How this calculator works
Pace is the time taken to cover one kilometre. A 5 km race is exactly 5,000 metres, so the finish time in seconds divided by five gives the average pace in seconds per kilometre. Working the other way, the pace multiplied by five gives the finish time. The split table applies that pace evenly, which is the simplest target for race day: five kilometres that each take the same time. Real races rarely split perfectly, but an even target helps you avoid starting too fast. The common-times table shows the same arithmetic for a range of typical 5 km results.
Formula
Pace (seconds per km) = 5 km finish time in seconds / 5. Finish time = pace x 5. Pace per mile = pace per kilometre x 1.609344. Average speed in metres per second = 5,000 / finish time in seconds.
Worked example
A 20:00 5 km is 1,200 seconds over 5 km, so the pace is 1,200 / 5 = 240 seconds per kilometre, or 4:00. Each kilometre split then falls on 4:00, 8:00, 12:00, 16:00 and 20:00. Pace per mile is 240 x 1.609344 = 386.24 seconds, or 6:26. Holding 4:30 per kilometre instead gives a finish time of 270 x 5 = 1,350 seconds, or 22:30.
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Frequently asked questions
What counts as a good 5 km pace?
It depends on your training history and recent race results. A pace you can repeat in training is a sound starting point; comparing against your own previous 5 km times is more useful than a single universal target.
Should the kilometre splits be exactly even?
Even splits are an efficient baseline. Many runners gain time by running the first kilometre a few seconds slower than target and the last kilometre faster. The table shows the even-split reference you can adjust from.
How do I use this for a treadmill 5 km?
Convert the treadmill speed to pace by dividing 3,600 by the speed in km/h. A treadmill at 12 km/h is 3,600 / 12 = 300 seconds per kilometre, or 5:00, which produces a 25:00 5 km.
Why is the mile pace not simply 1.6 times the kilometre pace?
1.6 is a rounded conversion. The international mile is exactly 1,609.344 metres, so the exact factor is 1.609344. The difference is small but grows over a longer race.