under 6:26/mi)

Pace vs Speed: Quick Conversion

Pace (min/km)	Speed (km/h)	Pace (min/mi)	Speed (mph)
4:00	15.0	6:26	9.3
5:00	12.0	8:03	7.5
6:00	10.0	9:39	6.2
7:00	8.6	11:16	5.3
8:00	7.5	12:52	4.7

Training Pace Zones

Running at different paces trains different energy systems:

🟢 Easy/Recovery (65-75% max HR)

1-2 minutes slower than race pace
You can hold a conversation easily
Builds aerobic base, promotes recovery

🟡 Tempo/Threshold (85-90% max HR)

"Comfortably hard" — you can speak in short sentences
About 15-30 seconds slower than 10K pace
Improves lactate threshold

🟠 Interval/VO2max (95-100% max HR)

Hard effort, can only say a few words
Near or faster than 5K pace
Improves maximum oxygen uptake

🔴 Sprint (100%+ effort)

All-out effort for short distances
Improves raw speed and power

80% of your running should be at easy pace! Most beginners run too fast too often, leading to burnout and injury.

The Art of Negative Splits

A "negative split" means running the second half of a race faster than the first. It's the holy grail of racing strategy.

Why it works:

Conserves energy early when excitement is high
Your body is warmed up for faster finish
Mentally powerful to pass people late in race

How to do it:

Start 10-15 seconds/km slower than goal pace
Settle into goal pace by the 1/4 mark
Speed up slightly in final 1/4
Leave something in the tank

How to Improve Your Pace

1. Run more miles (slowly) The biggest gains come from increasing weekly mileage at easy pace. Your aerobic system improves even at slow speeds.

2. Add one speed workout per week

Tempo runs: 20-40 minutes at "comfortably hard" pace
Intervals: 400m-1km repeats with rest
Fartlek: Unstructured speed play

3. Don't neglect strength training Strong legs = efficient running. Squats, lunges, and core work 2x/week makes a difference.

4. Fuel properly

Carbs before long runs
Protein after for recovery
Stay hydrated!