Convert mph to minutes per mile: formula and pace chart
6 mph is a 10:00 mile; 8 mph is 7:30. Here is the formula to go from speed to pace and back, a chart from 5 to 12 mph with the matching 10K finish time, and how Running Workout turns a percentage of your MAS into a pace target on your Garmin watch.
Last updated: October 26, 2026
The formula: 60 divided by the speed
To convert a speed in mph into a pace in minutes per mile, divide 60 by the speed: the result is the number of minutes it takes to cover one mile. 60 ÷ 6 = 10, so 6 mph is a 10:00 mile; 60 ÷ 8 = 7.5, a 7:30 mile. When the result has decimals, multiply the decimal part by 60 to get the seconds: 60 ÷ 7 = 8.57 minutes, which is 8 minutes and 34 seconds per mile.
The reverse works the same way: divide 60 by the pace written in decimal minutes. The classic trap is to read 8:30 as 8.3: thirty seconds is half a minute, so an 8:30 mile is 8.5 minutes, and 60 ÷ 8.5 = 7.06 mph. Likewise, 9:15 is 9.25 minutes (6.49 mph) and 7:45 is 7.75 minutes (7.74 mph).
Try it with your own Garmin
Free to start, nothing to install: connect your Garmin, then ask Claude or ChatGPT for your first workout. It lands on your watch within a minute.
Pace chart from 5 to 12 mph
The chart below gives, for each speed, the pace per mile rounded to the second and the time it would take to cover a 10K (6.2 miles) at that steady speed. 6 mph gives a 10K in just over an hour, 9 mph in about 41 and a half minutes.
| Speed | Pace | 10K time |
|---|---|---|
| 5 mph | 12:00 /mi | 1:14:34 |
| 5.5 mph | 10:55 /mi | 1:07:47 |
| 6 mph | 10:00 /mi | 1:02:08 |
| 6.5 mph | 9:14 /mi | 57:21 |
| 7 mph | 8:34 /mi | 53:16 |
| 7.5 mph | 8:00 /mi | 49:43 |
| 8 mph | 7:30 /mi | 46:36 |
| 8.5 mph | 7:04 /mi | 43:52 |
| 9 mph | 6:40 /mi | 41:25 |
| 10 mph | 6:00 /mi | 37:17 |
| 12 mph | 5:00 /mi | 31:04 |
These times assume the same speed from the first step to the last. The time you can actually run over 10K depends on your MAS (maximal aerobic speed): a trained runner races the distance at around 90% of it.
Treadmill in mph, watch in minutes per mile
Converting matters most when two devices do not speak the same language: a treadmill shows a speed, a running watch usually shows a pace. To repeat on the treadmill a session planned at an 8:00 mile, set it to 7.5 mph; for a 7:00 mile, set it to 8.6 mph.
On a Garmin watch, you choose the units yourself: the Garmin manual (Forerunner 245, Settings > System > Units) lets you set distance units and pace and speed units separately, in miles or kilometers. A structured workout sent by Running Workout is shown in whatever unit is set on the watch.
From a percentage of MAS to a pace on the watch
Running Workout does this conversion for you: when your AI assistant (Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini) builds a session as a percentage of MAS, the server multiplies your MAS by the percentage, then converts the result into meters per second, the unit Garmin Connect expects for a pace target. With a MAS of 9.3 mph, 90% is 8.4 mph, about a 7:10 mile.
When a session gives a single percentage instead of a range, Running Workout opens a window of 1.5 points either side: 90% becomes 88.5 to 91.5%, which for a MAS of 9.3 mph is roughly 7:03 to 7:17 per mile. The watch alerts you when you drift out of that range. To see all your training paces at once from your MAS, use the pace calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What pace is 6 mph?
6 mph is a 10:00 mile, since 60 ÷ 6 = 10 minutes. At that speed, a 10K takes just over an hour (1:02:08) and a half marathon about 2 hours and 11 minutes.
How do I convert a pace into mph in my head?
First turn the pace into decimal minutes (8:30 = 8.5; 9:45 = 9.75), then divide 60 by that number. An 8:30 mile is 7.06 mph, a 9:45 mile is 6.15 mph.
How do I turn a pace per mile into a pace per kilometer?
Divide the pace per mile by 1.609, the number of kilometers in a mile: an 8:00 mile is 4:58 per kilometer. The other way round, multiply by 1.609.
Let your assistant write your sessions
Running Workout connects Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini to your Garmin account through the official API. Nothing to install, and no Garmin password to hand over.
See the connection guide