Walking speed is useful for planning how much time to allow for a route. Pace answers the related question of how many minutes one kilometre takes. A GPS measurement over a familiar stretch can give you a better estimate for the way you actually walk, with your usual shoes, bag and terrain.
What walking speed and pace tell you
Choose Walk to show pace alongside speed, distance and elapsed time. Speed describes how much distance you cover in an hour. Pace describes the time per kilometre at your current speed. At 5 km/h, for example, your pace is 12:00 min/km. A smaller pace number means you are moving faster.
The figures in the table illustrate what you might see on relatively flat ground. Walking uphill, navigating a crowd, carrying groceries or travelling with someone else can change your pace. A short break makes the trip average lower when the tracker keeps running. Look at the total duration if the goal is to arrive at a particular time.
| Situation | Approximate speed |
|---|---|
| Easy stroll | 3–4 km/h |
| Steady walk | 4–5 km/h |
| Brisk walk | 5–6.5 km/h |
Illustrative speeds for relatively level paths. Terrain, crossings and breaks affect what you see on any particular walk.
Compare walks on the same route
Pick a familiar loop with a clear starting point and relatively open sky. Allow the GPS to settle before you start walking. Follow the same loop another day and compare average speed and elapsed time. Try to include the same crossings and breaks if you want to know how long the route usually takes in practice.
For an everyday estimate, divide the distance by your average speed or multiply the distance in kilometres by your pace in minutes per kilometre. At a pace of 12 minutes per kilometre, a 2.5 km walk takes about 30 minutes before any extra stops. If you only have the route distance and total time, use the calculator to work out both speed and pace.
Why GPS speed can jump while walking
Between two GPS readings you may walk only a few metres. The reported location can be off by a similar distance, so the speed can jump even when you walk steadily. That’s more noticeable near tall buildings or under dense trees. The tool skips less accurate locations and averages the latest reliable readings, so a change in pace may take a few readings to show.
A single fast or slow reading near a sharp corner may tell you more about reception than about how you walked. For comparison, trust measurements over longer, repeatable stretches and look at the result at the end. If location disappears for much of the walk, use a mapped distance and the elapsed time to calculate a separate estimate.
Frequently asked questions
What does a dash in the pace field mean?
The dash means there is no pace to show. Pace is the time it takes to cover a kilometre while moving. The field shows a dash when you’re standing still, tracking is paused or the browser has no usable speed reading.
Why can my speed look uneven on a straight path?
A location fix can move around even when your actual position barely changes. Buildings and trees can increase that uncertainty. A longer sample in an open area gives a more representative result than a single glance at the gauge.
Can I measure with the screen off?
For more continuous tracking, keep this page visible and the screen on. The tool asks the browser to keep the screen awake where supported. Locking the screen or switching tabs can interrupt location updates. Pause or reset when you finish.