1. What is Half Marathon Pace?

The half marathon pace is the speed you need to maintain throughout a 13.1-mile race to finish in your target time. For a 2.5 hour (150 minute) half marathon, this works out to approximately 11 minutes 27 seconds per mile.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the simple pace formula:

Where:

• \( P \) — Pace in minutes per mile
• \( T \) — Target time in minutes
• \( D \) — Distance in miles (13.1 for half marathon)

Explanation: The equation divides your total target time by the race distance to determine the average time needed per mile.

3. Importance of Pace Calculation

Details: Knowing your required pace helps with race strategy, training intensity, and ensuring you don't start too fast or too slow during the actual race.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter your target finish time in minutes (150 for 2.5 hours) and the race distance in miles (13.1 for half marathon). The calculator will show your required pace in minutes:seconds per mile.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How accurate is this pace calculator?
A: It provides a mathematical average pace. Actual race pace may vary due to terrain, weather, and race conditions.

Q2: Should I run exactly this pace for the whole race?
A: Most runners benefit from running slightly slower in early miles and picking up pace later (negative splits).

Q3: What if my pace is faster than 11:27 min/mile?
A: You'll finish faster than 2.5 hours. For example, 11:00 min/mile would give ~2:24 finish time.

Q4: How does this translate to kilometers?
A: 11:27 min/mile equals ~7:07 min/km. The calculator can work with km if you enter distance in km.

Q5: What training pace should I use?
A: Training runs are typically 30-90 seconds per mile slower than race pace for long runs.