Swim Pace Calculator
Fill any two of distance, time and pace. The third one is calculated instantly.
Swim pace is your total time divided by your distance, brought back to 100 metres. Swimming 1500 m in 30:00 gives 2:00 per 100 m, which is exactly 3.0 km/h. This calculator solves all three ways: give it any two of distance, time and pace, and it returns the third one along with your speed in m/s, km/h and mph, and a full pace chart you can train from.
Swim pace solver
Enter your distance and your total time.
Format M:SS or H:MM:SS.
Swim pace chart per 100 m
Every row is a pace, every column a distance. The chart centres on your own pace once you calculate, and you choose how far apart the rows sit.
| Pace /100 m | 100 m | 200 m | 400 m | 800 m | 1500 m | 1.9 km | 3.8 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:35 | 1:35 | 3:10 | 6:20 | 12:40 | 23:45 | 30:05 | 1:00:10 |
| 1:40 | 1:40 | 3:20 | 6:40 | 13:20 | 25:00 | 31:40 | 1:03:20 |
| 1:45 | 1:45 | 3:30 | 7:00 | 14:00 | 26:15 | 33:15 | 1:06:30 |
| 1:50 | 1:50 | 3:40 | 7:20 | 14:40 | 27:30 | 34:50 | 1:09:40 |
| 1:55 | 1:55 | 3:50 | 7:40 | 15:20 | 28:45 | 36:25 | 1:12:50 |
| 2:00 | 2:00 | 4:00 | 8:00 | 16:00 | 30:00 | 38:00 | 1:16:00 |
| 2:05 | 2:05 | 4:10 | 8:20 | 16:40 | 31:15 | 39:35 | 1:19:10 |
| 2:10 | 2:10 | 4:20 | 8:40 | 17:20 | 32:30 | 41:10 | 1:22:20 |
| 2:15 | 2:15 | 4:30 | 9:00 | 18:00 | 33:45 | 42:45 | 1:25:30 |
| 2:20 | 2:20 | 4:40 | 9:20 | 18:40 | 35:00 | 44:20 | 1:28:40 |
| 2:25 | 2:25 | 4:50 | 9:40 | 19:20 | 36:15 | 45:55 | 1:31:50 |
In metres, 1.9 km and 3.8 km are the half and full Ironman swims. In yards, 1650 is the pool mile, and 1.2 mi and 2.4 mi are those same two triathlon swims.
What is a good swim pace?
Front crawl reference bands for a continuous swim, not a sprint. Pace is per 100 m, and the last column is what that gives over 1500 m.
| Level | /100 m | /100 yd | 1500 m |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 2:30-3:00 | 2:17-2:45 | 37:30-45:00 |
| Recreational swimmer | 2:00-2:30 | 1:50-2:17 | 30:00-37:30 |
| Fitness swimmer | 1:45-2:00 | 1:36-1:50 | 26:15-30:00 |
| Club swimmer | 1:25-1:45 | 1:18-1:36 | 21:15-26:15 |
| Elite swimmer | 1:00-1:25 | 0:55-1:18 | 15:00-21:15 |
Reference bands compiled by TrainingZones.io from masters and age group race data. Individual pace varies with technique, water conditions and wetsuit use.
Swim pace conversion: metres, yards and km/h
Swimmers move between three units without thinking about it: pace per 100 metres in a metric pool, pace per 100 yards in a US pool, and speed in km/h when comparing with running or cycling. Here is how they relate.
- Yards to metres: 100 metres is 109.36 yards, so the same effort is always faster over 100 yards. Divide a yard pace by 0.9144 to get the metric one. A 1:30 per 100 yd is about 1:38 per 100 m.
- Pace to speed: speed in km/h = 360 / pace in seconds per 100 m. A 2:00 per 100 m is exactly 3.0 km/h, and 1:40 per 100 m is 3.6 km/h.
- The pool mile is 1650 yards, not 1760. It is the closest round number of 25 yard lengths to 1500 metres, which is why US pool programmes race that distance.
From pace to your training zones
A pace is arithmetic. It tells you how fast you swam, not how hard it was for you. Two swimmers holding 1:45 per 100 m can be in completely different physiological zones.
Training zones need a threshold. The Critical Swim Speed test gives you one from a 400 m and a 200 m time trial, and our CSS calculator turns it into five pace zones you can actually swim to.