What is the difference between pace and speed?

Same information, inverted: pace is minutes per kilometre, speed is kilometres per hour. 5:00 min/km equals 12 km/h.

Is my watch GPS accurate for pace?

On open roads usually yes, within 1-3%. Among tall buildings, in forests or tunnels instant pace can jump around: trust the per-kilometre average.

All tools

Running pace calculator

Enter distance and time (hours:minutes:seconds) to get your pace per kilometre and average speed. It works backwards too: enter your goal race time and read the pace to hold.

Free, in 1 minute: save routes, download the GPX and join group rides.

Distance (km)Time (h:mm:ss)

Pace

5:27 min/km

Average speed

11.01 km/h

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How running pace is calculated

Pace is the time it takes you to cover one kilometre: total time divided by distance. Running 10 km in 50 minutes means a 5:00 min/km pace, or 12 km/h.

Pace is more practical than speed because you compare it directly with your watch's split at every kilometre.

Reference paces for popular races

Sub-2 half marathon: 5:41 min/km. Sub-1:45: 4:58 min/km. Sub-4 marathon: 5:41 min/km. Sub-3:30: 4:58 min/km. Sub-50 10K: 5:00 min/km.

On race day start a few seconds slower than goal pace for the first kilometres: making up time at the end costs far less than paying for a fast start.

Worked example

Ten kilometres run in 52 minutes 30 seconds equal 3,150 seconds. Divided by 10 km that is a pace of 315 seconds per kilometre, or 5:15 min/km, and an average speed of 11.4 km/h. Holding the same pace over a half marathon would take about 1 hour 51 minutes.

Method and limits

Pace and speed are the ratio of distance to time, converted between minutes per kilometre and kilometres per hour. Finish time is pace multiplied by distance, assuming a steady effort. In a real race pace changes with hills, wind, heat and fatigue, and the GPS distance can differ by a few tens of metres from the official one. Use the result as a reference target for training.

FAQ

What is the difference between pace and speed?: Same information, inverted: pace is minutes per kilometre, speed is kilometres per hour. 5:00 min/km equals 12 km/h.
Is my watch GPS accurate for pace?: On open roads usually yes, within 1-3%. Among tall buildings, in forests or tunnels instant pace can jump around: trust the per-kilometre average.