Training pace

Before you rely on it

What to check

Keep the units consistent.

The common error

Where people go wrong with training pace

Reading a per-kilometre pace as per-mile. That turns an easy run into a hard one, or the reverse.

Worked through

Training pace in plain numbers

Pace is time per distance. A runner who covers 5 kilometers in 25 minutes averages 5:00 per kilometer. Converting to miles multiplies by 1.609, so 5:00 per kilometer is about 8:03 per mile. At that pace a marathon of 42.195 kilometers takes about 3 hours and 31 minutes. Training uses several paces for different purposes: an easy pace that allows conversation, a tempo pace held for a sustained stretch, an interval pace for short hard repeats; many plans set them from a recent race result. Entering a time and distance in a pace calculator returns splits, and predicted times for other distances.

Easily confused

Training pace and its neighbours

Pace is not speed, though they carry the same information. Speed is distance per time, such as kilometers per hour. Pace is its inverse, time per distance. A higher speed means a lower pace number. Runners and swimmers use pace, cyclists use speed. Pace also differs from effort: the same pace feels different on hills, in heat or at altitude. Heart-rate zones and perceived effort adjust for that. Race prediction formulas assume equivalent conditions and training.

In real decisions

Where training pace turns up

Runners set goals and check progress using pace. Coaches prescribe workouts by pace or effort. Race organizers use pace groups. Calculators convert between pace and speed, between kilometers and miles, and predict finishing times. Treadmill settings are speeds, and a pace chart translates them. Keeping a log of paces across similar routes shows improvement.

Know the edges

Where training pace stops being reliable

Predictions extrapolate from one distance to another and become less reliable when the distances differ a lot. Weather, terrain, fatigue and nutrition change performance. Training paces should reflect current fitness and health. This page is educational. Consult a qualified professional before starting or changing an exercise program, especially with health conditions.

Quick answers

What people ask about training pace

How do I choose a training pace? Use a recent race or time trial to estimate fitness, then set easy, tempo and interval paces from it. Effort and heart rate help on hills and in heat.

How do I convert kilometers to miles per pace? Multiply the minutes and seconds per kilometer by 1.609 to get pace per mile.

Are race predictions reliable? They work best when the distances are similar and you have trained for the target. Predicting a marathon from a 5K is less reliable.

What is negative splitting? Running the second half faster than the first. Many runners find it a steady way to pace races.