How it works
Find your goal in the Finish column. The next two columns give the average pace to hold per kilometer and per mile, and the split columns show what your watch should read at the first kilometer and the first mile.
A 5K is short enough that the first kilometer shapes the whole race. It is easy to start too fast, because the pace feels easy with fresh legs and a crowd around you. The 1 km column is the number to check.
The formula
pace per mile = finish time ÷ 3.1069
pace per km = finish time ÷ 5
split at x km = finish time × x ÷ 5 (even pace)
paces are rounded down to the whole second
1 mile = 1.609344 kmWorked example
For a 5K in 25:00:
- Pace per mile: 25:00 ÷ 3.1069 = 8:02.8, which rounds down to 8:02 per mile.
- Pace per km: 25:00 ÷ 5 = 5:00.0, which rounds down to 5:00 per km.
- Halfway at even pace: 12:30.
5K goal paces
These goals have their own pages with splits for every mile and kilometer, checkpoint times and a negative-split plan.
- 20 Minute 5K Pace: 6:26 per mile, 4:00 per km
- 25 Minute 5K Pace: 8:02 per mile, 5:00 per km
- 30 Minute 5K Pace: 9:39 per mile, 6:00 per km
Why your watch disagrees with the chart
Race distances are measured along the shortest line a runner could take. Weaving through crowds and running wide on bends adds distance, and a GPS track is not exact, so a watch can show a little more than 5 km at the finish. If you pace by the watch alone, you can hit every split on your wrist and still finish slower than planned.
Two fixes help: aim a few seconds per kilometer quicker than the chart, or check your elapsed time at the official kilometer or mile markers, which is what the split columns are for.
Printing this chart
The page prints cleanly: the header, menus and side panels are left out, so the chart fits on paper. For race day, the pace band generator makes a narrow strip with the elapsed times for your goal that you can cut out and tape around your wrist.
Save this chart
Questions
How do I use a 5K pace chart?
Find your goal time in the first column and read across. The pace columns show the average pace to hold per kilometer or mile, and the split columns show the elapsed time at each marker if you run evenly.
How do I convert pace per km to pace per mile?
Multiply the pace per kilometer by 1.609344. For example, 5:00 per km is 300 seconds × 1.609344 = 482.8 seconds, or 8:02.8 per mile, which this chart rounds down to 8:02. To go the other way, divide pace per mile by 1.609344.
What if my goal is not in the chart?
Type it into the calculator at the top of the page. It gives the average pace, halfway split and speed, and lists the split for every kilometer or mile, with the option of a negative split.
Are the paces rounded?
Yes, down to the whole second, because a pace that was rounded up would miss the time. Holding the pace shown brings you in on the finish time or just inside it: by less than a second per kilometer, which is under 5 seconds over a 5K. The calculator shows the exact pace to a tenth of a second under the result. The split columns use the exact pace, so they always match the finish time.
Add this calculator to your site
Running club, coach or blog? You can put this calculator on your own site for free. Copy the code below into your page’s HTML. The calculator updates itself whenever we improve it.
The short script lets the frame grow to fit the calculator on your page. Please keep the credit line underneath it.