Pace Converter (min/km ↔ min/mile)
Convert a running pace between minutes per kilometre and minutes per mile, with equivalent speed and projected race finish times.
Pace per mile
8:03
- Pace per km
- 5:00
- Pace per mile
- 8:03
- Speed
- 12.00 km/h
- Speed (mph)
- 7.46 mph
- Finish — 5K (5 km)
- 25:00
- Finish — 10K (10 km)
- 50:00
- Finish — Half marathon (21.0975 km)
- 1:45:29
- Finish — Marathon (42.195 km)
- 3:30:59
Conversion uses the exact NIST/ISO factor 1 mile = 1.609344 km. min/mile = min/km × 1.609344. Speed (km/h) = 3600 ÷ pace in seconds per km; speed (mph) = 3600 ÷ pace in seconds per mile. Finish times project the same pace held constant over standard race distances.
How to use this calculator
Enter your pace as minutes and seconds, then pick whether the pace is min per kilometre or min per mile. The primary result shows the same pace in the other unit. The breakdown gives both paces, equivalent speed in km/h and mph, and projected finish times for 5K, 10K, half marathon (21.0975 km) and marathon (42.195 km) at the same effort.
How the calculation works
A mile is exactly 1.609344 km (NIST Handbook 44 / ISO 31-1). Because pace is time per distance, a min/km pace converts to min/mile by multiplying by 1.609344 — a mile is longer than a kilometre, so it takes longer at the same speed. The reverse divides by 1.609344. Speed in km/h is 3600 seconds per hour divided by pace in seconds per kilometre. Speed in mph is 3600 divided by pace in seconds per mile.
Worked example
A 5:00/km pace converts to 5 × 1.609344 = 8.04672 min/mile, or about 8:03/mile. The same runner is moving at 3600 ÷ 300 = 12.00 km/h, which is 12.00 ÷ 1.609344 = 7.46 mph. Held constant, that pace finishes a 5K in 25:00, a 10K in 50:00, a half marathon (21.0975 km) in 1:45:29, and a marathon (42.195 km) in 3:30:59.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert min/km to min/mile?
Multiply your min/km pace by 1.609344. The result is your min/mile pace. So 5:00/km × 1.609344 = 8.04672 min/mile = 8:02.8, which rounds to about 8:03/mile. A 4:00/km pace is 4 × 1.609344 = 6.437376 min/mile, or about 6:26/mile. This is the exact NIST/ISO definition of the international mile (1 mile = 1609.344 metres exactly).
How do I convert min/mile to min/km?
Divide your min/mile pace by 1.609344. So 8:00/mile ÷ 1.609344 = 4.97096 min/km = 4:58.3, or about 4:58/km. A 7:00/mile pace works out to 7 ÷ 1.609344 = 4.350 min/km, or 4:21/km. The mile is the longer unit, so the same pace gives a smaller number per kilometre than per mile.
What is the exact conversion factor between miles and kilometres?
One international mile is exactly 1.609344 kilometres. This is the modern definition adopted in 1959 in the international yard and pound agreement, and is the value used by NIST Handbook 44 and ISO 31-1. The reverse — one kilometre = 0.621371 miles — is just 1 ÷ 1.609344. Older "statute" or "survey" miles differ by a few parts per million but are not used in running.
How fast is 5:00/km in mph?
A 5:00/km pace is 300 seconds per kilometre, so the speed is 3600 ÷ 300 = 12.00 km/h. Dividing by 1.609344 gives 7.456 mph. So 5:00/km ≈ 12.0 km/h ≈ 7.46 mph, which equals 8:03/mile. This is a popular benchmark — a 5:00/km finisher runs a 25:00 5K, a 50:00 10K, and a sub-3:31 marathon at even splits.
How are race finish times calculated?
Finish time = pace × distance, held constant. With pace in seconds per kilometre, a 5K (5 km) at 5:00/km takes 300 × 5 = 1500 seconds = 25:00. A 10K (10 km) is 50:00. A half marathon is 21.0975 km × 300 s = 6329.25 s ≈ 1:45:29. A full marathon is 42.195 km × 300 s = 12658.5 s ≈ 3:30:59. The half and full marathon distances are the World Athletics standard.
Why are world-record times faster per mile than per km?
They are not — they only look that way because a mile is longer than a kilometre. The men’s 1500 m world record is around 3:26 (≈ 2:17/km), and the mile world record is around 3:43 (≈ 3:43/mile). Per kilometre, the mile pace is 3:43 ÷ 1.609344 ≈ 2:18/km, almost identical. Per mile, the 1500 m pace converts to 2:17 × 1.609344 ≈ 3:42/mile. Different distances and different rounding — the underlying speeds are nearly the same.