Running pace: distinguish elapsed time, moving time and 6:30 notation
Read minutes and seconds correctly, include stops consistently, and convert pace without mixing time formats.
Method
Pace is time per unit of distance; speed is distance per unit of time. A smaller minutes-per-kilometre pace corresponds to a higher speed when both use the same timing basis. In pace notation, 6:30 means six minutes and thirty seconds. It equals 6 + 30/60 = 6.5 minutes, not 6.30 decimal minutes, which would mean six minutes and eighteen seconds.
Elapsed time covers the full interval from start to finish, including stops. Moving time excludes the periods classified as stationary; watches and apps can use different detection or pause rules. This calculator uses the duration you enter and does not detect stops. For an elapsed average, enter the full elapsed duration. If separately checking a moving average, label that result and use the moving duration consistently.
- Read minutes and seconds6:30 → 6 + 30/60 = 6.5 min/km
- Find the 5 km duration6.5 min/km × 5 km = 32.5 min = 32 min 30 s
- Convert to minutes per mile6.5 × 1.609344 = 10.460736 min/mi ≈ 10:28 min/mi
Read minutes and seconds correctly, include stops consistently, and convert pace without mixing time formats.
Worked example
Suppose a 5 km outing lasts 30 minutes including a 3-minute stop. Elapsed pace is 30/5 = 6 minutes per kilometre, shown as 6:00/km, and speed is 10 km/h. Excluding the stop leaves 27 minutes of moving time: pace becomes 5.4 minutes, or 5:24/km, and speed approximately 11.111 km/h. Both describe the same outing; the difference in timing does not establish a performance improvement.
In Running pace and pace converter, select kilometres, distance 5, hours 0, minutes 30 and seconds 0. Repeat with minutes 27 to check the separately labelled moving calculation. To verify 6:30/km over 5 km, use 32 minutes and 30 seconds. For minutes per mile, multiply decimal minutes per kilometre by 1.609344 before formatting: 6.5 becomes 10.460736 minutes per mile, approximately 10:28/mi.
6:30 min/km = (6 + 30 ÷ 60) min/km = 6.5 min/km
30 min ÷ 5 km = 6 min/km; 5 km ÷ 0.5 h = 10 km/h
27 min ÷ 5 km = 5.4 min/km = 5:24 min/km
6.5 min/km × 5 km = 32.5 min = 32 min 30 s
6.5 min/km × 1.609344 km/mi = 10.460736 min/mi ≈ 10:28 min/mi
- Full elapsed time: 30 minutes
- 6 min/km6:00 min/km
- Moving time: 27 minutes
- 5.4 min/km5:24 min/km
The same 5 km outing lasts 30 minutes including a 3-minute stop. Bars show decimal minutes per kilometre: 6.0 means 6:00 and 5.4 means 5:24.
Checks and limits
Compare averages only when distance units, measured route and timing definitions match. GPS errors or inconsistent pauses can change either input. This simple distance-and-time calculation does not adjust for hills, wind, surface or effort, and it does not provide a training target or health assessment. Swimming pace uses a different distance basis, commonly per 100 metres. Keep full precision during conversions and round only the displayed pace.
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Source: Strava Help Center