Target Pace Calculator
Find the pace you need to hit a goal time.
Results update as you type.
How it works
This target pace calculator answers the runner's most practical question: what pace do I need to run to hit my goal time? Enter the distance of your race or run and the finishing time you are aiming for, and it returns the required pace in minutes per kilometre along with the equivalent steady speed in kilometres per hour. It turns a finish-time ambition into a concrete number to hold on the road. Racing to a time goal is really an exercise in pacing, and knowing your target pace before you start is what keeps you from going out too fast and fading, or drifting too slow to make up later. With the exact pace in hand, you can set your watch, rehearse the rhythm in training, and check yourself at each kilometre marker. It also lets you judge honestly whether a goal is realistic given how that pace feels in practice. The calculation divides your goal time evenly across the distance, because holding a constant pace is both the simplest and usually the most efficient way to race. The speed figure gives the same information for anyone who thinks in kilometres per hour or sets a treadmill. Whether you are chasing a sub-two-hour half-marathon or a personal best over 5K, a target pace calculator translates the dream into the discipline of a single, repeatable pace.
pace = goal time ÷ goal distance
Target pace is the goal time divided by the goal distance, giving the minutes you can afford to spend on each kilometre and still finish on schedule. Because pace is time per unit distance, splitting the total time evenly across the distance yields the steady pace required. Speed is the same relationship inverted, distance over time, converted to kilometres per hour by dividing the time in minutes by sixty first.
Source:Standard sports science (pace–distance–time)
We review all our tools from time to time to ensure accuracy.
Worked example
How to use this calculator
- 1
Enter your values
Enter goal distance and goal time.
- 2
Adjust the options
Fine-tune any options to match your situation.
- 3
Read your result
Required pace updates instantly as you type — no button to press.
Frequently asked questions
How do I read the pace as minutes and seconds?
The pace is shown as a decimal number of minutes per kilometre, so convert the fractional part into seconds by multiplying it by sixty. A pace of 5.5 means five minutes and thirty seconds per kilometre, and 4.75 means four minutes and forty-five seconds. Do not read 5.5 as five minutes fifty seconds. Once converted, you can set the minutes-and-seconds pace on your running watch to keep yourself on target.
Is holding an even pace really best?
For most runners and most distances, an even pace is the most efficient way to race and the easiest to execute. Starting too fast burns energy you cannot recover and usually leads to a painful slowdown, while starting too slow wastes time you cannot make up. This calculator gives the even pace that exactly meets your goal, so aiming to run each kilometre at that pace is a sound and proven strategy.
Should I adjust the pace for hills?
The calculator gives the average pace needed across the whole distance, assuming flat terrain. On a hilly course you will naturally run slower up climbs and faster down descents, so aim to average the target pace overall rather than forcing it on every gradient. Effort, not pace, should stay roughly even on hills. Bank a little time on flat and downhill sections to offset the slower climbs and still hit your goal.
What does the speed figure add?
The speed result expresses the same target as kilometres per hour instead of minutes per kilometre, which some runners find more intuitive and which matches how treadmills are set. If you train on a treadmill, you can dial in the speed directly to rehearse your goal pace. It is also handy for comparing running effort against cycling or other sports that report speed rather than pace, giving you a common frame of reference.
How do I know if my goal time is realistic?
Enter your goal and look at the required pace, then compare it honestly with paces you already sustain in training and recent races. If the target pace is far faster than anything you have held for a similar distance, the goal may be too ambitious for now. A good goal stretches you by a modest margin. You can also use a race time predictor from a recent result to sanity-check the ambition.