5K Pace Chart

A 5K pace chart shows the running pace (minutes per mile or per km) you need to maintain to finish a 5K race in a specific time. For example, to finish in 25 minutes you need to run each kilometer in 5:00 and each mile in 8:03. This chart covers every finish time from 15 minutes to 60 minutes.

Enter your goal finish time in the calculator above to instantly see your required pace per mile and per km. Or scroll the full chart to find your target time row. Use the milestones (⭐) as benchmarks — sub-20 is elite, sub-25 is strong, sub-30 is solid, and sub-40 is a great beginner goal.

A great beginner goal is finishing a 5K in under 40 minutes, which requires a pace of roughly 12:52 per mile (7:60 per km). Most new runners complete their first 5K between 35–50 minutes. As you train, aim to work toward sub-30 minutes, which is the average for recreational runners.

To run a 5K in under 25 minutes, you need to maintain a pace of 8:03 per mile or 5:00 per km. This is a strong performance that puts you in the top 30–40% of recreational runners. Building up to this requires consistent training, interval workouts, and a solid aerobic base.

Your 5K pace doesn't directly translate to longer distances — you'll need to run slower as the distance increases. A common rule of thumb: your 10K pace is about 10–15 seconds per mile slower than your 5K pace. Use our running pace calculator or 10K pace chart to plan longer race goals.

The men's 5K world record is around 12:35 (set by Joshua Cheptegei in 2020), which requires a blazing pace of 4:03 per mile (2:31 per km). The women's record is around 14:05, averaging 4:32 per mile (2:49 per km). For context, the average recreational runner finishes in 28–35 minutes.