Running Pace Calculator
Work out your finish time from a target pace, or the pace you need to hit a goal time. Works for 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon or any distance you choose, in kilometres or miles.
About this calculator
Race Pace Pro works in both directions. Enter a target pace to see the finish time it produces, or enter a goal time to see the pace you need to hold. Pick a standard race distance or type your own, switch freely between kilometres and miles, and the split table shows the elapsed time you should see at every marker along the way.
Everything runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and the link you copy carries your settings so you can send a pacing plan to a training partner.
Pacing specific marathons
What each course does to your splits. Berlin and Valencia let you hold one pace, Boston punishes you for it, and New York asks for uneven splits by design.
Guides
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How to Run Your First Marathon
What first marathon training actually involves: the base you need, how the long run builds, picking a goal time, and the pacing mistake that costs most first-timers their race.
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How to Set a Realistic Marathon Goal Time
Use a recent race result rather than a round number. The Riegel formula, worked examples, the adjustments worth making, and how to sanity check the pace before you commit to it.
Race time predictor
What a result at one distance suggests you can run at another, for every common finishing time. Riegel formula tables for 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon.
Race pace charts
Every common goal time for each distance, with the pace it demands and a full split table.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I convert min/km to min/mile?
- Multiply by 1.609. A 5:00/km pace is 8:03/mile; to go the other way, divide by 1.609. Switching units does this for you, and your finish time stays the same, because the distance has not changed, only the units it is described in.
- What do the pace zones mean?
- They are a rough guide to training intensity, from recovery jogging up to interval pace. Treat them loosely: real training zones are individual and are normally set from a recent race result or a threshold test, so the same pace can be easy for one runner and hard for another.
- What is a good 5K time?
- It depends heavily on age, sex and training history, so treat any single number with suspicion. As rough orientation for adults: 30 to 35 minutes is a common first-timer result, under 25 minutes suggests consistent training, and under 20 minutes is competitive club standard. Beating your own previous time is a more useful measure than any table.
- What is a negative split?
- Running the second half of a race faster than the first. Most personal bests are run this way and most blow-ups come from starting too fast, so it is a common strategy. Set a negative split percentage in the split table to see the pacing it implies for the same finish time.
- Why does my actual race time not match the calculator?
- The calculator assumes even effort on flat ground. Real races add hills, wind, heat, a congested start, and fatigue over distance, and GPS watches drift from the measured course. Treat the splits as a plan, not a promise.
- Should I pace in kilometres or miles?
- Use whichever your race is marked in. Running to kilometre splits on a course marked in miles is a reliable way to lose track of where you are late in a race, when the arithmetic gets hardest.