What is a good running pace for beginners?

A 10-12 minute per mile pace is typical for beginning runners.

How do I convert pace to speed?

Divide 60 by your pace in min/mile to get speed in mph.

What pace do I need for a sub-4-hour marathon?

You need a pace of about 9:09 per mile for a 3:59:59 marathon.

How to Calculate Running Pace

Running pace tells you how long it takes to cover each mile or kilometer. It is the primary metric runners use to gauge effort and set race strategies.

The Formula

Pace = Time / Distance

Where:

TimeTotal Time — Total running time in minutes

DistanceDistance — Distance covered in miles or km

PacePace — Minutes per mile or per kilometer

Step-by-Step Example

Here's how to calculate running pace step by step:

1Record your time: Note your total running time in minutes and seconds.
2Know your distance: Confirm the distance you ran in miles or kilometers.
3Divide: Divide total time by distance to get pace per mile or km.

Following these 3 steps gives you the final running pace value.

Skip the Math

If you run a 5K (3.1 miles) in 24 minutes, your pace is 24/3.1 = 7:44 per mile.

Use the Free Calculator

Why You Need This Calculation

Pace calculations help runners set race goals, plan training splits, and track fitness improvement.

Common Mistakes

Confusing pace with speed.

Pace is min/mile (lower is faster); speed is mph (higher is faster).

Mixing miles and kilometers.

Be consistent: use min/mile or min/km, not both.

Not converting seconds to decimal minutes.

30 seconds is 0.5 minutes, not 0.30 minutes.