General
Pace Calculator
Works pace, which is the reciprocal of speed and moves the opposite way.
Result
This is an even average pace across the whole distance. Real splits vary, particularly over longer distances.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Time divided by distance, giving minutes per mile or per kilometre. Pace and speed are reciprocals, which means a faster effort produces a lower pace number and a higher speed number, and that inversion is the thing to keep straight when comparing figures.
What moves the number
- Distance unit, since miles and kilometres differ substantially.
- Whether the pace is average or for a segment.
- Elevation, which changes pace for the same effort.
- Target finish time, where pace is being planned backwards.
Where this one goes wrong
A lower pace is faster and a higher speed is faster, which means the two move in opposite directions and mixing them in a comparison produces a backwards conclusion. Keep the direction straight. Pace per mile and per kilometre also differ by a substantial factor, so a figure quoted without its unit is not comparable, and the two are close enough in appearance to be confused.
Before you quote
- State whether the pace is per mile or per kilometre.
- Remember that lower pace means faster.
- Work backwards from a target time to get a required pace.
Questions
About this calculator
Is a lower pace faster?
Yes, because pace is time per distance while speed is distance per time. They are reciprocals and move in opposite directions, which is the thing to keep straight when comparing a pace figure against a speed one.
Does pace per mile or per kilometre matter?
Substantially, since the two differ by a meaningful factor and the figures look similar enough to confuse. A pace quoted without its unit is not comparable to anything, which is why both are always stated together.
How do I find the pace for a target time?
Divide the target time by the distance. Planning backwards from a finish time is the usual reason to calculate pace, and it gives a figure that can be checked against during an effort rather than at the end of it.
The formula
pace = total time ÷ distance
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How to use this calculator
- Distance. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 10.
- Unit. Enter your own figure; the page starts at Kilometres.
- Time: hours. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 0.
- Time: minutes. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 52.
- Time: seconds. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 30.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to pace, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Distance | 10 |
| Unit | Kilometres |
| Time: hours | 0 |
| Time: minutes | 52 |
| Time: seconds | 30 |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Pace main result | 5:15 / km |
| Pace in the other unit | 8:27 / mi |
| Speed | 11.4286 |
| Total time in seconds | 3,150 |
That is a pace of 5:15 / km (8:27 / mi), an average speed of 11.4286 km/h.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only distance, this is what happens to pace. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Distance | Pace |
|---|---|
| 5 | 10:30 / km |
| 7.5 | 7:00 / km |
| 10 example above | 5:15 / km |
| 15 | 3:30 / km |
| 20 | 2:38 / km |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Distance
- A number, starting at 10.
- Unit
- Choose from Kilometres, Miles.
- Time: hours
- A number, between 0 and 100, starting at 0.
- Time: minutes
- A number, between 0 and 59, starting at 52.
- Time: seconds
- A number, between 0 and 59, starting at 30.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Pace | The headline result. A category or planning selection, rather than a measured quantity. |
| Pace in the other unit | A category or planning selection, rather than a measured quantity. |
| Speed | A number. |
| Total time in seconds | A number. |
Keep going
Related calculators
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Works speed, where the units have to be consistent before dividing.
Open calculatorDistance Calculator
Works distance from speed and time, where the speed has to be the average.
Open calculatorTime Calculator
Adds and subtracts times, where the base is sixty rather than ten.
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