Rule of thumb · HealthNº 79 / 96

Doubling your race distance roughly doubles your time, plus a bit more

A 25-minute 5K predicts almost exactly a 52-minute 10K, not a 50-minute one — endurance pace slows down as distance increases, not just because a race is longer but because fatigue compounds.

Why it works

Peter Riegel’s 1977 formula (T2 = T1 × (D2/D1)^1.06) captures this with a single exponent validated against tens of millions of race results — the 1.06 power, not 1.0, is exactly the gap between "pace holds steady" and what human endurance actually does.

Do it exactly

Estimate with the rule, then check it against the calculator that models it properly.

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