Running calculators › Running club pace groups
Running club pace groups
Paste your members’ recent 5K times. You get pace groups, an easy pace for each so nobody gets dropped, and a weekly schedule to print or send to the group chat.
| Group | Runners | 5K times | Easy pace /km |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Dana, Sam, Alex | 22:30–25:00 | 6:19–6:57 |
| B | Priya, Jordan | 27:45–28:30 | 7:09–7:51 |
| C | Mia, Chris | 31:00–33:20 | 8:15–9:03 |
| D | Lee | 36:00 | 8:52–9:41 |
This week
Tuesday 18:30, 5–8 km: group A at 6:19–6:57; group B at 7:09–7:51; group C at 8:15–9:03; group D at 8:52–9:41 per km.
Saturday 08:00, 8–12 km: group A at 6:19–6:57; group B at 7:09–7:51; group C at 8:15–9:03; group D at 8:52–9:41 per km.
Running a club? RunPack gives your crew a private feed of everyone’s runs, group runs people tap “I’m in” on, and a weekly challenge that fits every pace. Get RunPack free on the App Store
Easy pace by 5K time
Conversational pace from Daniels and Gilbert’s formulas (62–70% of the fitness the 5K shows).
| 5K time | Easy pace /km | Easy pace /mile |
|---|---|---|
| 20:00 | 5:08–5:39 | 8:16–9:06 |
| 22:00 | 5:37–6:11 | 9:02–9:57 |
| 24:00 | 6:05–6:42 | 9:48–10:47 |
| 26:00 | 6:34–7:13 | 10:33–11:36 |
| 28:00 | 7:02–7:43 | 11:19–12:25 |
| 30:00 | 7:30–8:13 | 12:04–13:14 |
| 33:00 | 8:11–8:58 | 13:10–14:25 |
| 36:00 | 8:52–9:41 | 14:16–15:36 |
| 40:00 | 9:45–10:39 | 15:42–17:08 |
Questions
How do running clubs split into pace groups?
Most clubs group people by a recent race time, often a 5K, and keep each group within a narrow band so nobody is racing to keep up. Social runs then go at the easy pace of the slowest runner in each group.
How is the easy pace worked out?
From each group’s slowest 5K time, using Jack Daniels and Jimmy Gilbert’s running formulas: the pace that uses roughly 62 to 70% of the fitness that 5K shows. It should feel conversational. It’s a guide, not a rule: on hot or hilly days, go slower.
How many pace groups should a club have?
Enough that the gap inside a group stays small, usually 30 seconds per km of 5K pace or less, but each group needs at least two people and ideally someone to lead it. Widen the gap if your groups end up with one runner each.
What if someone doesn’t have a 5K time?
Ask them to run 5K on their own and time it, or put them in the slowest group for their first run and move them after. Nobody should be the slowest in their group every week.
Is my members’ data stored?
No. Names and times stay in your browser and disappear when you close the page.
More for organisers: how to grow a running club, a running club rules template, how to lead a group run, and the club name generator. Or see RunPack for running clubs.
Keep your club running together.
RunPack is a running club app for iPhone: a private feed of everyone’s runs, group runs with RSVPs, and a weekly challenge set from each runner’s own pace.
Download on theApp Store