How to calculate running pace
Running pace is your time divided by your distance. For pace per mile, divide your time by the distance in miles. For pace per kilometer, divide by the distance in kilometers. A 5K in 25:00 is 3.107 miles, so the pace is 8:03 per mile, or 5:00 per kilometer.
What running pace is
Pace is the time it takes to cover one unit of distance, usually one mile or one kilometer. Speed is the opposite measure: the distance covered in one hour. A pace of 8:00 per mile is the same run as a speed of 7.5 mph. Runners use pace because race goals and training plans are written in minutes per mile or per kilometer.
The pace formula
The formula needs a time and a distance in the same system of units.
- Convert your distance to miles (or kilometers).
- Convert your time to seconds.
- Divide the seconds by the distance. The result is seconds per mile or per kilometer.
- Convert the seconds back to minutes and seconds.
Speed in mph is 60 divided by the pace in minutes per mile. To skip the arithmetic, use the mile pace calculator.
Worked examples
Each row divides the finish time by the exact distance. Pace per kilometer is the pace per mile divided by 1.609344.
| Distance | Time | Per mile | Per km | mph |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5K | 25:00 | 8:03 | 5:00 | 7.46 |
| 10K | 52:30 | 8:27 | 5:15 | 7.10 |
| 10 miles | 1:20:00 | 8:00 | 4:58 | 7.50 |
| Half marathon | 1:55:00 | 8:46 | 5:27 | 6.84 |
| Marathon | 4:15:00 | 9:44 | 6:03 | 6.17 |
Take the first row. A 5K is 3.107 miles. The time of 25:00 is 1,500 seconds. 1,500 ÷ 3.107 = 482.8 seconds, which is 8:03 per mile.
Race distances in kilometers and miles
Standard road race distances are fixed. The marathon is 42.195 km and the half marathon is half of that, 21.0975 km.[3]
| Race | Kilometers | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| 5K | 5 | 3.107 |
| 10K | 10 | 6.214 |
| Half marathon | 21.0975 | 13.109 |
| Marathon | 42.195 | 26.219 |
Converting between miles and kilometers
One mile is exactly 1,609.344 meters, or 1.609344 kilometers. This value comes from the 1959 agreement that defined the international yard as 0.9144 meters.[1][2] To convert pace per mile to pace per kilometer, divide by 1.609344. To convert the other way, multiply. A 10:00 mile is 6:13 per kilometer. The mile to km pace calculator does both directions.
Common mistakes
- Reading decimal minutes as minutes and seconds. 8.5 minutes is 8:30, not 8:50. The decimal part is a fraction of a minute, so multiply it by 60 for seconds.
- Averaging split paces of different lengths. If you run one mile at 8:00 and three miles at 9:00, the average pace is 35:00 ÷ 4 miles = 8:45, not 8:30. Weight each split by its distance.
- Rounding too early. Round only the final answer. Rounding the distance to 3.1 miles instead of 3.107 changes a 5K pace by about 1 second per mile.
- Mixing units. Dividing a time by kilometers and calling it pace per mile gives a pace that is far too fast.
- Trusting watch distance on a measured course. A watch can read slightly long or short. For race pace, use the official distance.
Check your work with a tool
For a time and distance, use the mile pace calculator. For a treadmill display, use the mph to min/mile converter. To see many paces at once, open the running pace chart. To start from a goal time, use the 5K, 10K, half marathon or marathon pace calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate pace per mile from kilometers?
Divide the kilometers by 1.609344 to get miles, then divide your time by the miles. A 5K is 3.107 miles, so a 25:00 time gives 25:00 ÷ 3.107 = 8:03 per mile.
What is the formula for running pace?
Pace equals time divided by distance. Speed equals distance divided by time. At 8:00 per mile your speed is 60 ÷ 8 = 7.5 mph.
Is the average of my split paces my average pace?
Only when every split covers the same distance. For splits of different lengths, divide the total time by the total distance, or weight each pace by its distance.
Sources
- QUDT. International mile (unit:MI), conversion multiplier 1609.344 meters.
- International Yard and Pound Agreement (1959), implemented in the United States by Federal Register Doc. 59-5442, "Refinement of Values for the Yard and the Pound".
- World Athletics Council statement on new race walk distances (December 2024), which lists the standard marathon as 42.195 km and the half marathon as 21.0975 km. Reported by The Sports Examiner.
Related tools and guides
About the author
Shaheer Bin Ramzan is a software engineer and SEO specialist with five years of professional experience. He builds and checks the calculators and writes the guides on MilePaceLab. He is not a running coach or doctor. See the author page, the methodology and the disclaimer. Report errors through the contact page.