Race plan
{{ distanceLabel }}
{{ summaryLine }}
{{ eventName || 'Timing session' }} {{ splitRows.length }} split{{ splitRows.length === 1 ? '' : 's' }} {{ overallPaceLabel }} {{ sourceCount }} source tools
Use a race name, meet heat, or timing session label.
Use local date and HH:MM time. Now fills the current local minute.
{{ startDateStatus }}
Enter the race distance and choose kilometers, miles, or meters.
Examples: 00:24:30, 24:30, or 1:38:12.
Use one split per line, such as 1 km - 4:52.
Field Value Copy
{{ row.label }} {{ row.value }}
# Marker Split time Cumulative Segment Pace Copy
{{ row.index }} {{ row.marker }} {{ row.splitDisplay }} {{ row.cumulativeDisplay }} {{ row.segmentLabel }} {{ row.paceLabel }}
No split rows parsed
Add one split note per line to build the split ledger.
Split pace chart is empty. Add timed split notes to draw the chart.
# Source slug Copy
{{ row.index }} {{ row.slug }}
Tags: Date Time, Running
Race Pace and Finish Time Suite Build a race pace plan from a target time, speed, prior race, or training block with split checkpoints, stop allowances, and scenario charts.
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Race Finish Time Predictor Predict a race finish from a recent result, then compare Riegel pace, even splits, condition scenarios, and charted sensitivity.
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A race clock is most useful when it preserves the shape of the effort, not only the final duration. A 5K recorded as 24:30 could be a steady run, a hard opening kilometer followed by a fade, or a controlled start with a late surge. The finish time is true in all three cases, but the training lesson is different.

Splits turn a stopwatch reading into a sequence. Each split ties a chunk of time to a lap, kilometer, mile, or repeat marker, so a runner, coach, or volunteer timer can compare the current segment with the whole race. That context matters during workouts, heat notes, club races, pacing experiments, and post-race reviews where official timing may not include every intermediate point.

Elapsed time
The full recorded duration from the start anchor to the finish or current stop point.
Split time
The duration for one segment, such as the time from 1 km to 2 km or from one lap press to the next.
Cumulative time
The running total after adding the splits in order.
Pace
Time divided by distance, normally read as minutes per kilometer, minutes per mile, or time per 100 meters.

The distance basis changes the meaning of every pace number. Road results are often read as minutes per kilometer or minutes per mile. Short track repeats are easier to compare per 100 meters because the segment is too small for a useful minutes-per-meter label. Mixing those bases can make a controlled repeat look slow or make a long segment look faster than the effort actually was.

Timeline showing a start point, split checkpoints, a finish point, and a pace-change curve

Split ledgers also make mistakes easier to spot. A missed lap press usually creates one unusually long segment and may be followed by a suspiciously short one. A kilometer marker used inside a mile-based race can distort every pace comparison. A note with only a time can still help, but it assumes the race distance is divided evenly across the entered lines.

Manual split notes are not a substitute for official meet timing. World Athletics rules distinguish hand timing, fully automatic photo finish timing, and transponder timing in specific competition contexts. Personal race timing is useful for training review, heat notes, and pacing analysis, while placing, records, and formal qualification should come from the event's official results system.

How to Use This Tool:

Use the form for a known finish time, or use the live timer to capture the session while it is happening.

  1. Enter an Event name that will still make sense when the Race Summary or exported report is shared later.
  2. Set Start date & time, or press Now before a live capture to use the current local minute.
  3. Enter Race distance and choose km, miles, or meters. This choice controls the pace basis and the unit used for split markers.
  4. Type Elapsed time as HH:MM:SS, MM:SS, or seconds when you already know the finish time.
  5. Add Split notes with one split per line. A line such as 1 km - 4:52 supplies both a marker and a time. A line with only a time is treated as one evenly spaced segment.
  6. For live timing, press Start, press Lap at each checkpoint, use Pause only when the clock should stop, and press Finish to copy the live elapsed time into the form. Meter sessions add 100 m markers; kilometer and mile sessions advance by one selected unit per lap press.
  7. Review Race Summary, Split Ledger, and Split Pace Chart. If the chart is empty or a pace cell shows a dash, check that each charted split has a readable time and a positive segment distance.

Interpreting Results:

Start with Overall pace. It is the average rate for the full distance, so it gives every split a fair benchmark. A faster split may point to a surge or stronger section. A slower one may point to a fade, climb, stop, crowded turn, or timing error that deserves a second look.

The Split Ledger separates Split time, Cumulative, Segment, and Pace. Read those columns together. A short segment can have a low split time and still be a weak pace, while a longer segment can take more clock time and still be faster by rate.

Result cue What to read What to verify
Overall pace Average speed for the whole distance. Distance unit and elapsed-time format.
Cumulative Running total of timed split rows. Missing or duplicated lap presses.
Segment Distance represented by the row. Marker text when splits are not evenly spaced.
Split Pace Chart Relative pace changes across timed segments. Outlier bars caused by a missed marker or wrong unit.

Do not treat a clean chart as proof of official accuracy. Button reaction time, delayed lap presses, skipped checkpoints, and uneven course markers can all produce smooth-looking data. Before comparing sessions, use the same distance unit, split style, and marker convention.

Technical Details:

Pace is a rate calculation, not a separate measurement. Elapsed time is parsed into seconds, distance is converted to kilometers for arithmetic, and the displayed result is scaled back to the selected pace basis. Kilometer and mile races use one kilometer or one mile as the denominator. Meter-based sessions use 100 meters, which keeps short repeats readable.

Split pace applies the same rate calculation to one segment at a time. When split notes include increasing distance markers, segment distance is the current marker minus the previous marker. When marker text is missing, the total entered distance is divided by the number of split lines, so every line receives the same estimated segment length.

Formula Core

Overall pace and split pace both divide seconds by distance, then scale the result to the selected pace basis.

dkm = d × u poverall = tdkm × b psplit = tsplitdsegment × b
Symbol Meaning Value or unit Result effect
d Entered race distance km, mi, or m Converted before pace is calculated.
u Conversion factor to kilometers km: 1, mi: 1.609344, m: 0.001 Normalizes distance for arithmetic.
b Pace basis in kilometers km: 1, mi: 1.609344, m: 0.1 Displays pace per km, mile, or 100 m.
t Elapsed race time seconds Numerator for overall pace.
tsplit Parsed split duration seconds Numerator for segment pace.

For a 5 km race completed in 24:30, elapsed time is 1470 seconds and the pace basis is 1 km. Overall pace is 1470 / 5 = 294 seconds per kilometer, displayed as 4:54/km. If the first split is 1 km - 4:52, that row uses 292 seconds across 1 km, so its pace is displayed as 4:52/km.

Parsing Rules

Split notes are intentionally forgiving, but the first recognizable time and the first recognizable distance marker in a line carry most of the meaning.

Input pattern Rule Effect on the result
HH:MM:SS or MM:SS Converted into total seconds. Used for elapsed time, split time, and pace labels.
Plain number in Elapsed time Read as seconds. Useful for stopwatch data already stored as seconds.
Increasing distance markers Current marker minus previous marker. Segment distance follows the written course markers.
No marker in a split line Total distance divided by split-line count. Creates an equal-segment estimate for pace.
Unreadable split time No numeric duration is available. That row cannot produce cumulative time or pace.

Durations are rounded to whole seconds for display. The calculation uses parsed seconds and converted distance before formatting, so changing from kilometers to miles or meters changes the pace label because the denominator changes, not because the elapsed clock changed.

Accuracy Notes:

Manual split capture is good for review, but it includes human timing error. Treat the ledger as a planning and analysis record unless the event's rules say that the timing method is official.

  • A late Lap press moves time from the previous segment into the next one.
  • A missed split usually creates one long segment and may make the following segment look unusually short.
  • A wrong distance unit changes pace even when the elapsed time is correct.
  • For records, placing, qualification, and close finishes, use the official meet or race result rather than personal button timing.

Worked Examples:

Reviewing a steady 5K

Set Race distance to 5 km and Elapsed time to 00:24:30. Split notes of 1 km - 4:52, 2 km - 4:55, and 3 km - 4:50 give an Overall pace of 4:54/km. In Race Summary, the fastest pace should be the 3 km marker at 4:50/km and the slowest should be the 2 km marker at 4:55/km.

Capturing 400 m repeats

For a track session, choose meters and enter 400 as the distance. Live Lap presses add 100 m markers, so four captures can become 100 m, 200 m, 300 m, and 400 m split notes. The Split Ledger reports pace per 100 m, which is easier to compare across short repeats than minutes per meter.

Finding a marker mistake

A mile race entered with kilometer split markers can show a Split Pace Chart that looks too slow or too fast for the athlete's effort. Keep Race distance, split marker units, and the chart pace basis aligned before treating the chart as a pacing pattern.

Fixing an empty split chart

If the chart area says the split pace chart is empty, the split notes do not yet contain chartable rows. Add one readable time per line, such as 4:52, and include distance markers when the segments are not evenly spaced.

FAQ:

Can I use this for official results?

Use it for personal timing, workouts, pacing review, and informal race notes. Official results depend on the event's accepted timing method and officials.

Why does pace change when I switch from kilometers to miles?

The elapsed time is unchanged, but the pace denominator changes. Minutes per mile uses a longer distance basis than minutes per kilometer, so the label and number change together.

What happens if my split notes have no distance markers?

The split times still parse. Segment distance is estimated by dividing the total race distance by the number of split lines.

Why does a split row show a dash?

A dash means that row is missing a usable time or positive segment distance. Check the line for a time such as 4:52 or 00:04:52.

Does the live timer remove reaction delay?

No. The live controls record when the button is pressed. Start, lap, and finish reaction delays remain part of the captured notes.

Does the race data need to be uploaded?

The timing and pace calculations run in the browser. Avoid putting private details in event names or exported files if the summary will be shared.

Glossary:

Start anchor
The local date and time attached to the timing session.
Elapsed time
The total duration recorded for the race or workout.
Split
A timed segment tied to a lap, distance marker, or manual checkpoint.
Cumulative time
The running total after each readable split time is added.
Segment distance
The distance covered by one split row, based on marker differences or equal spacing.
Pace basis
The distance unit used for the pace label, such as per kilometer, per mile, or per 100 meters.

References: