How a Running Pace Chart Can Help You Train Smarter

Once you’ve run a few 5K races, you’re probably ready to focus on cutting time or maybe even lengthening distance.

Either way, you’re not interested in simply crossing the finish line anymore — you want to go farther and/or faster than you’ve gone before.

In order to accomplish your new running goal, you need to start paying attention to your running pace during both training runs and races.

That will give you an idea of how well you’re improving during training, and ensure you’re on-track to finish your race in record time.

What Is a Good Running Pace?

Determining a good running pace for yourself will depend on what you’re specifically trying to accomplish with a given training run, says Janet Hamilton, C.S.C.S., registered clinical exercise physiologist and owner of Running Strong.

For example, if you’re running for general fitness and health, a pace that’s equivalent to 78 percent of your 5K effort will make for a good “easy” running pace.

Simply take your 5K race pace and divide it by .78, so a 7:12/mile pace becomes a 9:23/mile effort.

But if you’re trying to achieve a new PR in a particular event, you’ll want to be sure to include runs that are at or near your goal race pace during your training.

That way, you’ll gain a grasp of what that pace feels like, and your body will make the necessary adaptations.

“Every pace has a purpose. Respect the purpose of the workout and you’ll make the physiological adaptations you’re striving for,” Hamilton says.

How to Use This Running Pace Chart

The following chart offers estimated times for six popular race distances, including the 5K, 5-miler, 10K, 10-miler, half marathon, and marathon.

The race times themselves are broken down according to pace per mile (from 5:00/mile to 15:59/mile).

There are a couple of ways you can use this chart:

1. To determine your average pace per mile. Use the chart to locate your time from a previous race or training run to determine your average mile/kilometer pace.
2. To find out what pace you need to average in order to achieve your goal race time. This way, you’ll know how to structure your training program, and you can be sure to incorporate segments at or near your target race pace.

5:00–5:55 per mile

Pace	5K	5 Mi.	10K	10 Mi.	Half Mar.	Marathon
5:00	15:32	25:00	31:04	50:00	1:05:33	2:11:06
5:05	15:48	25:25	31:35	50:50	1:06:38	2:13:17
5:10	16:03	25:50	32:06	51:40	1:07:44	2:15:28
5:15	16:19	26:15	32:37	52:30	1:08:49	2:17:39
5:20	16:34	26:40	33:08	53:20	1:09:55	2:19:50
5:25	16:50	27:05	33:39	54:10	1:11:01	2:22:01
5:30	17:05	27:30	34:11	55:00	1:12:06	2:24:12
5:35	17:21	27:55	34:42	55:50	1:13:12	2:26:23
5:40	17:36	28:20	35:13	56:40	1:14:17	2:28:34
5:45	17:52	28:45	35:44	57:30	1:15:23	2:30:45
5:50	18:07	29:10	36:15	58:20	1:16:28	2:32:57
5:55	18:23	29:53	36:46	59:10	1:17:34	2:35:08

6:00–6:55 per mile

Pace	5K	5 Mi.	10K	10 Mi.	Half Mar.	Marathon
6:00	18:38	30:00	37:17	1:00:00	1:18:39	2:37:19
6:05	18:54	30:25	37:48	1:00:50	1:19:45	2:39:30
6:10	19:10	30:50	38:19	1:01:40	1:20:50	2:41:41
6:15	19:25	31:15	38:50	1:02:30	1:21:56	2:43:52
6:20	19:41	31:40	39:21	1:03:20	1:23:02	2:46:03
6:25	19:56	32:05	39:52	1:04:10	1:24:07	2:48:14
6:30	20:12	32:30	40:23	1:05:00	1:25:13	2:50:25
6:35	20:27	32:55	40:54	105:50	1:26:18	2:52:36
6:40	20:43	33:20	41:25	1:06:40	1:27:24	2:54:48
6:45	20:58	33:45	41:57	1:07:30	1:28:29	2:56:59
6:50	21:14	34:10	42:28	1:08:20	1:29:35	2:59:10
6:55	21:29	34:35	42:59	1:09:10	1:30:40	3:01:21

7:00–7:55 per mile

Pace	5K	5 Mi.	10K	10 Mi.	Half Mar.	Marathon
7:00	21:45	35:00	43:30	1:10:00	1:31:46	3:03:32
7:05	22:00	35:25	44:01	1:10:50	1:32:51	3:05:43
7:10	22:16	35:50	44:32	1:11:40	1:33:57	3:07:54
7:15	22:31	36:15	45:03	1:12:30	1:35:03	3:10:05
7:20	22:47	36:40	45:34	1:13:20	1:36:08	3:12:16
7:25	23:03	37:05	46:05	1:14:10	1:37:14	3:14:27
7:30	23:18	37:30	46:36	1:15:00	1:38:19	3:16:38
7:35	23:34	37:55	47:07	1:15:50	1:39:25	3:18:50
7:40	23:49	38:20	47:38	1:16:40	1:40:30	3:21:01
7:45	24:05	38:45	48:09	1:17:30	1:41:36	3:23:12
7:50	24:20	39:10	48:40	1:18:20	1:42:41	3:25:23
7:55	24:36	39:35	49:12	1:19:10	1:43:47	3:27:34

8:00–8:55 per mile

Pace	5K	5 Mi.	10K	10 Mi.	Half Mar.	Marathon
8:00	24:51	40:00	49:43	1:20:00	1:44:53	3:29:45
8:05	25:07	40:25	50:14	1:20:50	1:45:58	3:31:56
8:10	25:22	40:50	50:45	1:21:40	1:47:04	3:34:07
8:15	25:38	41:15	51:16	1:22:30	1:48:09	3:36:18
8:20	25:53	41:40	51:47	1:23:20	1:49:15	3:38:29
8:25	26:09	42:05	52:18	1:24:10	1:50:20	3:40:40
8:30	26:24	42:30	52:49	1:25:00	1:51:26	3:42:52
8:35	26:40	42:55	53:20	1:25:50	1:52:31	3:45:03
8:40	26:56	43:20	53:51	1:26:40	1:53:37	3:47:14
8:45	27:11	43:45	54:22	1:27:30	1:54:42	3:49:25
8:50	27:27	44:10	54:53	1:28:20	1:55:48	3:51:36
8:55	27:42	44:35	55:24	1:29:10	1:56:54	3:53:47

9:00–9:55 per mile

Pace	5K	5 Mi.	10K	10 Mi.	Half Mar.	Marathon
9:00	27:58	45:00	55:55	1:30:00	1:57:59	3:55:58
9:05	28:13	45:25	56:26	1:30:50	1:59:05	3:58:09
9:10	28:29	45:50	56:58	1:31:40	2:00:10	4:00:20
9:15	28:44	46:15	57:29	1:32:30	2:01:16	4:02:31
9:20	29:00	46:40	58:00	1:33:20	2:02:21	4:04:43
9:25	29:15	47:05	58:31	1:34:10	2:03:27	4:06:54
9:30	29:31	47:30	59:02	1:35:00	2:04:32	4:09:05
9:35	29:46	47:55	59:33	1:35:50	2:05:38	4:11:16
9:40	30:02	48:20	1:00:04	1:36:40	2:06:43	4:13:27
9:45	30:18	48:45	1:00:35	1:37:30	2:07:49	4:15:38
9:50	30:33	49:10	1:01:06	1:38:20	2:08:55	4:17:49
9:55	30:49	49:35	1:01:37	1:39:10	2:10:00	4:20:00

10:00–10:55 per mile

Pace	5K	5 Mi.	10K	10 Mi.	Half Mar.	Marathon
10:00	31:04	50:00	1:02:08	1:40:00	2:11:06	4:22:11
10:05	31:20	50:25	1:02:39	1:40:50	2:12:11	4:24:22
10:10	31:35	50:50	1:03:10	1:41:40	2:13:17	4:26:33
10:15	31:51	51:15	1:03:41	1:42:30	2:14:22	4:28:45
10:20	32:06	51:40	1:04:13	1:43:20	2:15:28	4:30:56
10:25	32:22	52:05	1:04:44	1:44:10	2:16:33	4:33:07
10:30	32:37	52:30	1:05:15	1:45:00	2:17:39	4:35:18
10:35	32:53	52:55	1:05:46	1:45:50	2:18:44	4:37:29
10:40	33:08	53:20	1:06:17	1:46:40	2:19:50	4:39:40
10:45	33:24	53:45	1:06:48	1:47:30	2:20:56	4:41:51
10:50	33:39	54:10	1:07:19	1:48:20	2:22:01	4:44:02
10:55	33:55	54:35	1:07:50	1:49:10	2:23:07	4:46:13

11:00–11:55 per mile

Pace	5K	5 Mi.	10K	10 Mi.	Half Mar.	Marathon
11:00	34:11	55:00	1:08:21	1:50:00	2:24:12	4:48:24
11:05	34:26	55:25	1:08:52	1:50:50	2:25:18	4:50:35
11:10	34:42	55:50	1:09:23	1:51:40	2:26:23	4:52:47
11:15	34:57	56:15	1:09:54	1:52:30	2:27:29	4:54:58
11:20	35:13	56:40	1:10:25	1:53:20	2:28:34	4:57:09
11:25	35:28	57:05	1:10:56	1:54:10	2:29:40	4:59:20
11:30	35:44	57:30	1:11:27	1:55:00	2:30:45	5:01:31
11:35	35:59	57:55	1:11:49	1:55:50	2:31:51	5:03:42
11:40	36:15	58:20	1:12:30	1:56:40	2:32:57	5:05:53
11:45	36:30	58:45	1:13:01	1:57:30	2:34:02	5:08:04
11:50	36:46	59:10	1:13:32	1:58:20	2:35:08	5:10:15
11:55	37:01	59:35	1:14:03	1:59:10	2:36:13	5:12:26

12:00–12:55 per mile

Pace	5K	5 Mi.	10K	10 Mi.	Half Mar.	Marathon
12:00	37:17	1:00:00	1:14:34	2:00:00	2:37:19	5:14:37
12:05	37:32	1:00:25	1:15:05	2:00:50	2:38:24	5:16:49
12:10	37:48	1:00:50	1:15:36	2:01:40	2:39:30	5:19:00
12:15	38:04	1:01:15	1:16:07	2:02:30	2:40:35	5:21:11
12:20	38:19	1:01:40	1:16:38	2:03:20	2:41:41	5:23:22
12:25	38:35	1:02:05	1:17:09	2:04:10	2:42:46	5:25:33
12:30	38:50	1:02:30	1:17:40	2:05:00	2:43:52	5:27:44
12:35	39:06	1:02:55	1:18:11	2:05:50	2:44:58	5:29:55
12:40	39:21	1:03:20	1:18:42	2:06:40	2:46:03	5:32:06
12:45	39:37	1:03:45	1:19:13	2:07:30	2:47:09	5:34:17
12:50	39:52	1:04:10	1:19:45	2:08:20	2:48:14	5:36:28
12:55	40:08	1:04:35	1:20:16	2:09:10	2:49:20	5:38:40

13:00–13:55 per mile

Pace	5K	5 Mi.	10K	10 Mi.	Half Mar.	Marathon
13:00	40:23	1:05:00	1:20:47	2:10:00	2:50:25	5:40:51
13:05	40:39	1:05:25	1:21:18	2:10:50	2:51:31	5:43:02
13:10	40:54	1:05:50	1:21:49	2:11:40	2:52:36	5:45:13
13:15	41:10	1:06:15	1:22:20	2:12:30	2:53:42	5:47:24
13:20	41:25	1:06:40	1:22:51	2:13:20	2:54:48	5:49:35
13:25	41:41	1:07:05	1:23:22	2:14:10	2:55:53	5:51:46
13:30	41:57	1:07:30	1:23:53	2:15:00	2:56:59	5:53:57
13:35	42:12	1:07:55	1:24:24	2:15:50	2:58:04	5:56:08
13:40	42:28	1:08:20	1:24:55	2:16:40	2:59:10	5:58:19
13:45	42:43	1:08:45	1:25:26	2:17:30	3:00:15	6:00:30
13:50	42:59	1:09:10	1:25:57	2:18:20	3:01:21	6:02:42
13:55	43:13	1:09:35	1:26:28	2:19:10	3:02:26	6:04:53

14:00–14:55 per mile

Pace	5K	5 Mi.	10K	10 Mi.	Half Mar.	Marathon
14:00	43:30	1:10:00	1:27:00	2:20:00	3:03:32	6:07:04
14:05	43:45	1:10:25	1:27:37	2:20:50	3:04:37	6:09:15
14:10	44:01	1:10:50	1:28:02	2:21:40	3:05:43	6:11:26
14:15	44:16	1:11:15	1:28:33	2:22:30	3:06:49	6:13:37
14:20	44:32	1:11:40	1:29:04	2:23:20	3:07:54	6:15:48
14:25	44:47	1:12:05	1:29:35	2:24:10	3:09:00	6:17:59
14:30	45:03	1:12:30	1:30:06	2:25:00	3:10:05	6:20:10
14:35	45:18	1:12:55	1:30:37	2:25:50	3:11:11	6:22:21
14:40	45:34	1:13:20	1:31:08	2:26:40	3:12:16	6:24:32
14:45	45:50	1:13:45	1:31:39	2:27:30	3:13:22	6:26:44
14:50	46:05	1:14:10	1:32:10	2:28:20	3:14:27	6:28:55
14:55	46:21	1:14:35	1:32:41	2:29:10	3:15:33	6:31:06