Race day, made simple
Pace band generator
Your target times, right on your wrist. Make a pace band for every mile or kilometre.
Choose your race distance, finish-time goal and an even pace or faster second half. See the elapsed time to aim for at each course marker, then download a PDF with your race overview and wrist band. Print the band at 100% scale, cut it out and keep your targets handy on race day.
Choose kilometres or miles to match the markers on your course. The band includes every whole-distance marker and the exact finish distance, so its last target always matches your goal time.
Your pace band
Average pace
9:09/mile
- Distance
- 26.22 miles
- Goal finish
- 4:00:00
- Strategy
- Even pace
For general information only, not professional advice. Check the official sources below. Use your own judgement and speak to a qualified professional before you act.
A little context
Get more from your result.
The steps, examples and sources
behind this tool.
Make it. Print it. Run it.
- Choose your race distance, or pick Custom distance and type it in.
- Type your goal time as h:mm:ss (for example 3:59:00) or m:ss (for example 24:59).
- Choose kilometres or miles to match the markers on your course.
- Choose even pace, or a negative split if you want to run the second half faster.
- Press Save PDF for your race-day overview and wrist band. Print the wrist-band pages at 100% scale, cut along the dashed line, wrap the strip around your wrist and fix it with clear tape.
- Use Share for a link with your settings, or Print for your complete pace result and split table.
A worked example
Marathon, goal 3:59:00, miles, even pace:
- Average pace: 3:59:00 divided by 26.22 miles = 9:07 per mile
- Mile 1: 9:07
- Mile 13: 1:58:30
- Mile 26: 3:57:00
- Finish (26.22 miles): 3:59:00
How the pace band is calculated
Your average pace is your goal time divided by the race distance. With even pacing, the time to pass marker n is n times that pace.
Express the negative split as a decimal s: 2% means s = 0.02. The first half takes goal time divided by (2 minus s), and the second half takes the first half time times (1 minus s). Each half is run at its own steady pace, so the two halves add up to your goal time exactly.
The band has a marker at every whole km or mile, and the last marker is the full race distance, so it always ends on your goal time. We keep full precision while calculating and round each time half up to the nearest second only when we show it. A marathon is 42.195 km, a half marathon is 21.0975 km and a mile is exactly 1609.344 metres, so a marathon is about 26.22 miles.
A few useful answers
Sources
- World Athletics: Marathon (discipline page)
Marathon distance: 26 miles 385 yards (42.195 km).
- World Athletics: Half marathon (discipline page)
Half marathon distance: 21.0975 km, exactly half a marathon.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8: Factors for Units Listed Alphabetically
One mile = 1609.344 metres (exact factor).
Last checked:
StrideSheet team
We build free running tools: training plans built to your race date, pace bands and race-day plans. Our plans follow published training principles and are a guide, not medical advice.