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Free training tool

Century Pace
Calculator.

See your finish time and quarter splits for a 100 mile or metric century, or set a target time to find the average speed you need to hold.

Your plan
Or target finish time (optional)
Finish time
6:15:00
moving time, stops not included
Steady Strong Racing
25 mi split 1:33:45
50 mi split 3:07:30
75 mi split 4:41:15
Speed for target 16.7 mph
26.8 km/h to finish in 6:00

Splits assume an even pace. The target-speed row uses your distance and the target time you entered.

The maths

How the calculator works

A century is a distance problem: time equals distance divided by speed. The splits just apply that same pace to the quarter points so you have checkpoints on the road.

÷
Finish time = distance ÷ average speed. One hundred miles at 16 mph is 6 hours 15 minutes of moving time.
¼
Quarter splits = finish time at the 25, 50 and 75 percent points. Use them as pacing checkpoints on the day.
→
Speed for target = distance ÷ your target time. Tells you the average pace you must hold to finish when you want.
+
Add stops Remember the result is moving time. Add your food and rest stops to plan when you actually get back.

The most common century mistake is going out too fast. Ride the first half a touch easier than feels right, eat and drink from the start, and use the quarter splits to keep yourself honest rather than chasing riders who surge past early.

Want a printable century pacing card?
A one-page century split and fuelling card is coming soon to our shop.
FAQ

Century pace FAQ

A 100 mile century usually takes most riders between 5 and 8 hours of riding. At 15 mph it is 6 hours 40 minutes; at 18 mph it is about 5 hours 33 minutes; at 20 mph it is 5 hours. Add your rest and food stops on top of the moving time to get your total day.

For a first century, 13 to 15 mph is a realistic and sustainable target. Experienced riders average 16 to 18 mph, and strong club riders push 19 to 21 mph. The key is picking a pace you can hold for the whole distance, because going out too hard is the most common century mistake.

A metric century is 100 kilometres, which is about 62 miles. It is a popular stepping stone to a full imperial century and takes roughly three-fifths of the time. Switch the distance unit in this calculator to kilometres and enter 100 to plan one.

Ride the first half slightly easier than feels natural and keep your effort even rather than chasing faster riders. Use the quarter splits here as checkpoints: if you reach halfway well ahead of your planned time, ease off. Eat and drink from the start, not once you feel empty.

No. The finish time shown is your moving time at the average speed you enter. Most riders add 30 to 90 minutes of stopped time across a century for food, water and photos, so add that to the moving time to estimate when you will actually roll back in.

Enter your target finish time and the calculator shows the average speed you would need to hold. For a 100 mile century in 6 hours you need to average about 16.7 mph of moving time; in 5 hours you need 20 mph. Remember to leave a margin for stops and fatigue.