Enter your distance and time to find your pace per km, per mile, and speed. Plus race predictions for 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon, and ultra using the Riegel formula.
| Race | Predicted Time | Pace/km | Pace/mi |
|---|
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Running pace is the single most useful metric for training and racing. It tells you how fast you are going, predicts your race finish times, and helps you train at the right intensity. This guide covers how to calculate and use pace, race prediction formulas, pacing strategies, and how to improve over time.
| Level | 5K Pace | 5K Time | Marathon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 7:00-8:00/km | 35-40 min | 5:00-5:30 |
| Intermediate | 5:30-6:30/km | 27-32 min | 4:00-4:30 |
| Advanced | 4:00-5:00/km | 20-25 min | 3:10-3:30 |
| Elite | <3:20/km | <16:40 | <2:15 |
Scenario 1: 5K Beginner. Sarah just completed her first 5K in 32:00. Pace: 6:24/km (10:18/mi, 9.4 km/h). Her predicted 10K: 66:46. Half marathon: 2:26:05. These are starting points. With 3 months of consistent training (3-4 runs/week), she can expect to drop to 5:45/km. Use our Heart Rate Zone Calculator for training intensity.
Scenario 2: 10K Racer. Marcus runs 10K in 48:00. Pace: 4:48/km (7:43/mi, 12.5 km/h). Predicted half: 1:44:33. Marathon: 3:38:31. He wants a sub-45 10K. Target pace: 4:30/km. He adds weekly intervals (6 x 1K at 4:15/km) and tempo runs (5K at 4:25/km). Use our Calories Burned Calculator to track training load.
Scenario 3: Marathon Goal. Priya wants to run a sub-4-hour marathon. Required pace: 5:41/km (9:09/mi). Working backward: her 5K should be around 25:30 (5:06/km). She currently runs 5K in 27:00. She needs to improve 5K pace by 30 sec/km over 4-6 months of training. Long runs at 6:30-7:00/km build endurance. Use our TDEE Calculator for fueling.
Scenario 4: Recovery Run Pace. David is an advanced runner with a 5K pace of 4:00/km. His easy/recovery runs should be at 5:30-6:00/km (current + 1:30-2:00). Most runners make the mistake of running easy days too fast, which prevents recovery and leads to injury. 80% of training should be at this easy pace.
💡 Key insight: Running faster in training does not make you faster on race day. Running consistently does. Elite runners do 80% of their training at easy (Zone 2) pace. Speed sessions are only 20% of weekly volume. If you run every easy run fast, you are too tired for the hard sessions that actually improve speed.
| 4:00/km | 15.0 km/h |
| 5:00/km | 12.0 km/h |
| 6:00/km | 10.0 km/h |
| 7:00/km | 8.6 km/h |
| 8:00/km | 7.5 km/h |