1 Mile Pace Chart
A one-mile pace chart mapping finish times from 3:45 to 12:00 to the pace you need per km and per mile, with the 4:00, 5:00, 6:00 and 7:00 benchmarks highlighted.
| Finish time | Pace / km | Pace / mile | Speed (kph) | Speed (mph) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:45 | 2:20 | 3:45 | 25.7 | 16.0 |
| 4:00 | 2:29 | 4:00 | 24.1 | 15.0 |
| 4:15 | 2:38 | 4:15 | 22.7 | 14.1 |
| 4:30 | 2:48 | 4:30 | 21.5 | 13.3 |
| 4:45 | 2:57 | 4:45 | 20.3 | 12.6 |
| 5:00 | 3:06 | 5:00 | 19.3 | 12.0 |
| 5:15 | 3:16 | 5:15 | 18.4 | 11.4 |
| 5:30 | 3:25 | 5:30 | 17.6 | 10.9 |
| 5:45 | 3:34 | 5:45 | 16.8 | 10.4 |
| 6:00 | 3:44 | 6:00 | 16.1 | 10.0 |
| 6:15 | 3:53 | 6:15 | 15.4 | 9.6 |
| 6:30 | 4:02 | 6:30 | 14.9 | 9.2 |
| 6:45 | 4:12 | 6:45 | 14.3 | 8.9 |
| 7:00 | 4:21 | 7:00 | 13.8 | 8.6 |
| 7:15 | 4:30 | 7:15 | 13.3 | 8.3 |
| 7:30 | 4:40 | 7:30 | 12.9 | 8.0 |
| 7:45 | 4:49 | 7:45 | 12.5 | 7.7 |
| 8:00 | 4:58 | 8:00 | 12.1 | 7.5 |
| 8:15 | 5:08 | 8:15 | 11.7 | 7.3 |
| 8:30 | 5:17 | 8:30 | 11.4 | 7.1 |
| 8:45 | 5:26 | 8:45 | 11.0 | 6.9 |
| 9:00 | 5:36 | 9:00 | 10.7 | 6.7 |
| 9:15 | 5:45 | 9:15 | 10.4 | 6.5 |
| 9:30 | 5:54 | 9:30 | 10.2 | 6.3 |
| 9:45 | 6:04 | 9:45 | 9.9 | 6.2 |
| 10:00 | 6:13 | 10:00 | 9.7 | 6.0 |
| 10:15 | 6:22 | 10:15 | 9.4 | 5.9 |
| 10:30 | 6:31 | 10:30 | 9.2 | 5.7 |
| 10:45 | 6:41 | 10:45 | 9.0 | 5.6 |
| 11:00 | 6:50 | 11:00 | 8.8 | 5.5 |
| 11:15 | 6:59 | 11:15 | 8.6 | 5.3 |
| 11:30 | 7:09 | 11:30 | 8.4 | 5.2 |
| 11:45 | 7:18 | 11:45 | 8.2 | 5.1 |
| 12:00 | 7:27 | 12:00 | 8.0 | 5.0 |
This one-mile pace chart maps finish times from 3:45 up to 12:00 to the pace required over exactly one mile, shown per kilometre and per mile with the matching treadmill speed. The 4:00, 5:00, 6:00 and 7:00 rows are highlighted as the benchmarks most runners measure a mile time trial against, with 4:00 marking the historic sub-four-minute barrier.
Reading the chart
Because the distance is exactly one mile, the pace-per-mile column and the finish time are the same number, so a 6:00 mile is simply 6:00 min/mile, about 3:44 min/km. That makes the mile a clean, easy-to-track fitness test: run it flat out every few weeks and the finish time on your watch is already the pace you would need to hold over any longer distance. See how to calculate running pace for the general formula behind every chart on this site.
Why the mile is a useful test
Roger Bannister's 3:59.4 at Iffley Road on 6 May 1954 made the four-minute mile the most recognisable barrier in running, and it still anchors how the distance is talked about today. For recreational runners, a flat one-mile time trial is a simple, repeatable way to track fitness over a training block, since it takes only a few minutes and needs no special course. Because pace and finish time line up exactly, there is nothing to convert: the number on the clock at the finish is the number you use to plan the next attempt.
Compare and predict
To see how a mile time trial translates to a longer race, feed it into the race time predictor, which uses Riegel's formula to estimate a 5K or 10K time. Compare the pace here with the 5K pace chart, and use the pace calculator to convert any figure between units.
Frequently asked questions
What is the historic benchmark for the mile?
Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four-minute mile, 3:59.4, at Iffley Road in Oxford on 6 May 1954. It remains the most famous benchmark in the sport, and the 4:00 row on this chart marks it.
What pace is a 7-minute mile?
For the one-mile distance, the per-mile pace is simply the finish time: a 7:00 mile is 7:00 min/mile exactly, about 4:21 min/km.
How is this chart calculated?
The distance is exactly one mile (1.609344 km), so the finish time and the per-mile pace are the same number. The per-km column applies that same 1.609344 conversion factor.