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Running Calculator

Running Calculator for Race Times and Training Paces

Created by Andrew Taylor. USATF Level 1 Coach. Coaching runners since 2010.

Whether you’re training for your first 5K or chasing a marathon PR, this calculator turns 1 recent race into a full set of numbers to train with. Enter the distance and your finishing time and you’ll see:

  • Predicted finish times for the marathon, half marathon, 15K, 10K and 5K
  • Pace per mile and per kilometer for every distance
  • Training paces for each zone in our plans, with the RPE for each one
  • A sample training week built around your zones
  • A split calculator for track and interval work
  • Tools for tuning your personal slowdown factor
  • Saved results for tracking progress over time

You can also enter a goal time instead of a recent race to see what that goal asks of you in training. Get started below, or read how it works first.

How the Running Calculator Works

Your race predictions come from the Riegel formula, a long-standing model of how pace slows as distance increases. That slowdown is different for every runner, so the calculator lets you adjust it. Road, Track and Trail each set a typical starting value. The Distance Slowdown Factor lets you set your own, and entering 2 recent races works out the factor that fits you.

Your training paces come from VDOT, the model coach Jack Daniels built from race performances, using the same zone anchors we use to build our pace-based training plans. Heat, altitude and climbing can be applied to both, and you can save any result to compare against later.

Training Paces That Match Our Plans

The calculator uses the same zone names and the same RPE scale as every Sunrise Running Company training plan, so the paces you see here line up with the sessions you’ll run. Use the pace as your target and the RPE as your check. On a hot day or a hilly route, trust the effort. For what each pace is for and how they fit together across a week, see our guide to training paces.

  • Recovery (RPE 2 to 3): very relaxed running the day after a hard session.
  • Easy (RPE 3 to 4): conversational running that builds your aerobic base.
  • Steady (RPE 5): a notch above easy, the effort behind steady state runs
  • Tempo (RPE 5 to 6): comfortably hard, the effort behind tempo runs.
  • Threshold (RPE 6 to 7): sustainable for about an hour if you had to.
  • Race Pace (RPE set by distance): your goal effort for the race you choose, from RPE 7 to 8 at the 5K to RPE 5 to 6 at the marathon.
  • VO2 Max (RPE 8 to 9): hard repeats for speed workouts, sustainable only over short intervals.

Strides are not paced. Run them fast and relaxed, with full recovery between each one.

Race Pace Predictions for Popular Distances

Enter a result at any of 16 race distances, from 1500 meters up to the marathon, and the calculator predicts your finish time and pace for the marathon, half marathon, 15K, 10K and 5K. Use them to set realistic goals and to see where your strengths lie. Your training background and consistency will shape how achievable each one is, and our guide on how to pace a race covers running the race once you have the number.

running calculator used to help with training and racing paces

Built for Training Plans, Goal Setting and Progress Tracking

The calculator is designed for:

  • New runners building up to longer races
  • Experienced runners adjusting a goal time
  • Coaches setting paces for the runners they work with
  • Runners who are tracking improvement across a season
  • Anyone who wants training paces matched to their current fitness

Save a result after each race and you can compare them over time, watch your paces move and recalibrate your predictions as your fitness changes.

running calculator used to help with training and racing paces

Brought to You by Sunrise Running Company

Sunrise Running Company is a coaching brand built for runners, and this calculator is one of the free tools we offer alongside:

Put Your Paces to Work in a Plan

Paces are most useful inside a week that tells you when to run each one. Scroll up to enter your race time, save your results and come back after your next race to see how far your numbers have moved.

When you’re ready to put them to work, every Sunrise Running Company training plan is built on these same zones, from the 5K through the marathon and beyond.

View Running Plans

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