How to use the running pace calculator
Choose the quantity you want to find, then enter the other two values. To calculate pace, enter distance and elapsed time. To estimate a finish time, enter distance and the pace you intend to maintain. To calculate distance, enter time and pace. Race buttons fill in the distance without changing your entered time.
Choose kilometers for minutes per kilometer or miles for minutes per mile. Enter 25 minutes as 25:00 and one hour, 30 minutes as 1:30:00. A value such as 5:30 means five minutes and 30 seconds, not 5.3 minutes.
Pace, time and distance formulas
Pace measures time per unit of distance. Speed measures distance per unit of time. A lower pace number means a faster run, while a higher speed number means a faster run.
- Pace = elapsed time ÷ distance
- Elapsed time = pace × distance
- Distance = elapsed time ÷ pace
- Speed in km/h or mi/h = 3,600 ÷ pace in seconds per km or mile
Keep units consistent before applying these equations. One international mile is exactly 1.609344 kilometers. Switching units converts the entered distance and pace; displayed times round to whole seconds.
Worked example: a 25-minute 5K
A 5-kilometer run completed in 25:00 takes 1,500 seconds. Dividing 1,500 by 5 gives 300 seconds per kilometer: 5:00 min/km. That is 12 km/h, or about 8:03 per mile. At the same pace, 10 kilometers would take 50:00.
This last calculation is a constant-pace projection. It does not establish that a runner can maintain their 5K pace for a longer race. Training, course conditions and the effort required can change what is achievable.
Race distances and split times
The presets use 5 km, 10 km, 21.0975 km and 42.195 km. Open the split table to see cumulative times at each full kilometer or mile, followed by the finish. For a 25-minute 5K, the kilometer checkpoints are 5:00, 10:00, 15:00, 20:00 and 25:00.
A partial final kilometer or mile takes proportionally less time. Each checkpoint is calculated from the unrounded average pace, then rounded for display. This avoids adding the same rounding error at every split.
What the estimate does not account for
The tool uses distance and time only. It does not adjust for elevation, heat, wind, surface, stops or fatigue. Enter elapsed time if you want pauses included; enter moving time if you want them excluded. Be consistent when comparing runs from different devices.
For another view of training effort, see the heart rate zone calculator. Pace alone does not determine an appropriate exercise intensity.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use this as a marathon pace calculator?
Yes. Select Marathon, choose time from distance and pace, and enter your planned pace. The output assumes you hold that pace throughout the course.
Can I calculate walking pace?
Yes. The distance–time relationship is the same for walking. This tool does not estimate calories burned.
Why does changing units slightly change a result?
Minutes per mile and minutes per kilometer usually do not convert to a whole number of seconds. Entered times round to the nearest second when changing units or modes, so a small difference is expected.
Method and sources
The calculation uses the distance–time identities shown above. The conversion factor is documented in NIST’s unit conversion table. This page was checked on October 3, 2026.