BYTETOOLS

Swim Pace Calculator

Convert swim times to pace per 25, 50 and 100 in metres and yards, convert between pool courses, build split ladders and calculate SWOLF.

Pace

1:20.00 / 100 m

1:13.15 per 100 yd • 1.250 m/s • 4.50 km/h

0:20.00
Per 25 m
0:40.00
Per 50 m
1:13.15
Per 100 yd
16.0
Lengths swum

Pace table

SplitMetresYards
Per 250:20.000:18.29
Per 500:40.000:36.58
Per 1001:20.001:13.15

Pure distance conversion: 1 yard is 0.9144 m, so the same swimmer takes 1.0936× longer over 100 m than over 100 yd. This table does not adjust for the number of turns — that is what the course conversion below is for.

Course conversion

Increment for 400 m = 6.40 s
CourseEquivalent timePer 100
Short course yards (25 yd pool)4:48.291:12.07
Short course metres (25 m pool)5:20.001:20.00
Long course metres (50 m pool)5:26.401:21.60

Yards convert to metres with the 1.11 factor from the USA Swimming conversion table, and the incremental above is added when moving from a 25 m pool to a 50 m pool (and subtracted the other way) to account for halving the number of turns. The official table lists a separate incremental for every event and stroke, so treat these as close approximations rather than seed times.

Split ladder

#TargetCumulative
10:40.000:40.00
20:40.001:20.00
30:40.002:00.00
40:40.002:40.00
50:40.003:20.00
60:40.004:00.00
70:40.004:40.00
80:40.005:20.00

A descending ladder starts slower and finishes faster while adding up to the same total time, so the last interval is the one you have to earn.

SWOLF

20.00 s
Seconds per length
18
Strokes per length
38.0
SWOLF

SWOLF is simply seconds per length plus strokes per length, so a lower score means you covered the length faster, with fewer strokes, or both. It is only comparable within one pool length and one stroke — a SWOLF from a 25 yd pool cannot be read against one from a 50 m pool.

All calculations run in your browser; nothing about your training is uploaded.

What is the Swim Pace Calculator?

Swim pace is total time divided by distance, scaled to a standard split — usually per 100 metres or per 100 yards. Because a yard is 0.9144 m, the same swimmer's 100 m pace is about 1.0936 times their 100 yd pace.

  • Pace per 25, 50 and 100 in both metres and yards from one entry
  • Speed in metres per second and kilometres per hour
  • SCY, SCM and LCM course conversion with an editable turn incremental
  • Even or descending split ladders that still total your target time
  • SWOLF from seconds per length plus strokes per length
  • Flexible time entry — seconds, m:ss, m:ss.hh or h:mm:ss
  • Copy the pace summary and full split ladder in one click

How to use the Swim Pace Calculator

  1. 1

    Enter the distance you swam and choose metres or yards.

  2. 2

    Type the time as mm:ss, m:ss.hh or h:mm:ss — for example 5:20 or 1:02:30.

  3. 3

    Pick your pool course so per-length and SWOLF figures use the right pool length.

  4. 4

    Read the pace tiles and the per-25 / per-50 / per-100 table in both metres and yards.

  5. 5

    Use the course conversion table for equivalent times, and set the number of intervals to build an even or descending split ladder.

  6. 6

    Enter your strokes per length at the bottom to get a SWOLF score.

About the Swim Pace Calculator

The ByteTools Swim Pace Calculator takes one swim — a distance and a time — and turns it into everything you need on the pool deck. It reports your pace per 25, 50 and 100 in both metres and yards, your speed in metres per second and kilometres per hour, and how many lengths that distance is in your pool.

It also converts times between short-course yards, short-course metres and long-course metres using the USA Swimming factor of 1.11 for yards-to-metres plus an incremental for the change in turn count, which you can edit. Below that, a split ladder breaks the swim into any number of even or descending intervals that still add up to the same total, and a SWOLF panel adds seconds per length to strokes per length.

Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing about your training is uploaded. Course conversions are approximations of a table that officially varies by event and stroke, so treat them as guidance rather than seed times.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good swim pace per 100 m?

For adult lap swimmers, roughly 2:00–2:30 per 100 m is a comfortable recreational pace, 1:30–1:45 is a solid fitness swimmer and under 1:20 is competitive club territory. Pace also drops as distance rises, so a 100 m pace and a 1500 m pace are not the same conversation.

How do I convert yards to metres in swimming?

One yard is 0.9144 m, so 100 m is 1.0936 times as far as 100 yd — the same swimmer takes about 9.4% longer. For race-time conversions USA Swimming rounds this to a factor of 1.11, which also folds in the change in turn count between courses.

What is SWOLF and what is a good score?

SWOLF is seconds per length plus strokes per length, so a lower score means you covered the length faster, with fewer strokes, or both. In a 25 m pool many recreational swimmers sit in the 45–55 range and efficient swimmers below 40 — but it only compares meaningfully within one pool length and one stroke.

Why is a long-course time slower than short course?

Turns are fast. A push-off is quicker than swimming, so a 25 m pool gives you twice as many of them over the same distance as a 50 m pool. That is what the incremental in the course conversion accounts for — around 0.8 s per 50 m of race distance.

What does descending a set mean?

It means each interval is faster than the one before. The split ladder here builds a descending set that still adds up to your target total, so the first rep starts slower than the average and the last one is genuinely faster — the point of the set is that you have to earn the final swim.

Are these conversions official seed times?

No. The official USA Swimming table lists a separate incremental for each event and stroke; this calculator uses a single editable value that reproduces the published freestyle figures. Use it for training context, not for meet entries.

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