The pace formula
Pace is simply your total time divided by the distance you covered. Convert the finish time to seconds first, then divide:
total seconds = hr × 3600 + min × 60 + sec
pace per mile = total seconds ÷ distance in miles
speed (mph) = distance in miles ÷ hours
To get pace and speed in metric, convert distance with 1 mile = 1.60934 km (multiply miles by that, or divide km by it). Pace is then shown back as minutes and seconds (mm:ss).
Worked example
A full marathon of 26.2 miles finished in 4:00:00:
Total time: 4 × 3600 = 14,400 seconds.
Pace per mile: 14,400 ÷ 26.2 = 549.6 s ≈ 9:10 per mile.
Pace per km: 26.2 mi = 42.16 km, so 14,400 ÷ 42.16 = 341.5 s ≈ 5:42 per km.
Speed: 26.2 ÷ 4 = 6.55 mph (10.54 km/h).
Common race-pace reference
| Pace / mile | Pace / km | Speed | Marathon time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 | 4:21 | 8.57 mph | 3:03:34 |
| 8:00 | 4:58 | 7.50 mph | 3:29:36 |
| 9:10 | 5:42 | 6.55 mph | 4:00:00 |
| 10:00 | 6:13 | 6.00 mph | 4:22:00 |
| 12:00 | 7:27 | 5.00 mph | 5:14:24 |
Tip: on race day, run the first few miles a touch slower than your goal pace. Going out too fast is the most common reason runners fade in the second half.