Free running pace calculator and GPS speed checker. Calculate your running pace per km or mile, predict your 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon finish times, or track your live GPS running speed directly in your browser. No app or sign-up needed.
Running pace measures how long it takes you to cover one kilometre or one mile. Unlike speed in km/h, pace is the metric most runners use day to day because it directly translates to race planning. Knowing your pace means you can set your watch, predict a finish time, and judge whether you are running easy, moderate, or hard. The running speed checker and pace calculator above does this automatically, converting between pace and speed and showing your live GPS running speed as you run.
Beginners typically start between 8 and 12 minutes per km (13 to 19 min/mile). At this range the priority is building the habit of running continuously, not covering ground quickly. Heart rate stays aerobic and the body adapts to impact loads over weeks and months.
Recreational runners who have been running for a year or more often settle into a comfortable range of 6 to 8 minutes per km (10 to 13 min/mile). This is the pace of a standard park run or a 10K training run where you can still hold a conversation with a running partner.
Intermediate runners aiming for sub-60 10Ks or sub-2:10 half marathons train at 5 to 6 minutes per km (8 to 10 min/mile). At this level structured training sessions, interval work, and weekly mileage targets all start to matter.
Competitive club runners operate between 4 and 5 minutes per km (6:26 to 8:03 min/mile). Sub-45 10K and sub-1:40 half marathon times fall in this bracket. These runners are running five or more days per week and following periodised training plans.
Elite and sub-elite runners sustain below 4 minutes per km (under 6:26 min/mile) for race distances. World record marathon pace is approximately 2:50 per km. These figures are benchmarks, not targets for recreational runners.
These are the four most searched race pace targets and what they require in training:
The Race Predictor tab uses Pete Riegel's widely accepted formula for estimating finish times across distances. The formula is: T2 = T1 x (D2 / D1) ^ 1.06, where T1 is your known finish time, D1 is that race's distance, D2 is the target race distance, and T2 is the predicted finish time. The exponent 1.06 accounts for the physiological reality that runners slow down slightly as distance increases. The formula is most accurate when predicting within roughly double the base distance. Predicting a marathon from a 400 m sprint time would produce unreliable results, but predicting a half marathon from a 10K time is well within its reliable range.
A good starting pace for new runners is between 8 and 12 minutes per km (13 to 19 min/mile). At this effort level you should be able to hold a conversation without gasping. Building consistency over 8 to 12 weeks of regular easy running will naturally push your comfortable pace faster without any extra effort. Avoid starting too fast: most beginners improve more by adding easy distance than by forcing harder efforts.
You need to run faster than 6:00 per km (9:39 per mile) for the full 5 km. A pace of exactly 5:59 per km gives a finish time of 29:55. If you can comfortably run 30 to 35 minutes without stopping, incorporating two interval sessions per week (such as 6 x 400 m at 5K effort with 90-second recoveries) is the most effective way to break the 30-minute barrier.
Most recreational runners cover ground at 9 to 11 km/h (5.6 to 6.8 mph), which equals a pace of roughly 5:30 to 6:40 per km. Median 5K finish times in mass participation events are around 28 to 35 minutes for men and 32 to 38 minutes for women. These are population averages and will vary significantly by age group, fitness history, and course profile. Use the running speed checker above to see your own live GPS running speed and compare it against these figures.
Yes. This running speed checker uses your phone's built-in GPS to show your current speed in km/h or mph as you run, alongside peak speed, average speed, and distance for the session. It works as a free GPS running speed tracker in any mobile browser, with no app to install.
Divide your total time in minutes by the distance in km to get pace per km. For example, 25 minutes for 5 km gives a pace of 5:00 per km. To convert to per-mile pace, multiply by 1.60934: 5:00 per km is approximately 8:03 per mile. The Calculate Pace tab above does this automatically and also shows your speed in km/h and mph, plus predicted finish times for the four main race distances.
A 4-hour marathon requires an average pace of 5:41 per km (9:09 per mile) for the full 42.195 km. Most runners aiming for this target train at a marathon goal pace of 5:35 to 5:38 per km to build in a small buffer for the inevitable late-race slowdown. A 16 to 20 week training plan with a weekly long run that builds to 32 to 35 km is the standard approach for first-time sub-4 marathon runners.
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