Most serious runners will know what their running pace is. A lot of beginner runners won’t even know what running pace means. I will first explain the average running pace before discussing a good running pace per km.
What is Average Running Pace?
Running pace is the pace that we run at per mile or km. We can figure out our average running pace by dividing the time by the number of kilometers we run, so if we run 5km in 30 minutes, our average running pace is 6 min per km.
The average running pace varies greatly from runner to runner. Even one runner’s average pace will differ significantly from distance to distance. For example, if they run races from 5 km up to a marathon, their fastest average pace will be for the 5km. It would be impossible to keep this pace up for a whole marathon, so their average pace for a marathon will be significantly slower.
Most runners that run these road races know what time they are aiming to complete the race in, so they will know what their average pace is for the following distances
- 5 km
- 10 km
- Half marathon
- Marathon
By knowing your average pace for these distances, you can prevent yourself from going out too fast by keeping an eye on your pace when you start and even running slightly slower than this. Many runners do this and will have a negative split for most of these races. (negative split is when you run the first half of the race slower than the second half)
What Is A Good Running Pace Per Km
There is no one answer to this question, as it varies so much from runner to runner, short distance to long distance, and male to female. For each runner, a good running pace is a pace they are happy with to have completed the race. Conversely, a good pace for one runner is terrible for the next runner.
Several factors affect the running pace per km:
- gender
- age
- distance
- weight
- fueling the body
- terrain
- weather
- stride length
- cadence
I will look at each of these factors now below
Gender
Even though we live in a world where we are not meant to be sexist, all we need to do is look at all the world records over the years for running, and these show a substantial difference in pace between men and women. So a good average pace for a woman may not be classed as a good average pace for a man. I am not saying that all men are faster than women, but at an elite level, they generally are. This is because men’s bodies are better able to generate energy than women, which results in faster speeds.
Age
Again age will significantly affect running pace; a runner in their 50s or 60s won’t be running as fast as a runner in their 20s. Also, Runners generally slow down as they age, so if we compare our average pace to other runners, we need to make sure that we compare like with like.
Distance
As I have explained above, distance significantly affects a good running pace. What each runner would class as a good running pace for a marathon or a half marathon, they would class as a slow pace for a 5k or 10k. Therefore, we must get our pacing right with the distance we are running. If we start too fast, we will burn ourselves out and struggle to finish the distance.
Weight
Our body weight affects what pace each runner classes as a good pace. For example, a runner that is a couple of stone overweight will have a slower pace than a runner that is in top shape.
Fueling Our Body
If your body is not appropriately fueled with food and hydration, this will affect your running pace. On the other hand, if your muscles are dehydrated, you will find it harder to keep up the pace you think you should be running.
Terrain
The type of terrain we are running on can negatively affect our average running pace. Our average running pace will slow dramatically, for example, if we run on a highly hilly course where most of our time runs up steep hills.
Weather
Weather conditions also affect the pace that we run. If the temperatures are sweltering, we will have to slow down our average pace; likewise, if the ground is covered in ice, we will have to slow down. Another weather event that affects our running pace is wind. If we are running into a strong wind, it will also slow us down. If there is lightning, we should stop our run and take shelter.
Stride Length
Stride length also affects running pace, as generally, people with longer legs can run faster as they cover a greater distance than people with short legs. Therefore, we typically have to look at cadence together with stride length to get a complete picture.
Cadence
Cadence is the number of times per minute our feet hit the ground as we run. The desired cadence is 180. So if one runner has a long stride but only a running cadence of 150 and another runner has a shorter stride but a cadence of 185, the second runner will have a quicker average pace.
How To Increase Running Pace
As a runner, we can do a few things to increase our overall running pace as follows
- Work on our running form
- Speed workouts
- Tempo workouts
- fartlek training
- hill training
- Improve breathing
- an agility ladder.
I will look at each of these now in a bit more detail.
Work On Our Running Form
Our running form as we run is essential. Therefore, we must try to do the following as we run.
- Relax our shoulders – running with rounded shoulders prevents us from getting the required oxygen supply.
- stand tall – if we stand tall as we run, this helps us get more oxygen into our lungs, which improves our stamina.
- slight lean – as we run, we should lean slightly from our ankles but keep the rest of the body straight. This takes a lot of effort to get right.
- arm movement – our arms should swing naturally forward and back, with palms in a light fist facing the body with our elbows at 90deg as we run.
- cadence – we should aim for a cadence of 180; this is the number of times our feet hit the ground as we run.
Speed Workouts
Speed workouts are a must if we want to increase our speed. A speed workout is where we do short speed intervals at your VO2 max. Speed workouts make you run faster, fitter increases the range of movement in your joints, become more comfortable at all speeds, and help you run harder for longer.
An Example of a speed session would be as follows:
- warm up properly by doing some dynamic stretching
- run 2 or 3k at an easy pace
- run 10 x 2mins with a 90-second jog between each one
- lastly run another 2k easy
- cooldown by doing static stretching.
Tempo Workouts
A tempo workout is designed to improve a runner’s endurance, speed, and efficiency. It is typically performed at a comfortably hard pace, faster than a runner’s typical easy or long run pace but slower than their all-out sprint pace. This pace will depend on the individual runner’s fitness level and goals, but it’s typically around 10-30 seconds per kilometer slower than their 5K race pace.
This run aims to run at a sustained pace for a set distance or time, usually 20 minutes to an hour, to improve a runner’s ability to maintain a faster pace for an extended period. Tempo runs can be a great way to improve overall running performance and are a common type of workout used by runners training for races.
Fartlek training
Fartlek training is a type of running workout that combines continuous running with intervals of faster-paced running, “fartlek” is a Swedish term meaning “speed play.” It’s a form of interval training that allows runners to vary their speed and intensity during their runs.
In fartlek training, the runner will alternate between periods of faster-paced running and slower, more relaxed running without adhering to a specific time or distance for each interval. This makes fartlek training a flexible and unstructured type of workout that can be adapted to the runner’s needs and abilities.
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Fartlek training aims to improve a runner’s overall fitness by challenging their body to run at different intensities, which can help increase endurance, speed, and agility. This training is often used by runners looking to improve their performance in races, as it mimics a race’s unpredictable pace and helps runners develop the ability to make quick changes in speed.
Hill Repeats
Hill repeats are a type of running workout that involves running uphill for a set distance or time and then jogging or walking back down to recover. The purpose of hill repeats is to improve a runner’s strength, power, and endurance, especially in their legs and glutes, as running uphill is more challenging than running on flat terrain.
These are performed on a relatively steep hill. The distance and intensity of each repeat can be adjusted based on the runner’s goals and fitness level, and the workout can be tailored to the runner’s individual needs.
Improve Breathing
When you are running, if you find yourself struggling to breathe, it is better to breathe through your mouth as this is more efficient. In addition, more oxygen enters our bodies when we breathe through our mouths to fuel our muscles. Also, mouth breathing helps to relieve tension and tightness in your jaw, which can help you to relax your face and body.
Agility Ladders
An agility ladder for runners is a training tool used to enhance a runner’s footwork, coordination, and quickness. It consists of a flat, ladder-like structure with rungs or steps typically made of plastic or nylon and can be arranged in different configurations.
Agility ladder drills for runners typically involve running or shuffling in and out of the ladder’s rungs, performing quick, precise foot movements to improve their coordination and agility. This can help runners improve their balance, foot speed, and reaction time, improving overall running performance.
Final Thoughts
Now we have discussed what a good running pace per km is; we should be aware of the following
- varies dramatically from runner to runner
- age-dependent
- gender dependent
- weight
- distance
- stride length
- cadence
We have also looked at various workouts we can do to increase our pace.
