Resources · Pace Clock
How Do I Read the Swim Pace Clock?
A beginner's guide to the clock on the pool deck — and how swimmers use it to know when to go.
In short: The pace clock tells you when to leave for your next repeat. Whatever time is left on the clock when you finish is your rest.
Show me
The pace clock, labeled.
A standard pool pace clock has one hand that goes all the way around every 60 seconds. Swimmers use the numbers around the edge as :00, :15, :30 and :45 — quarter-minute markers you leave on.
Illustration coming — Analog pace clock face with :00, :15, :30, :45 positions labeled
Walk me through it
One swim, start to finish.
Say the workout calls for 50s on a 1:00 interval — meaning a new repeat starts every minute.
Step 1
Leave on :00
The big hand hits the top of the clock — that's your start.
Step 2
Finish at :42
You swim the 50 in 42 seconds. Whatever's left on the clock is your rest.
Step 3
Rest 18 seconds, leave again at 1:00
The clock rolls back to the top — same as :00 — and you go again.
More examples
Different send-offs, same idea.
Leave :15
Next send-off: :45
30 seconds later — a half-minute interval.
Leave :30
Next send-off: :00
Also 30 seconds later — the clock just wraps around.
Leave :00, interval 1:30
Next send-off: :30
Longer intervals can cross the top of the clock more than once — count in full laps of the clock face.
Your turn
Try it yourself.
You leave on :00 and finish a 100 in 1:28. If the interval is 1:45, what time do you leave on next — and how much rest did you get?
Answer: You leave next at 1:45. You finished at 1:28, so you got 17 seconds of rest before the next send-off.
The interval is :50 and you leave on :10. What's your next send-off?
Answer: :10 + :50 = 1:00. Your next send-off is at the top of the clock, :00 / 1:00.
Remember thisThe clock tells you when you leave again. Your finish time determines how much rest you get — the clock doesn't change to give you more.
Ready to use a real interval?
Try the generator and see pace-clock intervals in an actual workout.
Generate My Workout