Pace Calculator

Pace is the time it takes to cover a certain distance and is usually expressed in minutes per mile or kilometer. A pace of 5:30 means that it takes five minutes thirty seconds to run one mile.

Since pace, time and distance are all simply related to each other, the third element can be calculated if two of them are known. This calculator will calculate the missing value, also showing speed, pace in two different units and estimated finish times for typical race distances.

How to use this calculator:

Enter two of three values (distance, time or pace) and leave the third value blank. The calculator will fill in the missing value.

To calculate pace, enter the distance run and time taken. To calculate finish time, enter the distance and desired pace. To calculate distance, enter the time taken and pace.

Pick the appropriate unit for your pace. Per mile and per kilometer are standard units for road running. 400 meters is a track lap while 100 meters is good for sprints. You can also add a target distance to show the expected time in the table.

Formulas for calculating pace, duration and distance.

This section covers one equation and two variants.

Speed is the opposite of pace. While pace measures how much time it takes to cover a certain distance, speed measures how far you go in a given amount of time. A pace of 5:00 per kilometer is equivalent to a speed of 12 kilometers per hour.

Example calculation:

Say you run a 5 kilometer race in 25 minutes. If you divide the time by the distance, you get your pace.

This is a pace of 12 km/h which equates to about 8:03 per mile. At this pace, running 10 miles would take approximately 52:55, half marathon 1:45:30 and a marathon 3:30:59.

Convert time per mile to time per kilometer and vice versa.

Since a mile is approximately 1.609 kilometers, the pace per mile will always be greater than the corresponding pace per kilometer. To convert time per kilometer to time per mile, multiply by 1.609; conversely, divide by 1.609. Both values are shown on the calculator so you do not need to perform any calculations yourself.

Typical race distances and world record pace.

The following table shows typical race distances and the pace of current world record holders. This is a practical guideline. Leisure runners are usually well below these values, which is not at all a problem.

Training with pace and heart rate.

As both pace and heart rate increase, runners often combine the two to train at the right intensity. Heart rate is given as a number of beats per minute. A rough estimate for maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age, but there are large individual differences so this should only be used as a starting point.

Easy endurance running is at about 70% to 80% of maximum heart rate, where the muscles are getting enough oxygen. Harder anaerobic training is at about 80% to 90%, which creates a burning sensation because the supply of oxygen cannot keep up with demand and it's hard to sustain for long. The basis of endurance training is running most of the way at an easy pace where you can still carry on a conversation.

This calculator is for general fitness and planning purposes only. The expected race time assumes a constant pace throughout the entire distance which is unlikely to be possible in reality. Please consider this as an aim rather than a guarantee.