A minute-per-kilometer pace and a minute-per-mile pace are different clocks on the same effort. The mile is longer, so the mile pace number is larger.
One mile = 1.609344 kilometers.
Min/mile = min/km × 1.609344.
Min/km = min/mile ÷ 1.609344.
Minutes per mile to minutes per kilometer chart
| min/km | min/mile |
|---|---|
| 4:00 | 6:26 |
| 4:30 | 7:15 |
| 5:00 | 8:03 |
| 5:30 | 8:51 |
| 6:00 | 9:39 |
| 6:30 | 10:28 |
| 7:00 | 11:16 |
| 8:00 | 12:52 |
| min/mile | min/km |
|---|---|
| 7:00 | 4:21 |
| 8:00 | 4:58 |
| 9:00 | 5:36 |
| 10:00 | 6:13 |
| 11:00 | 6:50 |
| 12:00 | 7:27 |
The first table starts from kilometers. The second starts from miles. 5:00/km is 8:03/mile. 8:00/mile is 4:58/km. Three seconds per kilometer is about two minutes across a marathon, so the rounded pair is the wrong input for a race plan.
Type the pace you have into the min/km to min/mile converter instead of rounding to the nearest minute.
Where people apply the wrong unit
A workout that says “8 × 400 m at 4:30 pace” is almost always 4:30 per kilometer if the coach works in metric, which is 1:48 per 400 m. Read as 4:30 per mile, that same line is an easy jog. The distance of the rep does not tell you the pace unit. The plan has to.
Race math has the same trap. A 10K is 6.214 miles. Multiplying a min/mile pace by 6, rather than 6.214, cuts more than a minute off a 10:00/mile 10K. The 10K pace calculator uses the full 10.000 km.
Speed is a third unit
Neither column above is km/h. 6:00/km is 10 km/h and 6.21 mph. If a treadmill or a friend quotes speed, convert with the running speed calculator first, then come back here if you still need the other pace unit.
For an arbitrary distance and time, start at the pace calculator. It reports both pace units from one finish time.