How Fast Can I Run a 5K Based on My Mile Time?
An 8:00 mile predicts a 5K near 26:56. Enter your own mile time.
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How fast can I run a 5K based on my mile time? An 8:00 mile predicts a 5K of about 26:56 by the Daniels and Gilbert equations, which is 8:40 per mile or 5:23 per km, and 26:36 by Riegel’s formula. The predictor below is set to an 8:00 mile; enter your own time to see both estimates, plus the 10K and longer distances.
Treat the 5K figure as a ceiling. A mile shows speed; a 5K also asks for the endurance to hold that speed for three times as long, so beginners often finish slower than the prediction. Everything is calculated in your browser, so nothing you type is uploaded, and the tool is free with no account or sign-up.
Want this on your phone? Get the RunPacePlan app for Android; the iPhone version is coming soon.
How to use the predictor
- Recent race is set to Mile. Change it if your best recent result is another distance.
- Enter your Finish time as mm:ss, for example 8:00.
- Leave the Riegel exponent at 1.06 unless you have a reason to change it.
- Choose miles or km with the Units switch.
- Read the 5K line in the table of times and paces. Riegel and Daniels–Gilbert sit side by side, each with a pace per mile or km.
- Use Copy link to keep the result. Run the mile as a time trial on a flat track or road, after a warm-up, so the number is honest.
A mile from a race is best. If you only have a watch time from a training run, use the fastest mile you ran evenly, not a mile inside a longer run. The prediction is only as good as the effort behind it: a half-hearted mile gives a 5K estimate that is too slow. The same page also shows the 10K, half marathon and marathon, so you can see how a short race translates to longer ones. The table scrolls sideways inside its box on a small screen.
The calculation runs in your browser and nothing you type is uploaded. Prefer your phone? There is a RunPacePlan app for Android, with the iPhone version coming soon.
How fast can I run a 5K based on my mile time?
The two formulas turn the mile into a 5K estimate, and the 5K pace is always slower than the mile pace. An 8:00 mile gives a 5K of 26:56 (Daniels–Gilbert) or 26:36 (Riegel), about 8:40 per mile. The table gives the prediction for other mile times.
| Mile time | 5K (Daniels–Gilbert) | 5K pace per mile | 5K pace per km | 5K (Riegel) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5:00 | 17:12 | 5:32 | 3:26 | 16:38 |
| 5:30 | 18:51 | 6:04 | 3:46 | 18:17 |
| 6:00 | 20:29 | 6:36 | 4:06 | 19:57 |
| 6:30 | 22:07 | 7:07 | 4:25 | 21:37 |
| 7:00 | 23:44 | 7:38 | 4:45 | 23:17 |
| 7:30 | 25:20 | 8:09 | 5:04 | 24:56 |
| 8:00 | 26:56 | 8:40 | 5:23 | 26:36 |
| 8:30 | 28:32 | 9:11 | 5:42 | 28:16 |
| 9:00 | 30:08 | 9:42 | 6:02 | 29:56 |
| 9:30 | 31:43 | 10:13 | 6:21 | 31:36 |
| 10:00 | 33:19 | 10:43 | 6:40 | 33:15 |
| 10:30 | 34:54 | 11:14 | 6:59 | 34:55 |
| 11:00 | 36:30 | 11:45 | 7:18 | 36:35 |
| 11:30 | 38:06 | 12:16 | 7:37 | 38:15 |
| 12:00 | 39:41 | 12:46 | 7:56 | 39:54 |
What mile time do I need for a 25 minute 5K?
By the Daniels and Gilbert estimate, a 25:00 5K matches a mile of roughly 7:24. If your mile is 8:00 your predicted 5K is 26:56, so closing the gap takes both speed work and 5K-specific endurance. Use the race time predictor to check other pairs.
Why is my 5K slower than my mile predicts?
Because a mile can be run on speed alone, while a 5K needs weekly mileage and the habit of holding pace. Pacing, heat, hills and a hard first kilometre all cost time. If your real 5K is a minute or two slower than the table, that gap is endurance, and a plan with a weekly long run narrows it; see the 5K training plan.
How accurate is a 5K prediction from a mile?
Roughly right for a runner who trains for 5K, optimistic for one who does not. Riegel was fitted to records from about 1,500 m up, so a mile sits at the edge of its range. The two formulas here usually agree within a minute. Check the prediction against a 3K or a recent 5K effort.
What pace should I run the first kilometre of the 5K?
Start at or slightly slower than the predicted 5K pace, not at mile pace. For an 8:00 mile the 5K pace is about 5:23 per km, while the mile pace is 4:58 per km. Running the first kilometre at mile pace is the usual way to lose the race in the last one.
Who is a mile prediction for?
It suits a runner who has timed a mile but not raced a 5K, such as a school or track runner moving to road races, or a runner testing fitness at the start of a plan.
What mistakes do people make with the prediction?
Using a mile run at the end of a long session, running the mile too fast to be even, and expecting the 5K to hold the mile’s speed. The 5K pace is always slower than mile pace.
How does a mile prediction compare with a longer test?
A 3K or 5K effort is a better basis for 10K and longer predictions, because it contains some endurance. For a 5K, the mile is a fine first estimate; confirm it with a hard 3K.
How this tool works and where the numbers come from
A 5K time is predicted two ways: Riegel’s formula T2 = T1 x (D2 / D1)^1.06, and a Race Fitness Score built from the Daniels and Gilbert oxygen-cost equations. Both assume you have trained for 5K; a mile is mostly speed.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
How fast can I run a 5K based on my mile time?
An 8:00 mile predicts about 26:56 for a 5K (8:40 per mile). Enter your own mile above for your number.
How accurate is a 5K prediction from a mile time?
It is an estimate. It assumes you have trained for 5K; without endurance work the real time is usually slower.
What is the Riegel formula?
T2 = T1 x (D2 / D1)^1.06, where T1 is your time over distance D1 and T2 the predicted time over D2. Peter Riegel published it in American Scientist in 1981.
What is a good mile time for a first 5K?
There is no cutoff. The table lists the 5K that each mile time predicts, so pick the 5K you want and read off the mile that matches. Slower miles predict slower 5Ks, and the gap widens as the mile gets slower.
Can I use another race instead of a mile?
Yes. Change Recent race and enter that time. Predictions from a closer distance, such as a 3K or 8K, are more reliable than from a mile.
Does the tool use miles or km?
Either. The Units switch changes every pace and distance on the page, and your choice is remembered in this browser.
Is this medical or coaching advice?
No. The predictions are estimates. Build up gradually and ask a doctor first if you have a health condition.
Take this question with you
The RunPacePlan app puts the plan, the paces and the splits for this question on your phone: get it on Google Play. The iPhone version is coming soon.
Related questions
- How Do I Calculate Marathon Pace From My 5K Time?: Another question runners ask.
- What Is My Easy Run Pace Based on My 5K Time?: Another question runners ask.
- What Pace for a 30 Minute 5K?: Another question runners ask.
- What Pace Is a Sub 2 Hour Half Marathon?: Another question runners ask.
- How Many Weeks to Train for a Half Marathon?: Another question runners ask.
Related tools
- Race time predictor: Predict times at every distance from any race.
- 5K pace chart: Pace per km and per mile for 5K finish times.
- 5K training plan: A plan with paces for every run.
- Training pace calculator: Training paces from a recent race.
- VO2 max calculator: The fitness score behind the prediction.