Pace Calculator

What this calculator does

Pace is your running speed expressed as time per kilometre. Five minutes per kilometre means every kilometre takes you five minutes.

Enter two of the three values — distance, time or pace — and you get the third. That tells you how fast you were, how long a distance will take, or how far you get in a given time.

How it is calculated

Pace (min/km) = time / distance. The reverse also holds: speed (km/h) = 60 / pace in minutes.

The calculator works in seconds per kilometre and only converts to minutes and seconds at the end, which keeps rounding errors out of long distances.

Example: 10 km in 1:00:00. 3600 s / 10 km = 360 s/km = 6:00 min/km, which is 60 / 6 = 10 km/h.

Half marathon example: 21.1 km in 1:45:00. 6300 s / 21.1 km = 298.6 s/km, rounded to 299 s = 4:59 min/km.

To turn a pace into a target time, run the pace formula backwards: target time = pace × distance.

What you need it for

Before a race: you know your goal time and want to know what pace to hold. After training: you want to compare sessions across weeks.

Europe works in minutes per kilometre, English-speaking countries mostly in minutes per mile. The calculator handles both.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between pace and speed?

They describe the same thing the other way round. Speed is distance per time (km/h), pace is time per distance (min/km). Runners prefer pace because it is easier to work with in your head.

Is a lower pace better?

Yes. Running 4:30 per kilometre is faster than 5:00 — it takes less time to cover each kilometre.

Why does my watch disagree with the calculator?

Watches usually show current pace, which fluctuates constantly. The calculator gives the average across the whole distance.