How and Why to Use a Running Pace Calculator

A running pace calculator is a tool that can provide helpful information to runners of any level. It can help determine your pace per mile for a given distance using known variables: distance or time. Use the pace calculator and learn more about running pace below.

Why Use a Pace Calculator?

A pace calculator can help you determine how long it will take to walk or run a certain distance. Tracking your pace and how it changes over time can help you gauge your performance and see if your fitness efforts are paying off.

You may need to know your pace when registering for an event or race such as a 5K, 10K, half marathon, or marathon. You can use our pace and distance calculator or do the math yourself.

Running Pace Calculator

Your pace is expressed in minutes per mile or minutes per kilometer. This is the time it would take you to walk or run 1 mile or 1 kilometer. Race organizers use your pace to assign you to a start corral with others racing at a similar pace. Note that many running races have a time limit equal to a 16-minute mile pace.

To calculate your pace, you will need to know the distance you have walked or run, and the time it took you to do so.

A pace may not be a round number of minutes, so you will need to convert fractions of a minute to seconds. Multiply the fraction of a minute by 60. For example, 0.5 minutes = 30 seconds.

Running Speed Calculator

Speed is the flip side of pace. It is the calculation of distance over time, expressed in miles per hour or kilometers per hour. To calculate your speed, you will need to know the distance you walked or ran and the time it took you to do so.

Or, if you have your pace, you can convert it to speed. Simply divide 60 by your pace.

When you aren't using whole hours in the calculation, convert the number to minutes, then multiply the result by 60 minutes per hour to get miles per hour or kilometers per hour. Below are some sample speed calculations:

• Running 6 miles in 1 hour: 6 / 1 = 6 miles per hour (mph)
• Walking 6 miles in 2 hours: 6 / 2 = 3 mph
• Running a half marathon (13.1 miles) in 1.5 hours (90 minutes): 13.1 / 90 = .1455 x 60 = 8.73 mph

Run Pace for Common Distances

This running pace chart for standard distances displays how long it would take to finish a given distance race depending on your pace, measured in pace (minutes per mile) and speed (miles per hour).

For instance, running a 10-minute mile pace through an entire 5-kilometer race would take 31 minutes to complete. At the same pace, you could complete a marathon in 4 hours and 22 minutes (close to the global average time to complete a marathon).

Use Pace to Determine Exercise Intensity

You can use speed or pace to gauge the intensity of your exercise. For example, walking intensity levels may look like this:

• Light intensity: Speed less than 3 mph; pace greater than 20 minutes per mile
• Moderate intensity: Speed between 3 and 4 mph; pace between 16 and 20 minutes per mile
• Medium intensity: Speed 4 to 5 mph; pace between 12 and 15 minutes per mile
• Vigorous intensity: Speed over 5 mph; pace over 12 minutes per mile

The rated perceived exertion (RPE) scale is a more individualized measure of intensity. RPE uses a scale from 0 to 10, with lower numbers being less intense and higher numbers being very intense.

For example, an RPE of 0 is akin to sitting in a chair, 1 is very light exercise, 2 is light, 3 is moderate, 4 is somewhat heavy, 5 is heavy, 7 is very heavy, and 10 is very, very heavy. A 10 is how you feel at the end of a stress test or very vigorous activity.

When rating your exertion level, include feelings of shortness of breath and how tired you feel in your legs and overall. Most people aim to exercise at level 3 or 4.

Use Pace With Apps and Fitness Wearables

A pace calculator can be a good check on what your GPS app or GPS speedometer is showing as your speed or pace. These can be inaccurate, and you don't want to think you are faster than you are.

A common factor contributing to inaccuracy is being in an area with buildings, trees, or hills that block the satellite signal used to measure your position. It's a good idea to check any device by measuring your walking or running speed over a known distance using a timer.

Distance Calculator

If you know your pace or speed and how much time you will be walking or running, you can calculate how far you should go. This can be useful if you have a set amount of time for a workout and want to see how far you could go. Sometimes you will need to convert distances, which is helpful to know that a kilometer is 0.62 miles and a mile is 1.61 kilometers.

Finish Time Calculator

Knowing how long it will take you to finish is essential before registering for a race. Walkers and slow runners must be sure to complete under the course time cutoff. You may also want to compare your finish time with lists of winners to see if you might qualify for a trophy for your age group.

To calculate your finish time, you will need to know your pace in minutes per mile or minutes per kilometer (or your speed in miles per hour or kilometers per hour) and the distance of the course.

Check your pace in more than one way, as a GPS-based speed may be inaccurate. Doing a timed mile or a timed kilometer can be a better way to find an accurate pace. Otherwise, your finish time will also be incorrect.

Predict Finish Time for Longer Races

While you may be able to time yourself over a mile or kilometer and use that to predict your time for a 5K or 10K race, you probably won't be able to maintain the same speed over a half marathon or marathon. Ways to predict your finish time vary.

Some runners add 20 seconds per mile each time you double your distance. For example, if you've run a half marathon (13.1 miles), find your average minutes per mile, add 20 seconds, and multiply by 26.2 miles. Marathon coach Hal Higdon suggests multiplying your 10-kilometer finish time by 5 to find your marathon finish time.

How to Improve Your Pace

If you aren't happy with the results of the pace calculator, you can make improving your pace a goal. To increase your walking speed, take a look at your technique. Working on perfecting your form with posture adjustments and stepping techniques will help. Making adjustments may help you boost your pace.

Improve Your Running Pace

If you are a runner, you can learn to run faster too. You'll want to work on specific techniques and training strategies,

A Word From Verywell

You can increase your walking or running pace with proper technique and training. A pace calculator can provide you with reasonable estimates of your overall performance. Remember that these are just best guesses, and you may not perform at the same pace over all distances or at different training sessions or races. Other factors will influence your pace on a given day.