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Half Marathon Pace Calculator

Enter your goal half marathon finish time and get your required pace, per-km or per-mile splits, and 5km check-in times. Supports metric (min/km) and imperial (min/mile).

Half Marathon Pace & Split Calculator

Goal time → pace → splits → pace band

Splits in
—
Required Pace

Use these splits to program your GPS watch or create a wrist pace band. Even splits throughout the race maximise performance — start conservatively and increase effort in the final 5km.

Half Marathon Pace Reference Table

Goal TimePace (min/km)Pace (min/mile)Speed (km/h)
1:30:004:166:5214.1
1:45:004:587:5912.1
2:00:005:419:0910.6
2:15:006:2410:189.4
2:30:007:0611:268.5
3:00:008:3213:447.0

Pacing Strategy for Race Day

The most common half marathon mistake is running the first 5km too fast because adrenaline and crowd energy push you beyond goal pace. A reliable pacing approach: run the first 5km exactly 10 seconds per km slower than goal pace (a conservative opener), settle into goal pace from km 5–17, then race the final 4km by feel. If you executed the first two-thirds correctly, you'll have energy reserves to push the finish. Running the second half faster than the first (negative split) is the sign of a well-paced race and typically results in a better finish time than running even splits.

Frequently Asked Questions

For a 2:00:00 half marathon, you need 5:41/km (9:09/min per mile). Your check-in times should be: 5km at 28:25, 10km at 56:50, 15km at 1:25:15. This is a popular milestone for recreational runners and requires the ability to comfortably run 10km in under 55 minutes and having done at least 2–3 long training runs of 16–18 km.
For a first half marathon, forget about time targets and focus on finishing comfortably. A conservative strategy: start at a pace that feels very easy for the first 5km (even slower than your long training run pace), maintain that effort through km 5–15, then reassess. If you feel good at 15km, gradually increase effort. This approach prevents the most common first-half-marathon mistake of blowing up between km 12–16 from going out too fast.
A 2:15 half marathon (6:24/km, 10:18/mile) is a solid recreational achievement that places you in the middle of the finishing field at most community half marathons. Completing 21.1km at any pace is an accomplishment. The benchmark most recreational runners target: sub-2:00 (top ~50% of finishers). Sub-1:45 puts you in roughly the top 30%. Times below these require consistent training over 12+ months.
Most half marathon training plans include a longest training run of 18–20 km (11–12.5 miles) completed 1–3 weeks before race day, with a taper following. Running 18+ km in training gives you confidence you can finish 21.1 km on race day and prepares your legs for the glycogen demands of the distance. Running longer than 21 km in training before a half marathon is unnecessary and increases injury risk — save the full distance effort for race day.
Print or write the split times from this calculator on a piece of tape and wear it on your wrist. At each km marker, check your elapsed time against the target. If you're ahead of schedule, slow down slightly. If behind, don't panic — small variations are normal. Most GPS watches allow custom pace alerts. Programme your target pace as an alert zone (+/- 10 seconds per km) so the watch vibrates if you go too fast or too slow.

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