🏃 Running Pace Calculator

Running pace — the maths explained

Pace and speed are inversely related — a faster runner has a lower pace (minutes per kilometre) and a higher speed (kilometres per hour). It seems obvious but is easy to confuse when comparing training data.

Australia has a strong running culture — parkrun, city marathons, and trail running have all grown enormously over the past two decades. The Sydney Running Festival, Melbourne Marathon, and Gold Coast Marathon attract tens of thousands of participants each year.

• Common benchmark paces: Walking is roughly 6–8 min/km. A casual jog is 7–9 min/km. Recreational runners typically race at 5–6 min/km. Competitive club runners aim for sub-4:30/km. Elite marathoners run at about 2:50–3:00/km.
• Marathon vs half-marathon: Most runners slow about 5–10% from half to full marathon. It's not simply double the pace — the physiological demands change significantly over 42km.
• Pace zones: Training is often structured in pace zones based on heart rate or perceived effort. Running 'easy' (conversational pace) for most of your training is a cornerstone of modern running science.
• Metric vs imperial: Australia uses kilometres; the US uses miles. Most running apps support both. A mile is 1.609km — a 5-minute mile is a 3:06/km pace.