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Running Pace Calculator

Find your pace, finish time or distance — instantly. Works in km and miles.

Enter distance and total time → get pace & speed.

Enter pace and distance → get finish time.

Enter pace and running time → get distance covered.

Runner setting their running pace on a marathon course

What is running pace?

Running pace is the time it takes to cover one unit of distance — expressed as minutes per kilometre (min/km) or minutes per mile (min/mi). A pace of 5:00/km means you complete each kilometre in exactly five minutes. Pace is the inverse of speed: the faster you run, the lower (smaller) your pace number.

Speed (in km/h or mph) and pace are linked by a simple formula:

Speed (km/h) = 60 ÷ Pace (min/km)
e.g. 5:00/km → 60 ÷ 5 = 12 km/h

Common race distances and target paces

RaceDistanceBeginner targetIntermediateAdvanced
5 km5 km8:00–10:00/km5:30–7:00/km<5:00/km
10 km10 km7:30–9:30/km5:30–7:00/km<4:30/km
Half marathon21.097 km7:00–9:00/km5:30–6:30/km<4:45/km
Marathon42.195 km7:00–8:30/km5:41–6:30/km<4:15/km

Target paces are approximate. Training, terrain, and weather all affect actual performance.

Runner checking pace on a track with a stopwatch

How to use the pace calculator

There are three modes, each solving for one unknown:

  1. Find Pace — Enter the distance and your total run time. The calculator returns your pace in min/km and min/mile, plus your average speed in km/h and mph.
  2. Finish Time — Enter a target pace and distance (e.g. 5:30/km for 42.195 km) to predict your finish time.
  3. Distance — Enter how long you ran and at what pace to find out how far you went.

Pace zones for training

Effective running training is structured around pace zones that correspond to different heart-rate intensities:

ZoneNameFeelPurpose
Z1Easy / RecoveryVery easy — full sentencesActive recovery, long easy runs
Z2Aerobic baseComfortable — can talkBuilds aerobic engine (80% of training)
Z3Tempo / ThresholdComfortably hard — short phrasesImproves lactate threshold
Z4IntervalHard — single wordsVO2 max intervals, speed work
Z5SprintMaximum — cannot speakShort all-out sprints, neuromuscular

Most running coaches recommend the 80/20 rule: spend roughly 80% of training time in Z1–Z2, and only 20% in Z3–Z5. This builds a large aerobic base while avoiding overtraining.

Jogger running on a park trail in the early morning

Pace converter: min/km ↔ min/mile ↔ km/h

min/kmmin/milekm/hmph
4:006:2615.009.32
4:307:1413.338.29
5:008:0312.007.46
5:308:5110.916.78
6:009:3910.006.21
6:3010:289.235.74
7:0011:168.575.32
8:0012:527.504.66
9:0014:296.674.14
10:0016:056.003.73

FAQ

What is running pace?

Running pace is the time it takes to cover a unit of distance — typically expressed as minutes per kilometre (min/km) or minutes per mile (min/mi). A pace of 5:00/km means you run 1 km every 5 minutes.

How do I convert pace to speed (km/h)?

Divide 60 by your pace in minutes per km. For example, a 5:00/km pace equals 60 ÷ 5 = 12 km/h. Our calculator does this conversion automatically.

What pace do I need to run a sub-4-hour marathon?

A marathon is 42.195 km. To finish in under 4 hours you need a pace faster than 5:41 min/km (9:09 min/mile), approximately 10.55 km/h. Use the Finish Time tab with 4:00:00 and 42.195 km to verify.

What is a good running pace for a beginner?

Beginners typically run at 7–9 min/km (7–9.5 km/h). The key is to run at a conversational pace — you should be able to say a sentence without gasping. Speed improves naturally as your aerobic base builds.

How do I calculate my finish time from pace?

Multiply your pace (in minutes) by the distance in km. For example, 5:30/km × 42.195 km = 232 minutes = 3 hours 52 minutes. Our calculator computes this instantly.

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