Training Pace Calculator
Get your easy, tempo, and long run paces per mile from a recent 5K time, with a note on what each pace is for.
| Run type | Pace per mile | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 11:09 | Conversational — most of your weekly miles |
| Tempo | 10:09 | Comfortably hard, sustained effort |
| Long run | 11:24 | Distance over speed |
These are rules of thumb, not exact targets. Being able to talk in full sentences matters more than hitting a specific number, especially in heat or on hilly routes where any pace will feel harder.
How it works
Enter a recent 5K time and this tool works out your pace per mile for that race, then applies simple, well-tested offsets to get your easy, tempo, and long run paces. Easy pace adds 90 seconds per mile to your 5K pace, tempo adds 30 seconds, and long run pace adds 105 seconds. These offsets come from the same rule-of-thumb training paces coaches have used for decades: easy runs should feel noticeably slower and more relaxed than race pace, tempo runs should feel comfortably hard, and long runs prioritize time on your feet over speed.
Worked example: a 30:00 5K works out to roughly a 9:39 pace per mile. Add the offsets and your easy pace lands around 11:09 per mile, your tempo pace around 10:09, and your long run pace around 11:24. Notice that easy and long run pace are close together. Both should feel manageable and conversational; the long run is just about running for longer at that same relaxed effort, not pushing harder.
FAQ
Why is my easy pace so much slower than my race pace?
That's the point. Running most of your miles slow and easy lets you recover between harder efforts and build aerobic fitness without breaking down. Beginners often run easy days too fast, which leaves them tired for the workouts that actually need effort.
What if I don't have a recent 5K time?
A time trial works: run 5K as close to all-out as you comfortably can and use that result. If that feels like too much right now, a recent 1-mile time trial multiplied out to a rough 5K pace will get you in the ballpark until you have a real result.
Should I run at exactly these paces every time?
Treat the numbers as a range, not a target you have to hit to the second. Heat, hills, sleep, and stress all shift what a given effort level feels like on a watch. If your easy pace feels hard on a given day, slow down rather than forcing the number.
How often should each type of run show up in a week?
Most beginner plans lean heavily on easy running, with one tempo effort and one long run per week once you're running consistently. If you're just starting out, easy runs and run-walk intervals should make up almost all of your week.
For more on pacing and building your weekly mileage, see how to find your easy conversational pace, why running slow is the fastest way to improve, and how to build running endurance as a beginner.