Aiming for 50 minutes, the one-hour mark or a time under 40 minutes? With a 10K pace chart, you see it straight away: pace makes all the difference. The distance is short enough to get carried away, and long enough to pay for it from km 7.
This 10K pace chart brings together everything you need: an interactive calculator that works out your pace and split times, a full chart from 30 minutes to 1h15, six print-ready charts for the classic goal times, methods to estimate your realistic time from your 5K or your max aerobic speed (MAS), and sample 10K pace workouts.
🧭 What is a 10K pace chart for?
Pace, speed and split times: the three benchmarks
Your pace is the time it takes to run one kilometer (in min/km). Speed (in km/h) is the equivalent, more telling on a treadmill or a bike. Split times tell you when you should reach each marker to hit your goal. A pace of 5:00 min/km equals 12 km/h and a 10K in 50 minutes.
A 10K is managed differently from a half marathon or a marathon
Over 10K, the effort is intense from start to finish and the margin for error is small. Going too fast over the first 3 kilometers costs you dearly, but a pace that is too cautious leaves minutes on the table. The chart gives you a precise heading, marker after marker.
10K pace calculator for your goal time
Drag the slider to choose your finish time, from 30 minutes to 1h15.
Average pace: 5:00 /km
Split times
10K pace chart (from 30 minutes to 1h15)
Here you will find the pace in min/km and the speed in km/h for each finish time, minute by minute up to 1h00, then in 5-minute steps.
| 10K time | Pace (min/km) | Speed (km/h) |
|---|---|---|
| 30 min | 3:00 | 20.0 |
| 31 min | 3:06 | 19.4 |
| 32 min | 3:12 | 18.8 |
| 33 min | 3:18 | 18.2 |
| 34 min | 3:24 | 17.6 |
| 35 min | 3:30 | 17.1 |
| 36 min | 3:36 | 16.7 |
| 37 min | 3:42 | 16.2 |
| 38 min | 3:48 | 15.8 |
| 39 min | 3:54 | 15.4 |
| 40 min | 4:00 | 15.0 |
| 41 min | 4:06 | 14.6 |
| 42 min | 4:12 | 14.3 |
| 43 min | 4:18 | 14.0 |
| 44 min | 4:24 | 13.6 |
| 45 min | 4:30 | 13.3 |
| 46 min | 4:36 | 13.0 |
| 47 min | 4:42 | 12.8 |
| 48 min | 4:48 | 12.5 |
| 49 min | 4:54 | 12.2 |
| 50 min | 5:00 | 12.0 |
| 51 min | 5:06 | 11.8 |
| 52 min | 5:12 | 11.5 |
| 53 min | 5:18 | 11.3 |
| 54 min | 5:24 | 11.1 |
| 55 min | 5:30 | 10.9 |
| 56 min | 5:36 | 10.7 |
| 57 min | 5:42 | 10.5 |
| 58 min | 5:48 | 10.3 |
| 59 min | 5:54 | 10.2 |
| 1h00 | 6:00 | 10.0 |
| 1h05 | 6:30 | 9.2 |
| 1h10 | 7:00 | 8.6 |
| 1h15 | 7:30 | 8.0 |
📊 Split time charts for 6 classic goal times
Here are the detailed split times for the most common goals: 40, 45, 50 and 55 minutes, 1h00 and 1h10. Print them or snap a photo for race day.
🎯 10K goal: 40 min (pace 4:00/km, speed 15.0 km/h)
| Distance | Split time |
|---|---|
| 2 km | 8:00 |
| 4 km | 16:00 |
| 5 km | 20:00 |
| 6 km | 24:00 |
| 8 km | 32:00 |
| 10 km (finish) | 40:00 |
🎯 10K goal: 45 min (pace 4:30/km, speed 13.3 km/h)
| Distance | Split time |
|---|---|
| 2 km | 9:00 |
| 4 km | 18:00 |
| 5 km | 22:30 |
| 6 km | 27:00 |
| 8 km | 36:00 |
| 10 km (finish) | 45:00 |
🎯 10K goal: 50 min (pace 5:00/km, speed 12.0 km/h)
| Distance | Split time |
|---|---|
| 2 km | 10:00 |
| 4 km | 20:00 |
| 5 km | 25:00 |
| 6 km | 30:00 |
| 8 km | 40:00 |
| 10 km (finish) | 50:00 |
🎯 10K goal: 55 min (pace 5:30/km, speed 10.9 km/h)
| Distance | Split time |
|---|---|
| 2 km | 11:00 |
| 4 km | 22:00 |
| 5 km | 27:30 |
| 6 km | 33:00 |
| 8 km | 44:00 |
| 10 km (finish) | 55:00 |
🎯 10K goal: 1h00 (pace 6:00/km, speed 10.0 km/h)
| Distance | Split time |
|---|---|
| 2 km | 12:00 |
| 4 km | 24:00 |
| 5 km | 30:00 |
| 6 km | 36:00 |
| 8 km | 48:00 |
| 10 km (finish) | 1:00:00 |
🎯 10K goal: 1h10 (pace 7:00/km, speed 8.6 km/h)
| Distance | Split time |
|---|---|
| 2 km | 14:00 |
| 4 km | 28:00 |
| 5 km | 35:00 |
| 6 km | 42:00 |
| 8 km | 56:00 |
| 10 km (finish) | 1:10:00 |
To aim for a different time, use the calculator or the full chart above.
🎯 What goal should you aim for? Estimating your 10K time
A realistic goal beats an ambitious one that collapses at km 7. Two simple methods help you place your level.
From your 5K time
A 10K is generally run in a little more than double your 5K time. Multiply your time by 2.1 for a common estimate. The coefficient drops toward 2.05 if you have a lot of endurance and rises toward 2.15 if longer distances are less familiar to you. It is an estimate, to be confirmed with a 10K test or a workout at your target pace.
| 5K time | Very enduring (×2.05) | Common estimate (×2.1) | Less enduring (×2.15) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20:00 | 41:00 | 42:00 | 43:00 |
| 22:30 | 46:07 | 47:15 | 48:22 |
| 25:00 | 51:15 | 52:30 | 53:45 |
| 27:30 | 56:22 | 57:45 | 59:08 |
| 30:00 | 1:01:30 | 1:03:00 | 1:04:30 |
| 35:00 | 1:11:45 | 1:13:30 | 1:15:15 |
From your max aerobic speed (MAS)
Over 10K, a trained runner can generally hold between 90 and 95% of their MAS (max aerobic speed, also called vVO2max). This chart converts your MAS into a pace and a finish time.
| Your MAS | At 90% of MAS | At 95% of MAS |
|---|---|---|
| 12 km/h | 5:33 /km (55:33) | 5:16 /km (52:38) |
| 14 km/h | 4:46 /km (47:37) | 4:31 /km (45:07) |
| 15 km/h | 4:27 /km (44:27) | 4:13 /km (42:06) |
| 16 km/h | 4:10 /km (41:40) | 3:57 /km (39:28) |
| 17 km/h | 3:55 /km (39:13) | 3:43 /km (37:09) |
| 18 km/h | 3:42 /km (37:02) | 3:31 /km (35:05) |
To compare with other distances, check out our race pace chart and split times, the half marathon pace chart or the marathon pace chart.
🏃 10K pace workouts: training at your target rhythm
Knowing your pace is not enough: you need to have it in your legs. These three sample workouts help you get used to your target rhythm. Refer to the chart for the time to hit on each repetition.
5 × 1,000 m at 10K pace
After a 15-minute warm-up, string together 5 repetitions of 1,000 m at your target pace, with 1 minute 30 seconds of easy jogging recovery between each. For a 50-minute goal, each kilometer is run in 5:00.
3 × 2,000 m at 10K pace
Same principle with longer repetitions and 2 minutes of recovery. This workout teaches you to hold the pace as fatigue sets in, like over the last kilometers of the race.
2 × 10 minutes at 10K pace
Two continuous blocks at your target pace, separated by 3 minutes of recovery. Ideal for runners discovering specific work: the effort stays under control and the rhythm becomes a feeling.
These workouts are examples: adapt the volume to your level and your fatigue, and ask a coach for advice if in doubt.
⌚ Managing your pace on race day
The first kilometer: the danger zone
On the start line, the crowd and the atmosphere carry you along. Resist: the first two kilometers should feel almost too easy. Better to lose a few seconds at the start than to fall apart from km 7.
Build in a safety margin
A course is never run in a straight line: racing lines, corners and overtaking add a few dozen meters. Your watch may read 10.1 or 10.2 km at the finish. Running 1 or 2 seconds per kilometer faster than the theoretical pace makes up for this extra distance.
The negative split: running the second half faster
Reaching km 5 with a few seconds in hand, then speeding up from km 7 if your legs respond, remains the safest strategy. If you are already at your limit at halfway, slow down on purpose: you will finish faster than by hanging on.
Which metric should you follow on your watch?
Current pace varies with the GPS signal, especially in town. Rely instead on your pace per kilometer and above all on the clock at the markers, compared with your chart.
💡 Write your split times at 2, 5 and 8 km on a small piece of paper tucked into your belt, or on your forearm with a marker. A few glances are enough.
🖼️ And after the race?
After a 10K, everything moves fast: the medal ends up in a drawer, the bib at the bottom of a bag. The Post Trace turns your GPS trace, your exact route and your finish time into a custom printed poster: bib number, name, finish time, everything is personalized. A concrete keepsake that tells the story of your race, not someone else’s.
Create my custom poster See the running posters
10K pace FAQ
What pace do you need to run a 10K in 1 hour?
To run 10K in one hour, you need to hold 6:00 min/km, or 10 km/h. You then reach 5 km in 30:00. It is the goal of many runners preparing their first 10K.
What pace for a 50-minute 10K?
A 50-minute 10K takes 5:00 min/km, or 12 km/h. Your split at 5 km should be 25:00 and at 8 km 40:00. It is a regular runner’s time, maintained with two or three runs a week.
What pace for a 45-minute 10K?
Running 10K in 45 minutes means 4:30 min/km, or 13.3 km/h. You reach 5 km in 22:30. This level generally calls for specific speed work on top of endurance runs.
What is a good 10K time?
It all depends on your level, your age and the course. Going under the hour is a very common first benchmark, 50 minutes marks a regular runner, and getting under 40 minutes is an experienced level. The best goal is the one that is realistic given your recent performances.
What max aerobic speed (MAS) do you need to run a 10K in 1 hour?
A 10K is generally run between 90 and 95% of MAS. To hold 10 km/h (10K in 1h), you therefore need a MAS of about 10.5 to 11.1 km/h. These percentages are benchmarks: they vary with your experience and your training.
How do you calculate your 10K pace?
Divide your goal time in seconds by 10. For 52 minutes (3,120 seconds): 3,120 ÷ 10 = 312 seconds, or 5:12 per kilometer. The calculator on this page does the math for you and shows your split times.
What is the pace difference between a 10K and a half marathon?
Half marathon pace is a little slower than 10K pace, because the effort lasts twice as long. You can estimate your half marathon time from your 10K time, with our half marathon pace chart.
More guides to read
• Half marathon pace chart: calculator and split times
• Marathon pace chart: pace and split times
• Race pace chart and split times
• How long does it take to prepare for a marathon?
