AlphaPeak

1500m Pace Lab

Lap-by-lap pacing with 400m splits plus the critical 300m finishing segment. The metric mile, decoded.

11 Men · 8 Women · 1998–2025

Decoding the 1500m

How the world's best athletes pace the 1500m.

How the race unfolds

Most of the field stays together through about 1100m; separation usually builds on the last lap and home straight. A fast finish is normal, but it does not mean every lap gets faster on the clock. The final split here is only 300m, so plotting raw metres per second makes almost everyone look like they slow at the end. The velocity chart uses speed relative to the average of the first three 400m segments (100% = that early rhythm). Values above 100% on the last point mean the finish was faster than that cruise — what tactical kick wins often show.

Time trials vs championships

World-record and paced races tend to be honest early and very hard late. Major finals are often slower for two or three laps, then violent from 800m out — good for medals, hard on the time. Model the kind of race you are actually targeting.

Mile conversion: 1500m is ~93.2% of the mile. Multiply mile time by 0.9259 for a rough equivalent (e.g. 4:00.0 mile → about 3:42.5).

Split Distribution by Performance Tier
How each segment's share of total time changes across performance levels.
Velocity Profile
Relative speed: each point is % of the average m/s over the first three 400m segments (100% = that cruise). The last segment is 300m — raw m/s would misleadingly dip even on great kicks, so this scale matches the story. Tooltips also show true m/s. Curated races include WR pace, Paris 2024, and a tactical Olympic final.
Differential Analysis
Finish time vs. half-race differential, with a least-squares trend line. Lower differential = more even pacing between halves.
Pacing Trends
How first and last segment percentages have evolved over time.

Pace Calculator

Enter a target 1500m time and gender to get recommended split targets based on elite pacing data.

Men's 1500m Split Database

Elite race split data sourced from official timing systems and biomechanical analyses.

Women's 1500m Split Database

Elite race split data from the world's top performers.

Pacing Models by Performance Tier

Average split distribution percentages derived from the database, organized by performance level.

Men's Models

Women's Models

About & Sources

This database compiles 1500m race split times from major international competitions. All data comes from official timing systems and published biomechanical analyses.

The pacing calculator uses split distribution percentages derived from this database, adjusted for gender and performance level. The model interpolates between performance tiers to generate smooth, realistic pacing recommendations.

Key features: Confidence bands show the typical range of split variation among athletes at similar performance levels. The database ranking shows where your target time falls among recorded elite performances.

Primary Sources