Running pace.

Training pace cheat-sheet

Easy: 1-2 min/km slower than race pace. Tempo: 10-30 sec/km slower than 5K pace. Intervals: at or faster than race pace. Long runs: 30-90 sec/km slower than race pace. Hot or humid conditions slow pace 20-30 sec/km.

How the pace is calculated

Pace is time divided by distance. The calculator converts your finish time to minutes (hours × 60 + minutes + seconds ÷ 60), divides by the distance in kilometres, and shows the result as minutes and seconds per kilometre. It then derives two more figures from the same numbers:

• Speed: distance ÷ time in hours, in km/h. You can also use km/h = 60 ÷ (minutes per km). A 5:00 pace is 12 km/h; a 6:00 pace is 10 km/h.
• Pace per mile: minutes per km × 1.609344, the exact number of kilometres in an international mile.
• Splits: for distances of 2 km or more, the cumulative time at each whole kilometre if you hold the average pace the whole way.

Worked examples

1. 10 km in 52:30. 52.5 minutes ÷ 10 km = 5.25 min/km, which is 5:15 per km. Speed = 10 ÷ (52.5 ÷ 60) = 11.4 km/h. Per mile: 5.25 × 1.609344 = 8.45 min, or about 8:27 per mile.
2. Half marathon in 1:45:00 (entered as 21.1 km). 105 ÷ 21.1 = 4.98 min/km, about 4:59 per km.
3. Marathon in 4:00:00 (entered as 42.2 km). 240 ÷ 42.2 = 5.69 min/km, about 5:41 per km or 9:09 per mile.

To plan the other way, from a goal pace to a finish time, multiply pace by distance: 5:30 per km over 10 km is 55:00. You can also try finish times in the calculator until the pace matches your goal.

Reading the splits (and their limits)

The split table assumes perfectly even pacing. Real races are not even: hills, wind, crowded starts, drink stations and fatigue all move your kilometre times. The splits are a pacing plan to compare against your watch, not a prediction. Note that the table lists whole kilometres only, so a 21.1 km race ends its table at 21 km, and a 5K starts at 1 km.

Watches and courses can also disagree. Race courses are measured along the shortest possible path, while a GPS track follows where you actually ran, so many runners see a slightly longer distance and a slightly slower watch pace than the official figures. Enter the official distance if you want the pace the results page would show.

Training paces: use as rules of thumb

The cheat-sheet above gives common coaching rules of thumb (easy runs well below race pace, tempo runs a little slower than 5K pace, intervals at or faster than race pace). These are practical guidelines used by many coaches, not results from a controlled study, and the right numbers vary with fitness, terrain and weather. Many runners cross-check pace with effort: easy running is where you can hold a conversation. For effort-based training, try the heart rate zones calculator; for hilly routes, the grade-adjusted pace calculator; and to estimate a time at a different distance, the race time predictor. Pace does not stay constant across distances, so a 5K pace is not a marathon pace.

Fitting running into your week

The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for adults 18 to 64 stress that "some is better than none" for physical activity and recommend aiming for 7 to 9 hours of good-quality sleep on a regular basis, which matters for recovery. If you are new to running, build volume gradually and speak with a health professional before starting a programme if you have a health condition.