10K pace chart
For a 50 minute 10K you need 5:00 min/km (12.0 km/h). Under 45 minutes needs 4:30 min/km, and under 40 minutes needs 4:00 min/km.
What pace does my goal time need?
| Goal time | Required pace | km/h | Halfway |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32:00 | 3:12 min/km | 18.8 | 16:00 |
| 34:00 | 3:24 min/km | 17.6 | 17:00 |
| 36:00 | 3:36 min/km | 16.7 | 18:00 |
| 38:00 | 3:48 min/km | 15.8 | 19:00 |
| 40:00 | 4:00 min/km | 15.0 | 20:00 |
| 42:00 | 4:12 min/km | 14.3 | 21:00 |
| 44:00 | 4:24 min/km | 13.6 | 22:00 |
| 46:00 | 4:36 min/km | 13.0 | 23:00 |
| 48:00 | 4:48 min/km | 12.5 | 24:00 |
| 50:00 | 5:00 min/km | 12.0 | 25:00 |
| 52:00 | 5:12 min/km | 11.5 | 26:00 |
| 54:00 | 5:24 min/km | 11.1 | 27:00 |
| 56:00 | 5:36 min/km | 10.7 | 28:00 |
| 58:00 | 5:48 min/km | 10.3 | 29:00 |
| 1:00:00 | 6:00 min/km | 10.0 | 30:00 |
| 1:02:00 | 6:12 min/km | 9.7 | 31:00 |
| 1:04:00 | 6:24 min/km | 9.4 | 32:00 |
| 1:06:00 | 6:36 min/km | 9.1 | 33:00 |
| 1:08:00 | 6:48 min/km | 8.8 | 34:00 |
| 1:10:00 | 7:00 min/km | 8.6 | 35:00 |
| 1:12:00 | 7:12 min/km | 8.3 | 36:00 |
| 1:14:00 | 7:24 min/km | 8.1 | 37:00 |
| 1:16:00 | 7:36 min/km | 7.9 | 38:00 |
| 1:18:00 | 7:48 min/km | 7.7 | 39:00 |
| 1:20:00 | 8:00 min/km | 7.5 | 40:00 |
| 1:22:00 | 8:12 min/km | 7.3 | 41:00 |
| 1:24:00 | 8:24 min/km | 7.1 | 42:00 |
| 1:26:00 | 8:36 min/km | 7.0 | 43:00 |
| 1:28:00 | 8:48 min/km | 6.8 | 44:00 |
| 1:30:00 | 9:00 min/km | 6.7 | 45:00 |
What finish time does my pace give?
| Pace | km/h | Finish time |
|---|---|---|
| 3:00 min/km | 20.0 | 30:00 |
| 3:05 min/km | 19.5 | 30:50 |
| 3:10 min/km | 18.9 | 31:40 |
| 3:15 min/km | 18.5 | 32:30 |
| 3:20 min/km | 18.0 | 33:20 |
| 3:25 min/km | 17.6 | 34:10 |
| 3:30 min/km | 17.1 | 35:00 |
| 3:35 min/km | 16.7 | 35:50 |
| 3:40 min/km | 16.4 | 36:40 |
| 3:45 min/km | 16.0 | 37:30 |
| 3:50 min/km | 15.7 | 38:20 |
| 3:55 min/km | 15.3 | 39:10 |
| 4:00 min/km | 15.0 | 40:00 |
| 4:05 min/km | 14.7 | 40:50 |
| 4:10 min/km | 14.4 | 41:40 |
| 4:15 min/km | 14.1 | 42:30 |
| 4:20 min/km | 13.8 | 43:20 |
| 4:25 min/km | 13.6 | 44:10 |
| 4:30 min/km | 13.3 | 45:00 |
| 4:35 min/km | 13.1 | 45:50 |
| 4:40 min/km | 12.9 | 46:40 |
| 4:45 min/km | 12.6 | 47:30 |
| 4:50 min/km | 12.4 | 48:20 |
| 4:55 min/km | 12.2 | 49:10 |
| 5:00 min/km | 12.0 | 50:00 |
| 5:05 min/km | 11.8 | 50:50 |
| 5:10 min/km | 11.6 | 51:40 |
| 5:15 min/km | 11.4 | 52:30 |
| 5:20 min/km | 11.2 | 53:20 |
| 5:25 min/km | 11.1 | 54:10 |
| 5:30 min/km | 10.9 | 55:00 |
| 5:35 min/km | 10.7 | 55:50 |
| 5:40 min/km | 10.6 | 56:40 |
| 5:45 min/km | 10.4 | 57:30 |
| 5:50 min/km | 10.3 | 58:20 |
| 5:55 min/km | 10.1 | 59:10 |
| 6:00 min/km | 10.0 | 1:00:00 |
| 6:05 min/km | 9.9 | 1:00:50 |
| 6:10 min/km | 9.7 | 1:01:40 |
| 6:15 min/km | 9.6 | 1:02:30 |
| 6:20 min/km | 9.5 | 1:03:20 |
| 6:25 min/km | 9.4 | 1:04:10 |
| 6:30 min/km | 9.2 | 1:05:00 |
| 6:35 min/km | 9.1 | 1:05:50 |
| 6:40 min/km | 9.0 | 1:06:40 |
| 6:45 min/km | 8.9 | 1:07:30 |
| 6:50 min/km | 8.8 | 1:08:20 |
| 6:55 min/km | 8.7 | 1:09:10 |
| 7:00 min/km | 8.6 | 1:10:00 |
| 7:05 min/km | 8.5 | 1:10:50 |
| 7:10 min/km | 8.4 | 1:11:40 |
| 7:15 min/km | 8.3 | 1:12:30 |
| 7:20 min/km | 8.2 | 1:13:20 |
| 7:25 min/km | 8.1 | 1:14:10 |
| 7:30 min/km | 8.0 | 1:15:00 |
Why 10K is the distance runners measure themselves on
Ten kilometres is short enough to race hard without spending a week recovering, and long enough to say something real about your endurance. It also has the most round numbers to aim at — 60, 55, 50, 45 and 40 minutes are all goals worth working through in turn.
The pace typically sits 15–25 seconds per kilometre faster than your marathon pace, and 15–20 seconds slower than your 5K pace.
How to spread the effort
10K is just long enough to punish a hard opening, but short enough that you cannot sit and wait either. Spend the first two kilometres settling into the pace, hold steady from 2 to 8, and press over the last two. If you reach 8 km feeling like you have plenty left, you started too conservatively — a far cheaper mistake than the other one.