Find your pace per kilometre in the left column and read across: you see the same pace per mile and the finish time it gives over 5 km, 10 km, a half marathon (21.0975 km) and a marathon (42.195 km). Every row is an even pace from start to finish.
| Pace /km | Pace /mile | 5 km | 10 km | Half marathon | Marathon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | 4:50 | 15:00 | 30:00 | 1:03:18 | 2:06:35 |
| 3:15 | 5:14 | 16:15 | 32:30 | 1:08:34 | 2:17:08 |
| 3:30 | 5:38 | 17:30 | 35:00 | 1:13:50 | 2:27:41 |
| 3:45 | 6:02 | 18:45 | 37:30 | 1:19:07 | 2:38:14 |
| 4:00 | 6:26 | 20:00 | 40:00 | 1:24:23 | 2:48:47 |
| 4:15 | 6:50 | 21:15 | 42:30 | 1:29:40 | 2:59:20 |
| 4:30 | 7:15 | 22:30 | 45:00 | 1:34:56 | 3:09:53 |
| 4:45 | 7:39 | 23:45 | 47:30 | 1:40:13 | 3:20:26 |
| 5:00 | 8:03 | 25:00 | 50:00 | 1:45:29 | 3:30:59 |
| 5:15 | 8:27 | 26:15 | 52:30 | 1:50:46 | 3:41:31 |
| 5:30 | 8:51 | 27:30 | 55:00 | 1:56:02 | 3:52:04 |
| 5:45 | 9:15 | 28:45 | 57:30 | 2:01:19 | 4:02:37 |
| 6:00 | 9:39 | 30:00 | 1:00:00 | 2:06:35 | 4:13:10 |
| 6:15 | 10:04 | 31:15 | 1:02:30 | 2:11:52 | 4:23:43 |
| 6:30 | 10:28 | 32:30 | 1:05:00 | 2:17:08 | 4:34:16 |
| 6:45 | 10:52 | 33:45 | 1:07:30 | 2:22:24 | 4:44:49 |
| 7:00 | 11:16 | 35:00 | 1:10:00 | 2:27:41 | 4:55:22 |
| 7:15 | 11:40 | 36:15 | 1:12:30 | 2:32:57 | 5:05:55 |
| 7:30 | 12:04 | 37:30 | 1:15:00 | 2:38:14 | 5:16:28 |
| 7:45 | 12:28 | 38:45 | 1:17:30 | 2:43:30 | 5:27:01 |
| 8:00 | 12:52 | 40:00 | 1:20:00 | 2:48:47 | 5:37:34 |
How to use it
From a goal time to a pace. Look for your goal in the distance column and read back to the left. A 2-hour half marathon, for example, needs about 5:41 per kilometre – between the 5:30 and 5:45 rows.
From a pace to a goal. If you know the pace you can hold for a given distance, read across to see where it takes you. Be honest here: the pace you can hold for 10 km is not the pace you can hold for a marathon.
Kilometres and miles. One mile is exactly 1.609344 km, so the pace per mile is simply the pace per kilometre × 1.609344. Handy if you train with a watch set to kilometres but read plans written in miles – or the other way round.
Three things the chart doesn't know
- Your GPS will usually measure more than the official distance. Courses are measured along the shortest possible line; nobody runs exactly that line, and GPS drifts between buildings. Many runners finish a half marathon with 21.3–21.5 km on the watch. If you aim for an exact time, run a few seconds per kilometre faster than the chart, or follow the official kilometre markers instead of your watch.
- Hills, heat and wind cost time. The chart assumes even pace on a flat course. On a hilly course like the Athens Marathon, run by effort, not by the number on the chart.
- Even pace is the goal, not a fast start. The rows assume you run the same pace from the first kilometre to the last – which is also what research on race pacing recommends. Seconds "banked" early are usually paid back with interest later.
The bottom line
Use the chart to choose a realistic pace and to know your split times – then trust your training on the day, start controlled and adjust for course and weather.
Related: Race-day pacing · Half marathon under 2 hours