How to Calculate Your Running Pace
Pace is how runners measure effort: minutes per kilometre or per mile, rather than raw speed. Once you can calculate it, you can pace a race, compare runs, and predict a finish time. Here is how it works.
The pace formula
Pace = total time ÷ distance. Example: you run 5 km in 27 minutes. 27 ÷ 5 = 5.4 minutes per km, which is 5 minutes and 24 seconds per km (0.4 × 60 = 24 seconds).
The decimal part is a fraction of a minute, so always multiply it by 60 to get the seconds.
Pace versus speed
Speed is the inverse of pace. To turn pace into speed in km/h, divide 60 by the pace in minutes per km: 60 ÷ 5.4 ≈ 11.1 km/h. Runners think in pace; treadmills and cars think in speed.
Predicting a finish time
Once you know your pace, multiply it by the race distance. At 5.4 min/km, a 10 km race takes 54 minutes and a half-marathon (21.1 km) takes about 1 hour 54 minutes — assuming you hold the pace.
Calculate it instantly
Enter your distance and time into the Pace Calculator for pace per km and mile. To compare in plain speed instead, the Average Speed Calculator turns distance and time into km/h or mph.
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Last updated: July 6, 2026