1 mile pace calculator
Convert a 1 mile finish time into pace per kilometre and per mile, with splits and what the same pace would give over other distances.
Enter a finish time
Result
These are estimates from population-level equations, not a measurement of you and not medical advice. Individual results vary widely. Talk to a doctor or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to how you eat or train.
The 1 mile
The mile is the classic middle-distance race, and the one distance where the imperial unit has outlived metrication in common use.
The constraint at this distance: a roughly even split between aerobic and anaerobic contribution, which is what makes it hard to train for. It rewards both endurance and speed and forgives neither weakness.
Even pacing produces the fastest times for most runners, though championship miles are often run as a slow first half and a fast finish. For a time trial, aim to run the four quarters within a couple of seconds of each other.
Distance: 1.6093 km (1,609 m).
1 mile pace chart
Finish time, pace per mile and speed for each pace per kilometre. Everything is computed in metres and seconds and converted once, so no rounding accumulates down the table.
| Pace / km | Finish time | Pace / mile | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | 4:50 | 4:50 | 20 km/h |
| 3:20 | 5:22 | 5:22 | 18 km/h |
| 3:40 | 5:54 | 5:54 | 16.4 km/h |
| 4:00 | 6:26 | 6:26 | 15 km/h |
| 4:30 | 7:15 | 7:15 | 13.3 km/h |
| 5:00 | 8:03 | 8:03 | 12 km/h |
| 5:30 | 8:51 | 8:51 | 10.9 km/h |
Split times
4:00 / km · 6:26
| Distance | Elapsed |
|---|---|
| 400 m | 1:36 |
| 800 m | 3:12 |
| 1.2 km | 4:48 |
| 1.6 km | 6:24 |
| 1.609 km→ | 6:26 |
Questions
- What pace do I need for a given 1 mile time?
- Divide the target time by the distance in kilometres. For the 1 mile, 4:00 per kilometre gives 6:26. The chart below covers the range most runners race in.
- How should I pace a 1 mile?
- Even pacing produces the fastest times for most runners, though championship miles are often run as a slow first half and a fast finish. For a time trial, aim to run the four quarters within a couple of seconds of each other.
- What limits performance over the 1 mile?
- A roughly even split between aerobic and anaerobic contribution, which is what makes it hard to train for. It rewards both endurance and speed and forgives neither weakness.
- Are the projections to other distances reliable?
- No, and the page says so. They assume the same pace holds over a different distance, which it does not — pace falls as distance rises. Riegel's formula applies a fatigue exponent and is the right tool for actual prediction.
- Why does the split table have a partial final segment?
- Because 1 mile is 1.6093 km, which is not a whole number of split intervals. The final partial segment is shown rather than dropped, since a table that ends before the finish line is wrong exactly where it matters.