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RUNNERS LAB

PB Improvement
Calculator

Seconds, percent, and pace change between two times at the same distance.

Last reviewed 19 August 2026

A personal-best comparison is subtraction. 22:00 to 20:00 on 5K is 2:00 faster, 9.1%, and a quicker kilometre pace. Same distance required. Different distances belong on compare-two-performances.

KM
Previous time

Enter the finish time you want to run.

New time

Enter the finish time you want to run.

Improvement

−2:00

  • 9.1%
  • 4:00 /KM

What this result means

PB math is exact if the course distances match. This tool takes one distance, an old clock, and a new clock. It reports the difference in seconds (negative meaning faster), the percent of the old time, and both paces.

It does not know whether the old race was downhill or the new one was a championship. It will happily say you “improved” from a wind-aided 5K to a slower honest 5K if the clocks say so — check the courses yourself.

20:00 to 19:30 on 5K is 30 seconds, 2.5%, and 6 seconds per kilometre faster. 4:00:00 to 3:50:00 on a marathon is 10:00 and 4.2%. Going from 20:00 to 21:00 is a positive change (slower); the card still shows the delta.

Do not compare a 5.0 km parkrun to a 5.2 km GPS file and call it a PB. Enter the same nominal distance.

Calculation method

Delta seconds = old − new. Percent = delta / old × 100. Paces are time ÷ distance. Displayed times round to the nearest second.

Exact arithmetic. No VDOT, no Riegel.

Illegal courses, short GPS, and different event distances make a fake PB. Age grading is a different question.

Full methodology →

Frequently asked questions

How much did I improve from 22:00 to 20:00 in a 5K?

Two minutes, about 9.1%, and a faster per-km pace. Enter 5 km and both times.

Can I compare a 5K and a 10K?

Not here. Use compare two performances (VDOT) or the race equivalent calculator.

What if the new time is slower?

The delta is shown anyway. Improvement percent is negative.

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