Running pace and speed: min/km, min/mile, km/h and mph
Convert running pace to speed and back, switch between kilometres and miles, and work out a finish time for 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon.
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Tools for this job: Speed Converter · Length Converter · Time Converter
Runners talk in pace — minutes per kilometre or per mile — while treadmills, bikes and cars show speed in km/h or mph. They describe the same thing upside down, and converting between them takes one division.
Pace and speed are opposites
pace (minutes per km) = 60 ÷ speed (km/h)
speed (km/h) = 60 ÷ pace (minutes per km)
The same works with miles and mph.
| Speed | Per km | Per mile |
|---|---|---|
| 8 km/h | 7:30 | 12:04 |
| 10 km/h | 6:00 | 9:39 |
| 12 km/h | 5:00 | 8:03 |
| 15 km/h | 4:00 | 6:26 |
To go from a pace per kilometre to a pace per mile, multiply by 1.609: 5:00 per km is 5 × 1.609 = 8.05 minutes, or 8:03 per mile.
Converting speeds
The Speed Converter switches between km/h, mph, metres per second, knots and more, exactly. It works in speed, so convert a pace to a speed first with the formula above: a 6:00 per km pace is 10 km/h, which is about 6.21 mph.
Finish times
time = distance × pace
- 5 km at 6:00 per km: 30 minutes.
- 10 km at 5:30 per km: 55 minutes.
- Half marathon, 21.0975 km, at 6:00 per km: about 2 hours 6 minutes 35 seconds.
- Marathon, 42.195 km, at 5:00 per km: about 3 hours 30 minutes 58 seconds.
Note the odd-looking marathon distance: 42.195 km is 26.2 miles, which is why a marathon at a round pace never finishes on a round time.
Working back from a goal time
pace = goal time ÷ distance
- A 25-minute 5K needs 25 ÷ 5 = 5:00 per km.
- A half marathon under 2 hours needs 120 ÷ 21.0975 = 5.69 minutes, or about 5:41 per km.
- A marathon under 4 hours needs exactly the same pace — 240 ÷ 42.195 is also about 5:41 per km, because the marathon is twice the half.
Aim to run the first half at or slightly slower than goal pace. Starting fast feels easy for a few kilometres and costs far more time later than it gained.
Decimal minutes
Pace is written in minutes and seconds, but calculations produce decimals. 5.25 minutes is 5 minutes 15 seconds, not 5:25 — multiply the decimal part by 60. The Time Converter helps with longer durations.
Treadmill speeds
Treadmills set speed, not pace. To run at 5:30 per km, set 60 ÷ 5.5 = 10.9 km/h. Many runners add a 1% incline to make treadmill running feel closer to running outdoors.
Kilometres and miles
A mile is exactly 1.609344 km. A 5K is 3.11 miles, a 10K 6.21 miles. The Length Converter handles any other distance.
A word on training
These numbers describe pace; they do not prescribe it. Most training advice suggests doing the majority of runs at an easy, conversational pace, well slower than race pace. If you are new to running or returning after a break, build up gradually.