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How to calculate running pace per km and per mile for any race

How to calculate running pace per km and per mile for any race

Your watch says 5:00 per km and the training plan says 8:00 per mile. Work out your pace from time and distance, then convert it so both numbers describe the same run.

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Why pace numbers go wrong

Pace is time divided by distance: 50 minutes for 10 km is 5:00 per km. The arithmetic trips people up because time runs in base 60, so 5.5 minutes per km is 5:30, not 5:50. Units make it worse. A plan written in minutes per mile reads very differently from a watch set to kilometres, and speed in km/h or mph is the inverse of pace: a faster runner has a bigger speed and a smaller pace.

Start a race on a wrong number and the second half pays for it. Most runners race best with even or slightly faster second-half splits, which only works when the target pace is right.

Find the pace, then convert it

Choose what to solve for in the Pace Calculator: pace, time, or distance. Enter the other two, or tap the 5K, 10K, half marathon, or marathon preset. It shows the pace per km and per mile, the speed, and a table of splits. 10 km in 50:00 is 5:00 per km, 8:03 per mile, and 12 km/h. A 4-hour marathon needs 5:41 per km or 9:09 per mile. The result assumes an even pace, and hills, wind, and heat change real splits.

If your route is measured in another unit, convert it in the Length Converter first. One mile is exactly 1.609344 km, so a 5-mile loop is 8.04672 km. It shows the value in all ten units at once.

To compare with a treadmill or a bike computer that shows speed, use the Speed Converter. 10 km/h is 6.213712 mph, and 10 m/s is 36 km/h.

Calculate your running pace

  1. Open the Pace Calculator and choose to solve for pace.
  2. Enter the distance, or tap a race preset.
  3. Enter the time in hours, minutes, and seconds.
  4. Press Calculate and read the pace per km, the pace per mile, and the speed.
  5. Use the split table to write down target times at each kilometre or mile.

What a pace figure doesn't show

  • The pace is an average over the whole distance. It assumes an even effort.
  • Hills, wind, and heat change real splits.
  • Race presets use the official lengths. A marathon is 42.195 km.
  • The converters handle lengths and speeds. Pace per km or per mile comes from the Pace Calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate running pace?

Divide your time by the distance. 50 minutes for 10 km is 5 minutes per km.

How do I convert pace per km to pace per mile?

Multiply by 1.609. A 5:00 per km pace is about 8:03 per mile.

What pace do I need for a 4-hour marathon?

About 5:41 per km or 9:09 per mile.

How long does a half marathon take at 5:30 per km?

1:56:02.

Tools used in this guide

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