RACE PACE CALCULATOR · 5K TO MARATHON
Race pace calculator
Race pace is your goal time divided by the race distance. A 4:00:00 marathon over 42.195 km is 5:41 per km or 9:09 per mile. Enter your goal below for splits every kilometre, 5 km or mile that add up to it exactly, then print them as a pace band.
Prints a 40 × 240 mm strip. Print at 100% (Actual size), then check the 50 mm ruler.
Even splits, every 5 km
| Checkpoint | Segment | Pace /km | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 km | 0:28:26 | 5:41 | 0:28:26 |
| 10 km | 0:28:27 | 5:41 | 0:56:53 |
| 15 km | 0:28:26 | 5:41 | 1:25:19 |
| 20 km | 0:28:26 | 5:41 | 1:53:45 |
| 25 km | 0:28:27 | 5:41 | 2:22:12 |
| 30 km | 0:28:26 | 5:41 | 2:50:38 |
| 35 km | 0:28:27 | 5:41 | 3:19:05 |
| 40 km | 0:28:26 | 5:41 | 3:47:31 |
| Marathon (42.195 km) | 0:12:29 | 5:41 | 4:00:00 |
The 9 splits add up to exactly 4:00:00. The final 2.195 km is paced at 5:41 per km. Halfway (21.0975 km) at 2:00:00.
Print at 100% (Actual size) with headers and footers off. The strip is 40 × 240 mm. Measure the 50 mm ruler before cutting; if it is not 50 mm, your printer rescaled the page. Tape it loosely around your wrist.
RACE PACE PLANNER
Marathon · 4:00:00
Even splits · Continuous
| km | Time |
|---|---|
| 5 | 0:28:26 |
| 10 | 0:56:53 |
| 15 | 1:25:19 |
| 20 | 1:53:45 |
| 25 | 2:22:12 |
| 30 | 2:50:38 |
| 35 | 3:19:05 |
| 40 | 3:47:31 |
| 42.195 | 4:00:00 |
Elapsed time includes stops. Targets, not predictions. racepaceplanner.com
Overlap and tape here
What this calculator does that popular ones skip
We checked the top 5 US and UK results for “race pace calculator” on 24 September 2026. Their split lists stop at the last whole mile or kilometre, or use 26.2 miles for the marathon, so they do not end at your goal time. None offered negative or positive splits for the same goal, a run/walk schedule, or a pace band you can check with a ruler.
Here, the last row is always the finish. For a 4:00:00 marathon split by mile, mile 26 is 3:58:00 and the final 0.2188 mi takes 2:00, which is the part most charts leave out.
How to calculate race pace by hand
- Convert the goal to seconds: 4:00:00 is 4 × 3600 = 14,400 s.
- Divide by the distance: 14,400 ÷ 42.195 km = 341.27 s per km, which is 5:41 per km.
- For miles, multiply the per-km pace by 1.609344: 341.27 × 1.609344 = 549.23 s, or 9:09 per mile.
- For speed, divide 3600 by the pace in seconds: 3600 ÷ 549.23 = 6.55 mph. A 7:30 mile pace is 3600 ÷ 450 = 8.00 mph.
Rounding matters when you are chasing a round number. At 9:09 per mile a marathon takes 549 × 26.2188 = 14,394 s (3:59:54); at 9:10 it takes 4:00:20. To finish under a goal, round the pace down, not to the nearest second.
Which pacing shape to choose
Even splits hold one pace. Negative splits start slower and finish faster; positive splits do the reverse. All three reach the same finish time; only the checkpoint times in between change. The negative splits guide compares them for a 3:30:00 marathon and explains the 2% weighting this site uses.
Limits
The calculator works from the goal you enter. It does not predict what you can run, and it does not account for hills, heat or wind. Courses are measured on the shortest possible route, so a GPS watch usually reads long; use the course markers to pace yourself. More on the method and its limits.
Sources
- World Athletics: marathon: 42.195 km (26 miles 385 yards).
- NIST: unit conversion factors: 1 international mile = 1.609344 km exactly.
- USATF: position on GPS used by runners: courses measured on the shortest possible route; GPS usually reads longer.
Last checked 24 September 2026.