Running Pace Chart for All Levels
Photos by Marques Jackson Photography.
By Marnie Kunz
If you’re looking for a running pace chart for any level, we’ve got you covered. Whether you’re training for a 5K, 10K, half marathon, or marathon, you can find your pace on our charts. This running pace chart includes all the standard race distances — from 1 mile to the marathon, 26.2 miles. On the pace chart, the fastest pace is a 5:00-minute-mile pace, and the slowest is a 14:45-minute-mile pace.
What Is a Running Pace Chart?
A running pace chart helps you calculate your pace at different segments of a race or long run. For instance, if your goal is to run a marathon in under 4 hours, a pace chart will show you what mile pace you need to run and what time to aim for at each 5K mark in the race.
The Runstreet running pace chart is excellent for speed workouts and race training. For speed workouts, for instance, if you are doing a tempo run at your goal 10K race pace, you can look at the chart, find your 10K time, and then see your mile splits for each mile of your tempo run. Conversely, if you know your goal mile pace but not your goal race pace, you can also look up your race distance and see your final time based on your mile pace.
A 9-minute-mile goal pace, for example, would give you 27:58 for your 5K time, 45:00 minutes for your 5-mile time, a 55:56 10K time, a 1:57:59 half marathon, or a 3:55:58 marathon time. Remember that pace charts assume you maintain a steady pace throughout your race.
How To Use a Running Pace Chart
To use the chart, you can look up your goal race time and then see what time you need to get at the different distances of your race to stay on pace. For instance, if your goal marathon time is to run in less than four hours, you must run a little under a 9:15-mile pace.
You can also calculate your goal race time by looking at the first time on the chart for the mile. If you know you want to run a 5K at an 8:00-minute mile pace, for instance, then your goal race time will be 24:51, according to the running pace chart.
Speed Workout Pacing
The running pace chart is also helpful for race training. Speed workouts may call for training at your mile pace, 5K pace, or 10K pace, for instance.
You can calculate your goal pace for speed workouts, such as tempo runs, by finding your 10K race pace on the chart. If you’re training for shorter races, you may need to know your mile pace, 2-mile pace, or 5K pace, which you can also see on the chart.
Running Pace Guidelines
When using the running pace charts, keep in mind that the times listed are based on maintaining a steady pace. You may fluctuate your speed in races and training depending on hills, other runners, weather, and more. But pace charts give you a goal to aim for, so you have an average mile time to set goals and keep you on track during your race.
Pace charts are especially helpful in calculating what times you need to be hitting in your speed workouts to reach the finish line in your goal time.
Sample Speed Workout with Pace Goals
Here is a sample speed workout that uses the pace chart:
Warm up: 10 minutes of relaxed pace running. Do dynamic stretches.
Interval: Run 400 meters at your 1-mile race pace.
Recovery: Jog 400 meters.
Interval: Run 800 meters at your goal 5K pace.
Recovery: Jog 800 meters.
Interval: Run 800 meters at your goal 5K pace.
Recovery: Jog 800 meters.
Interval: Run 400 meters at your goal mile pace.
Recovery: Jog 400 meters.
Cool down: 10 minutes of relaxed pace running. Stretch.
This interval speed workout is ideal for beginners and anyone training for a 5K race. The pace chart can help you calculate your goal interval times based on your race pace for the mile and 5K events.
For more speed workouts for all race distances, check out our 10 Best Speed Workouts for Runners.
Race Pacing Tips
Knowing your goal pace and target times for the mile markers is so helpful when running a race. By finding your goal time on the running pace chart, you can also look up your goal times for the different points during the race. If you are running a half marathon, for instance, it will be helpful to know your time when you pass the 5K and 10K marks.
To remember your critical goal times for running the race, you can write them down someplace visible — many runners write their goal pace times on their hands. You can also put the numbers on a little card to refer to during the race or on your phone in an easy-to-access spot.
For most races, the most essential time marks are the midway point and the end of the race. So even if you can only remember two times, choose these two to gauge how you’re doing at the midpoint and end of the race.
The pace chart can help you step up your running pace and see when you are going too slow in a race, but it can also help you slow down. Many runners get caught up in the excitement and nervousness of racing and start out too fast, then crash and burn later in the race. Whether you’re training for a 5K race or a marathon, remember that a steady pace is vital to accomplishing your goal time, so don’t go out too fast at the beginning of the race.
I hope these running pace charts help you in your training and your next race. If you need a customized running training plan to crush your next race, head to the Runstreet Training Center. Happy running to you!👟👊
Related Posts: 10 Tips to Run Your Fastest 5K, How To Do Yasso 800s, 5 Running Workouts to Get Faster, How To Do a Tempo Run
Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach based in Brooklyn, a dog lover and Akita mom, and the founder of Runstreet.
