Running Pace Calculator
Enter any two of distance, time and pace, and the calculator works out the third. It also gives you km and mile splits, plus the treadmill speed that matches your pace.
- Pace per km
- 5:41
- Pace per mile
- 9:09
- Speed
- 10.5 km/h
- Finish time
- 2:00:00
- Distance
- 21.1 km
Treadmill: set 10.5 km/h (6.6 mph). Add a 1% incline to roughly match the effort of running outdoors.
Show splits (22)
| Distance | Elapsed time |
|---|---|
| 1 km | 5:41 |
| 2 km | 11:23 |
| 3 km | 17:04 |
| 4 km | 22:45 |
| 5 km | 28:26 |
| 6 km | 34:08 |
| 7 km | 39:49 |
| 8 km | 45:30 |
| 9 km | 51:11 |
| 10 km | 56:53 |
| 11 km | 1:02:34 |
| 12 km | 1:08:15 |
| 13 km | 1:13:57 |
| 14 km | 1:19:38 |
| 15 km | 1:25:19 |
| 16 km | 1:31:00 |
| 17 km | 1:36:42 |
| 18 km | 1:42:23 |
| 19 km | 1:48:04 |
| 20 km | 1:53:45 |
| 21 km | 1:59:27 |
| 21.1 km | 2:00:00 |
How pace is calculated
Pace is just time divided by distance. Run 10 km in 55 minutes and you have averaged 5:30 per km. Turn it around and you can plan a race: at 6:00 per km, a half marathon takes 21.1 × 6 minutes, or 2:06:35.
Speed is the same thing upside down. Treadmills and cycling apps use km/h, so 5:00 per km becomes 12 km/h. Switch the calculator to miles if you train from a plan written in minutes per mile; everything converts automatically.
Pace for common race goals
These are the paces behind the time goals runners ask about most. Notice that sub-2 hours for a half and sub-4 for a full marathon need exactly the same pace, 5:41 per km. The marathon is twice the distance and the goal is twice the time, so the arithmetic matches even though the races feel nothing alike.
| Goal | Pace per km | Pace per mile | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-25 minute 5K | 5:00 /km | 8:03 /mi | 12.0 km/h |
| Sub-30 minute 5K | 6:00 /km | 9:39 /mi | 10.0 km/h |
| Sub-50 minute 10K | 5:00 /km | 8:03 /mi | 12.0 km/h |
| Sub-60 minute 10K | 6:00 /km | 9:39 /mi | 10.0 km/h |
| Sub-1:45 half marathon | 4:59 /km | 8:01 /mi | 12.1 km/h |
| Sub-2 hour half marathon | 5:41 /km | 9:09 /mi | 10.5 km/h |
| Sub-3 hour marathon | 4:16 /km | 6:52 /mi | 14.1 km/h |
| Sub-3:30 marathon | 4:59 /km | 8:01 /mi | 12.1 km/h |
| Sub-4 hour marathon | 5:41 /km | 9:09 /mi | 10.5 km/h |
| Sub-4:30 marathon | 6:24 /km | 10:18 /mi | 9.4 km/h |
| Sub-5 hour marathon | 7:07 /km | 11:27 /mi | 8.4 km/h |
Pace chart: 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon times
Find a pace on the left to see what it means over each race distance. The chart runs from 3:30 to 8:00 per km.
| Pace /km | Pace /mi | km/h | 5K | 10K | Half marathon | Marathon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:30 | 5:38 | 17.1 | 17:30 | 35:00 | 1:13:50 | 2:27:41 |
| 3:45 | 6:02 | 16.0 | 18:45 | 37:30 | 1:19:07 | 2:38:14 |
| 4:00 | 6:26 | 15.0 | 20:00 | 40:00 | 1:24:23 | 2:48:47 |
| 4:15 | 6:50 | 14.1 | 21:15 | 42:30 | 1:29:40 | 2:59:20 |
| 4:30 | 7:15 | 13.3 | 22:30 | 45:00 | 1:34:56 | 3:09:53 |
| 4:45 | 7:39 | 12.6 | 23:45 | 47:30 | 1:40:13 | 3:20:26 |
| 5:00 | 8:03 | 12.0 | 25:00 | 50:00 | 1:45:29 | 3:30:59 |
| 5:15 | 8:27 | 11.4 | 26:15 | 52:30 | 1:50:46 | 3:41:31 |
| 5:30 | 8:51 | 10.9 | 27:30 | 55:00 | 1:56:02 | 3:52:04 |
| 5:45 | 9:15 | 10.4 | 28:45 | 57:30 | 2:01:19 | 4:02:37 |
| 6:00 | 9:39 | 10.0 | 30:00 | 1:00:00 | 2:06:35 | 4:13:10 |
| 6:15 | 10:04 | 9.6 | 31:15 | 1:02:30 | 2:11:52 | 4:23:43 |
| 6:30 | 10:28 | 9.2 | 32:30 | 1:05:00 | 2:17:08 | 4:34:16 |
| 6:45 | 10:52 | 8.9 | 33:45 | 1:07:30 | 2:22:24 | 4:44:49 |
| 7:00 | 11:16 | 8.6 | 35:00 | 1:10:00 | 2:27:41 | 4:55:22 |
| 7:15 | 11:40 | 8.3 | 36:15 | 1:12:30 | 2:32:57 | 5:05:55 |
| 7:30 | 12:04 | 8.0 | 37:30 | 1:15:00 | 2:38:14 | 5:16:28 |
| 7:45 | 12:28 | 7.7 | 38:45 | 1:17:30 | 2:43:30 | 5:27:01 |
| 8:00 | 12:52 | 7.5 | 40:00 | 1:20:00 | 2:48:47 | 5:37:34 |
Treadmill speed to pace
Most gym treadmills in India show speed in km/h. Use this table to turn the number on the display into a pace. Because there is no wind resistance indoors, a 1% incline brings the effort closer to running outside. Research by Jones and Doust (1996) found this holds well at faster running speeds; for easy jogging the difference is small.
| Speed | Pace /km | Pace /mi | mph | 5K time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 km/h | 7:30 /km | 12:04 /mi | 5.0 mph | 37:30 |
| 9 km/h | 6:40 /km | 10:44 /mi | 5.6 mph | 33:20 |
| 10 km/h | 6:00 /km | 9:39 /mi | 6.2 mph | 30:00 |
| 10.5 km/h | 5:43 /km | 9:12 /mi | 6.5 mph | 28:34 |
| 11 km/h | 5:27 /km | 8:47 /mi | 6.8 mph | 27:16 |
| 11.5 km/h | 5:13 /km | 8:24 /mi | 7.1 mph | 26:05 |
| 12 km/h | 5:00 /km | 8:03 /mi | 7.5 mph | 25:00 |
| 12.5 km/h | 4:48 /km | 7:43 /mi | 7.8 mph | 24:00 |
| 13 km/h | 4:37 /km | 7:26 /mi | 8.1 mph | 23:05 |
| 13.5 km/h | 4:27 /km | 7:09 /mi | 8.4 mph | 22:13 |
| 14 km/h | 4:17 /km | 6:54 /mi | 8.7 mph | 21:26 |
| 15 km/h | 4:00 /km | 6:26 /mi | 9.3 mph | 20:00 |
| 16 km/h | 3:45 /km | 6:02 /mi | 9.9 mph | 18:45 |
| 17 km/h | 3:32 /km | 5:41 /mi | 10.6 mph | 17:39 |
| 18 km/h | 3:20 /km | 5:22 /mi | 11.2 mph | 16:40 |
Why your race-day pace may differ
The numbers above assume a flat course in cool weather. Real races rarely work out that way, and in India they almost never do.
- Heat and humidity. Your body spends energy keeping cool, so the same pace costs more. On a humid morning in Mumbai or Chennai, run by effort and let the pace come to you.
- Hills and flyovers. Climbs slow you down more than descents speed you up. Expect a slower average on a hilly course even at a steady effort.
- GPS distance. Your watch will probably read a little long. Leave a few seconds per km in hand if you are chasing a time.
- Crowded starts. The first kilometre is often slow at big city races. Do not try to win the time back in the next kilometre.
Knowing your race pace is one thing; training at the right paces is another. The VDOT calculator turns a recent race into easy, threshold and interval paces, and predicts your times at other distances.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my running pace?
+
Divide your time by the distance. If you ran 10 km in 55 minutes, your pace is 55 ÷ 10 = 5.5 minutes per km, which is 5:30 per km. The calculator does this for any distance and also converts to pace per mile and speed in km/h.
What pace do I need for a sub-2 hour half marathon?
+
About 5:41 per km (9:09 per mile). Because a marathon is exactly twice the distance, 5:41 per km is also sub-4 hour marathon pace, though holding it for twice as long is a very different challenge.
How do I convert treadmill speed to pace?
+
Divide 60 by the speed in km/h to get minutes per km. 12 km/h is 60 ÷ 12 = 5 minutes per km. The treadmill table on this page lists common speeds.
Why does my watch show a different distance from the race?
+
Race courses are measured along the shortest possible line, and GPS adds small errors, especially between tall buildings and under trees. Most runners record a little more than the official distance, so aim for a pace a few seconds per km faster than the calculated one.
What is a good running pace for a beginner?
+
There is no single answer. Many new runners start at 7 to 8 minutes per km on easy runs, and that is fine. Run at a pace where you can still talk in sentences; speed comes with consistent training.
How do I find my training paces, not just race pace?
+
Use the VDOT calculator. Enter a recent race and it gives you easy, marathon, threshold, interval and repetition paces based on Jack Daniels' method.
Keep going
VDOT calculator
Training paces and race predictions using Jack Daniels' method
Half marathon training plans
9 and 12-week plans for every level
Marathon training plans
Full marathon plans and race-specific plans for Indian races
10K training plans
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Race calendar
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