Calculate your pace per km, pace per mile, speed, and split times for any running distance.
Frequently Asked Questions
A comfortable beginner pace is typically 6:00-7:30 min/km (9:40-12:00 min/mile). At this pace, you should be able to hold a conversation while running. For a 5K, this translates to a finish time of 30-37 minutes. Focus on completing the distance before worrying about speed — pace improvements come naturally with consistent training.
Divide your total time in minutes by the distance in kilometers (or miles). For example, if you ran a 10K in 55 minutes: 55 / 10 = 5:30 min/km. To convert to min/mile, multiply by 1.609: 5.5 × 1.609 = 8:51 min/mile. This calculator does the math for you with any distance and time combination.
Negative splitting means running the second half of a race faster than the first half. Most elite runners use this strategy — they start conservatively to preserve glycogen and finish strong. A common approach is to run the first half 5-10 seconds per km slower than target pace, then gradually increase to 5-10 seconds per km faster in the second half.
Most runners are 15-25% slower in a marathon than their 5K pace. If your 5K pace is 5:00 min/km, a realistic marathon pace would be 5:45-6:15 min/km. Elite runners have a smaller gap (10-15%) due to superior aerobic efficiency. The slowdown is caused by glycogen depletion, cumulative fatigue, and thermoregulation demands.
Both have value. Pace training is best for race-specific workouts and intervals where you need to hit target speeds. Heart rate training is better for easy runs and base building because it accounts for variables like heat, fatigue, and elevation. Many coaches recommend heart rate for 80% of training (easy runs) and pace for 20% (tempo runs, intervals, race simulations).
5K = 3.107 mi, 10K = 6.214 mi, Half Marathon = 13.109 mi (21.097 km), Marathon = 26.219 mi (42.195 km). Use the distance presets above to quickly calculate your target pace for popular race distances.