Pace is the runner's core metric. Understanding yours — and what it implies for race distances — is the first step to training with intent.
Pace vs speed
Pace (time per distance) and speed (distance per time) describe the same thing from opposite directions. Runners usually think in pace — minutes per km or mile — because it maps directly to race splits.
Train across paces
Improvement comes from a mix: lots of easy aerobic running, plus targeted faster work at tempo and interval paces. Spending every run at the same middling pace is the classic plateau trap.
Frequently asked questions
Divide your total time by the distance. This calculator does it automatically and converts between minutes-per-kilometre and minutes-per-mile, plus speed.
It's highly individual. A common recreational 10K pace is around 6:00–7:00 /km, but 'good' simply means appropriate for your fitness and goal — easy runs should feel conversational.
They assume you sustain your current pace for the full distance. Pace typically slows as distance grows, so longer predictions (especially the marathon) tend to be optimistic.