Pace band generator
Printable splits for a 5K, 10K, half marathon or marathon goal time. Even pace or negative split.
Last row is the exact finish.
| At | Split | Elapsed |
|---|
Even split or negative split?
A slight negative split, 1 or 2%, is how most well-run marathons go. Time given away in the first 10 km is cheap; time lost falling apart at 32 km is not. Either way, the plan lands exactly on your goal.
What the slider actually does moves the time around, never changes it
It runs from a 6% positive split on the left (start fast, fade), through even pace in the middle, to a 6% negative split on the right (start easy, finish fast). The bias only moves where the time is spent. Whatever you set, the last row of the band is your target time and the last marker is the true race distance.
elapsed fraction = f × (1 + s × (1 − f)), where f is the
fraction of the distance covered and s is the bias — positive for a negative
split.
The curve is exactly 0 at the start and exactly 1 at the finish for any bias, which is why the plan lands on the target instead of near it. It only ever increases, so no split can come out negative.
Sub-4 marathon pace band
At even pace. Generate it above for the negative-split version.
4:00:00, even pace, every 5 km.
| At | Split | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|
| 5 km | 28:26 | 28:26 |
| 10 km | 28:26 | 56:53 |
| 15 km | 28:26 | 1:25:19 |
| 20 km | 28:26 | 1:53:45 |
| 25 km | 28:26 | 2:22:12 |
| 30 km | 28:26 | 2:50:38 |
| 35 km | 28:26 | 3:19:05 |
| 40 km | 28:26 | 3:47:31 |
| 42.195 km | 12:29 | 4:00:00 |
Common goal paces
Even pace behind the goals runners actually chase.
| Goal | Pace /km | Pace /mile | Halfway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-2:00 half | 5:41 | 9:09 | 1:00:00 |
| Sub-1:45 half | 4:59 | 8:01 | 52:30 |
| Sub-1:30 half | 4:16 | 6:52 | 45:00 |
| Sub-5:00 marathon | 7:07 | 11:27 | 2:30:00 |
| Sub-4:30 marathon | 6:24 | 10:18 | 2:15:00 |
| Sub-4:00 marathon | 5:41 | 9:09 | 2:00:00 |
| Sub-3:30 marathon | 4:59 | 8:01 | 1:45:00 |
| Sub-3:00 marathon | 4:16 | 6:52 | 1:30:00 |
Making the band last the race
- Waterproof it. Clear packing tape on both sides does the job as well as lamination and costs nothing. Bare paper is unreadable by 15 km in rain, 25 km in sweat.
- Print it narrow. Cut close to the table so it wraps your wrist without curling.
- Wear it under the watch strap, numbers facing you, or bring two safety pins.
- Expect the course to measure long. GPS almost always reads a road marathon a little over. The band is keyed to the official markers, so trust those, not the watch.
Questions
What is a pace band?
A strip of paper you wear on your wrist during a race, listing the time you should hit at each kilometre or mile marker. It answers the only question that matters mid-race, which is whether you are ahead or behind, without asking you to do sums at 30 km. Sums are the first thing to go.
Should I run an even split or a negative split?
A slight negative split, where the second half is a shade faster than the first, is how most well-run marathons go. It is also the forgiving option: starting 1 or 2% slower than goal pace costs you very little on a good day and saves the race on a bad one. An even split is simpler to execute and the right default for shorter races. The one that almost never works is the positive split you fall into by accident when you go out too fast.
How do I make a pace band?
Enter your distance and goal time above, pick even or negative split, and print the table. Cut the strip out and cover it in clear packing tape so it survives sweat and rain. Fold it round your wrist under your watch strap, or bring safety pins.
What pace band do I need for a sub-4 marathon?
5:41 per kilometre, or 9:09 per mile, held all the way: 14,400 seconds over 42.195 km. Put 4:00:00 into the generator above for the full split-by-split list. Most runners aim a few seconds per kilometre faster than that, because GPS almost always measures a road marathon slightly long.
Does the plan still finish on my exact goal time?
Yes, at every setting. The curve is scaled so the last split lands exactly on your goal no matter how strong the bias. The bias moves where the time is spent, never how much of it there is. The final row also lands on the true race distance, so a half marathon band finishes at 21.0975 km, not 21.
A pace band you cannot leave on the kitchen table
Same plan for the race in your calendar, beside a countdown and your readiness. Exports an image or a print-ready PDF when you do want paper. Free, offline, no account.