Pace band generator: mile and kilometre splits
Choose your race and target time to get the clock time you should see at every mile or kilometre marker. Print it, cut it out and tape it round your wrist.
Even pace or negative split?
Even pace means every mile takes the same time. It is the simplest plan and, on a flat course, the most efficient way to run.
A negative split means running the second half slightly faster than the first. The band above does this gently: the first half is run about two per cent slower than average pace and the second half about two per cent faster. Starting a touch slow protects you from the commonest race mistake, which is going out too fast in the excitement of the start and paying for it in the last third.
Using a pace band on the day
- Start your watch as you cross the start line, not when the gun goes, so that it matches your chip time.
- Check the band at each marker, not your watch's current pace. GPS pace jumps about among tall buildings and trees.
- If you are a little behind after a hill or a crowded first mile, do not chase it back in one go. Take a few seconds a mile over the next several miles.
- Race markers are not always in exactly the right place. If one split looks wrong, wait for the next before you change anything.
To check what pace per mile your target means, use the pace calculator. If you are not sure what target to set, try the race time predictor.