How to Calculate Running Pace (Per Mile or Kilometer)
The formula for running pace, a worked example, and how to convert between minutes-per-mile and minutes-per-kilometer.
Running pace is simply your speed expressed as time per unit distance — minutes and seconds per mile or per kilometer — rather than distance per unit time like miles per hour.
The formula
Pace (per mile or km) = total time ÷ distance
Worked example
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Distance | 3.1 miles (a 5K) |
| Total time | 28:00 (1,680 seconds) |
| Pace | 1,680 ÷ 3.1 ≈ 541.9 sec/mile = 9:02/mile |
Converting between miles and kilometers
Since 1 mile ≈ 1.609 kilometers, a pace in minutes per mile converts to minutes per kilometer by dividing by 1.609 (a slower "per mile" number becomes a faster "per kilometer" number, since a kilometer is a shorter distance). A 9:02/mile pace works out to about 5:37/km.
Skip the manual conversion and switch units directly in the Running Pace Calculator.