Pace and Speed in Running: How to Convert min/km to km/h (With Table)
Pace and speed measure the same thing in two different ways, and it helps to know how to go from one to the other. Pace is the time it takes you to cover a kilometer or a mile (for example, 5:00 min/km), and it is what runners and watches use. Speed is the distance you cover in an hour (12 km/h), and it is what treadmills show. If you also read plans or results in miles, there is a third unit to juggle. In this guide I explain how to convert pace and speed, with a conversion table and the most common mistakes.
The difference between pace and speed
Pace is expressed in minutes per kilometer or per mile: the lower it is, the faster you are going. Speed is expressed in kilometers or miles per hour: the higher it is, the faster you are going. They are the inverse of each other.
In running, pace is almost always used because it is more practical: if you know you are running 5:00 min/km, you instantly know a 10K will take you 50 minutes. With speed, that calculation is less intuitive.
How to convert pace to speed
The formula is: speed (km/h) = 60 / pace in minutes. The trick is turning the seconds into decimals: 5:30 is 5.5 minutes, and 4:45 is 4.75.
So 5:00 min/km is 60 / 5 = 12 km/h. And 5:30 min/km is 60 / 5.5 = 10.9 km/h.
How to convert speed to pace
It is the opposite operation: pace (min/km) = 60 / speed. Then you turn the decimals into seconds by multiplying by 60.
For example, 10 km/h is 60 / 10 = 6:00 min/km. And 14 km/h is 60 / 14 = 4.29 minutes, that is, 4 minutes and 0.29 × 60 = 17 seconds: 4:17 min/km.
If you don’t want to do the math, our pace converter does it for you both ways, and the pace calculator tells you the pace you need for a target time.
Pace and speed conversion table
| Pace (min/km) | Speed (km/h) | Pace (min/mile) | 10K | Half marathon | Marathon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:00 | 15.0 | 6:26 | 40:00 | 1:24:23 | 2:48:47 |
| 4:30 | 13.3 | 7:15 | 45:00 | 1:34:56 | 3:09:53 |
| 5:00 | 12.0 | 8:03 | 50:00 | 1:45:29 | 3:30:59 |
| 5:30 | 10.9 | 8:51 | 55:00 | 1:56:02 | 3:52:04 |
| 6:00 | 10.0 | 9:39 | 1:00:00 | 2:06:35 | 4:13:10 |
| 6:30 | 9.2 | 10:28 | 1:05:00 | 2:17:08 | 4:34:16 |
| 7:00 | 8.6 | 11:16 | 1:10:00 | 2:27:41 | 4:55:22 |
Pace and speed in miles
A mile is 1.609 km. To convert from min/km to min/mile, multiply the pace by 1.609: 5:00 min/km is about 8:03 min/mile. And for speed, 1 mile per hour equals 1.609 km/h.
It is useful if you follow plans written in miles, use a treadmill set to miles or compare results from races in the US or UK.
Pace and speed on the treadmill
Treadmills almost always show speed, in km/h or mph. If your plan says “6 x 1,000 m at 4:45”, you need to know that is 12.6 km/h. Keep the table handy or do the math before you start. And remember to set a 1% incline to make up for the lack of air resistance, as I explain in the guide on treadmill running.
Common mistakes
The most common one is treating seconds as decimals: 5:30 isn’t 5.30 minutes, it is 5.5. If you do 60 / 5.30 you get 11.3 km/h instead of 10.9.
The second is trusting your watch’s instant pace, which jumps around a lot because of the GPS signal. To control an interval, look at the average lap pace. And the third is forgetting that GPS usually measures a little extra distance in races, so your real pace is slightly slower than it shows.
To know what pace to run each session at, use the training pace calculator, and if you want to understand each zone, read the guide on training paces.
Conclusion
Pace and speed are the same information turned around: to go from pace to speed, divide 60 by your pace in minutes, and to go from speed to pace, divide 60 by your speed. Always turn seconds into decimals before dividing, keep the conversion table handy and use the converter if you don’t want to do the math. Choose well, run better.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert pace to speed?
Divide 60 by your pace in minutes with decimals. For example, 5:00 min/km is 60 / 5 = 12 km/h, and 5:30 is 60 / 5.5 = 10.9 km/h.
How do I convert km/h to min/km?
Divide 60 by the speed and turn the decimals into seconds by multiplying by 60. For example, 14 km/h is 4.29 minutes, that is, 4:17 min/km.
What speed is a 5 minute per kilometer pace?
12 km/h. At that pace, a 10K takes 50 minutes and a half marathon 1:45:29.
Which is better to use, pace or speed?
For running, pace, because it makes it easy to work out how long a distance will take. Speed is mainly useful on the treadmill.
How do I convert pace from kilometers to miles?
Multiply your pace per kilometer by 1.609. For example, 5:00 min/km is about 8:03 min/mile.
