What is running pace?

Pace is the time it takes to cover one unit of distance — usually expressed as minutes per kilometre (min/km) or minutes per mile (min/mi). A pace of 5:00/km means you cover one kilometre every five minutes.

How do you convert pace to speed?

Speed (km/h) = distance (km) ÷ time (hours). For a 5:00/km pace, time per km is 5 minutes = 1/12 hour, so speed = 1 ÷ (1/12) = 12 km/h.

Running Pace Calculator

Enter your distance and finish time to get your pace per km, pace per mile, and average speed.

How running pace is calculated

Pace is the inverse of speed. Given distance in kilometres and time in minutes:

Pace (min/km) = time ÷ distance

Speed (km/h) = distance ÷ (time ÷ 60)

Pace (min/mile) = pace (min/km) × 1.60934

The m:ss display format (e.g. 5:00) shows whole minutes and remaining seconds, which is the conventional way runners express pace.

Worked example. Running 10 km in 50 minutes gives a pace of 5:00/km (50 ÷ 10 = 5 min/km) and 8:03/mile (5 × 1.60934 ≈ 8.047, displayed as 8:03). Average speed is 12 km/h (10 ÷ 50/60 = 12).

Common race paces

Race	Distance	Time at 5:00/km pace
5K	5 km	25:00
10K	10 km	50:00
Half marathon	21.1 km	1:45:35
Marathon	42.2 km	3:31:10

Negative splits

Many runners aim for a negative split — finishing the second half faster than the first. To check if you’re on target, calculate the pace for each half separately and compare.