Free Walking Pace Calculator – Set Your Walking Pace

Ever wondered how to measure your walking pace? Or wanted to understand what counts as a ‘brisk walk’? We have created this walking pace resource, including a calculator, to help you understand everything you need to know about walking pace.

Walking Pace Calculator

Use this calculator to work out your walking pace.

  • This calculator simply coverts your time and distance into pace, and does not record your data.

    What is a Walking Pace?

    A walking pace is the average time is takes you to walk one mile or kilometre. It is presented as X minutes per mile/kilometre, depending on the measuring unit you use (here’s a handy kilometre converter). You can work it out yourself using the below sum or use a convenient online calculator.

    Pace is calculated using this sum:

    Pace = Time\Distance

    For example:

    You walk 6 miles in 2 hours (120 minutes). 120/6 = 20.

    Therefore, your pace = 20 minutes per mile.

    Importantly, time is calculated in minutes, so 2 hours is 120 minutes for the purpose of the sum. If the result is not a round number of minutes, the fraction of the minute must be converted to seconds. To do this, the fraction is multiplied by 60; 0.5 minutes = 30 seconds.

    The sum itself is fairly simple, however modern technology can now automatically work out your pace for you on the go. A popular example of this is Strava, which tracks the duration of exercise via distance and time to work out your pace, even working out pace over segments.

    Check out some of our favourite walking apps here!

    Walking Pace vs Speed

    Both walking pace and speed look at the time it took you to get from one place to another. However, they are different concepts, have different sums and are presented differently. Speed is presented as miles per hour (mph) or kilometres per hour (kmph).

    Speed = distance/time (or speed = 60/pace)

    To take the above example:

    You walk 6 miles in 2 hours. 60/20 = 3mph.

    Both speed and pace are averages for a whole walk, with speed focussing on how fast the individual is going, and pace focussing on the speed specifically for one mile/kilometre. It’s important to note how each are affected by factors that can disrupt consistency such as terrain, weather, other people, general health on that day etc. Pace can better factor in these outliers by being calculated at multiple points throughout a walk.

    What is a Good Walking Pace?

    To get the most out of walking, it is recommended to walk at a ‘brisk pace’ which classes as a moderate-intensity workout. It is widely recommended to do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. So, a ‘brisk pace’ is the ideal walking pace, but what exactly is brisk?

    See more: Walking for Weight Loss

    It can be quantified as around 100 steps per minute or 3/3.5 miles per hour. However, for active walkers, this may seem easy.

    The best way to gauge whether you are walking at a brisk pace or not is to see if you are slightly out of breath and/or breaking a sweat. The idea is to walk faster than a comfortable speed and get your heart and breathing rate up. If you feel comfortable walking, you are probably not walking at a brisk pace.

    Therefore, the ‘best’ walking pace is one where you are pushing yourself to go faster than usual but are still simply walking fast and able to sustain your pace.

    Why Use a Walking Pace Calculator?

    Here are some of the top benefits of using a walking pace calculator:

    Seeing Improvements

    By comparing your pace over time, you may be able to spot improvements. As your fitness increases, it is likely your pace will increase too. Pace improvements are especially valued by those looking to enter races.

    Planning Walks

    If you know how far you can or usually walk in a certain amount of time, you can better plan your walks. Whether you are planning a longer walk and want to ensure you will be back before sunset or you are trying to see what you can achieve in a short time, knowing your pace is useful. For example, if you are working out what milage you should sign up to do for your Race At Your Pace monthly challenge, you can use your pace to calculate what is doable on an average day with the regular free time you have.

    Entering Competitions

    When entering a race or event it is common to be asked your pace. This is so your place at the start can be assigned with others of a similar pace.

    Fitness

    It is good to be aware of your own abilities and fitness, including your average walking pace and how that compares to a brisk walk. By becoming more aware you may make changes to your walks and push yourself more. There are many benefits to regular brisk walks, on your body and your mind, including helping to maintain a healthy weight, lower blood pressure, boosted mood and even reduced risk of developing certain health issues or having a stroke.

    Learn how you can hit your fitness goals with long distance walking.

    Time Limits

    Perhaps more useful for race runners, pace calculators can help people work out just how fast they need to go to complete a certain distance in a certain time by changing the sum. This way, they can optimise their pace to a speed that is doable but also competitive.

    Get Started with Race At Your Pace

    If you are an avid walker looking for the next challenge or just someone looking to get more active, Race At Your Pace has an array of challenges for you to choose from. Our monthly challenges give participants the entire month to complete a milage of their choosing by running, walking, cycling, stepping or swimming. As a reward for your hard work, you even get a shiny medal upon completion!

    Sign up today!

    Walking challenges >

    How it works >

    Keep Up To Date