Pace Calculator
Enter any two of distance, time, and pace — this calculator solves the one you leave blank. Results come in min/km, min/mile, km/h, and mph, with exact conversion between kilometers and miles.
Pace uses the same unit as your distance (per km or per mile).
How This Calculator Works
Pace is simply the time it takes to cover a unit of distance, and the math is one division: pace = time ÷ distance. Flip the same relationship around and it solves either missing piece — time = pace × distance and distance = time ÷ pace. Enter any two of the three above, leave the third blank, and the calculator fills the gap. If you enter all three, it recalculates your pace from your distance and time.
Units are handled exactly: 1 mile = 1.609344 km, and your pace follows your distance unit — pick kilometers and you work in minutes per km, pick miles and you get minutes per mile. Speed is pace flipped upside down: 60 ÷ your pace in min/km gives km/h, so a 5:00 min/km pace equals 12 km/h. The results table shows every value in both metric and imperial, so you can read your 5K splits or marathon plan either way.
One pace does not transfer across distances, though. The pace you can hold for 5 km falls apart over a marathon — as a rule of thumb, doubling the distance costs slightly more than double the time. Riegel's endurance model captures this: predicted time T2 = T1 × (D2/D1)^1.06, published in American Scientist in 1981. Run the calculator on races you have actually run rather than assuming one pace fits every distance.
When you race, aim for even splits. A 2024 systematic review of marathon pacing found that recreational runners who start conservatively finish stronger than those who go out fast and fade — the all-too-common positive split is where personal records go to die. Most marathon records, in contrast, are set with negative splits: a slightly faster second half.
Pace is a great external target, but it responds to weather, hills, and how recovered you are. Heart rate tells you the internal cost of the work, which is why we also built a heart rate zone calculator — most runners control easy runs by heart rate or effort and save pace for tempo and interval work. To match your training to your fuel, pair this tool with our calories burned calculator and TDEE calculator, and see the cardio training guide for where pace work fits into a weekly plan.
References & Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate my running pace?
Divide your total time by the distance covered. A 29:15 finish over 5 km is 29.25 ÷ 5 = 5.85 min/km, or 5:51 per kilometer. For minutes per mile, use the mile equivalent (5 km = 3.11 miles): 29.25 ÷ 3.11 = 9:24 min/mile. This calculator handles the division, the formatting, and the unit conversion for you.
What is a good average running pace?
Most recreational male runners sit between roughly 6 and 9 minutes per kilometer (9:40–14:30 per mile) on easy runs, while competitive club runners are closer to 4–5 min/km. There is no universal good pace — a beginner finishing a 5K at 8 min/km is making real progress. Judge your pace against your own recent runs and your heart rate, not against other people.
What pace is a 20-minute 5K?
Exactly 4:00 min/km (6:26 per mile) — you need to sustain 15 km/h (9.3 mph) for 20 minutes, which lands near the top of zone 4 for most runners. A common way to train for it: 5K-specific intervals such as 5 × 1 km at 3:50–4:00 with 2–3 minute recoveries, on top of an easy weekly volume you can recover from.
Should I run by pace or by heart rate?
Use both, for different jobs. Pace is the right target for tempo runs, intervals, and races where you are chasing a specific result. Heart rate (or simple effort) is more reliable for easy runs and for heat, hills, and fatigue days, when the same pace costs far more. Our heart rate zone calculator works out the ranges to pair with your pace targets.
Heart Rate Zone Calculator
Find the heart rate range you should be training in. This calculator estimates your maximum heart rate and splits it into the five standard training zones — from easy recovery work to all-out intervals — using the Karvonen formula with your resting heart rate.
Calories Burned Calculator
Estimate how many calories you burn in any activity - from walking and running to burpees, planks, and weight training. This calculator uses MET values from the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities, the standard reference for exercise energy expenditure.
TDEE Calculator (Daily Calories)
Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) - the number of calories you burn each day. The calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation for your basal metabolic rate, multiplied by your activity level.
