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Stopwatch & Lap Time Guide: Laps, Splits, Settings & Examples

Master lap vs split times, use auto-lap on pause for intervals, compare fastest/slowest laps, and export your sessions.

Last updated: Feb 7, 2026

Lap vs split time

A lap is the time between two lap presses. A split is the total elapsed time since you started the stopwatch.

If you press Lap repeatedly, each lap measures your time for that segment only (lap time). This is useful for comparing performance across segments.

Split time is cumulative: it keeps increasing from the moment you press Start. Use splits to track progress toward a target total time.

In training and racing, laps help compare segment performance while splits show overall progress. Most professional timing systems display both.

Example
  • Lap 1: 0:30.00 (Split 0:30.00)
  • Lap 2: 0:29.50 (Split 0:59.50)
  • Lap 3: 0:31.00 (Split 1:30.50)

Try it: Lap vs Split times

Open full Stopwatch & Laps

Lap = segment time. Split = total time since start.

Fastest, slowest, average lap

Once you have laps, you can compute summary statistics to understand consistency and pacing.

Fastest lap = minimum lap duration. Slowest lap = maximum lap duration. The gap between them shows your variability.

Average lap = total lap time divided by number of laps. Compare individual laps to the average to spot outliers.

If your slowest lap is much larger than average, you may have had a rest, a pacing drop, or an obstacle. Use this insight to improve.

Example
  • Laps: 30.0s, 29.5s, 31.0s, 30.2s
  • Fastest: 29.5s
  • Slowest: 31.0s
  • Average: 30.2s
  • Slowest is 1.5s above fastest — 5% variability

Try it: Compare laps

Open full Stopwatch & Laps

Fastest/slowest show variability; average shows typical pace.

Settings explained

Customize precision, sounds, and auto-lap behavior to match your timing needs.

Precision: Choose 1ms, 10ms, or 100ms display. Higher precision (1ms) is useful for speed runs; lower precision (100ms) is cleaner for workouts.

Sounds: Enable audio feedback for Start, Lap, and Reset. Helpful when you can't watch the screen (e.g., during a run).

Auto-lap on pause: When enabled, pausing the stopwatch automatically records the current segment as a lap. Perfect for interval training where you pause between sets.

Interval training setup
  • 1. Enable "Auto-lap on pause"
  • 2. Start → exercise → Pause (lap recorded)
  • 3. Rest → Resume → exercise → Pause (lap recorded)
  • 4. Review all work intervals with rest excluded

Try it: Experiment with settings

Open full Stopwatch & Laps

Auto-lap on pause captures work intervals automatically.

Use cases

A versatile stopwatch supports many timing scenarios beyond just running laps.

Running/cycling intervals: Track each lap around a track, or each interval in a HIIT session. Compare pacing consistency.

Workout sets: Time each exercise set. Use auto-lap on pause to capture work periods while ignoring rest.

Speed runs/gaming: Record segment times for game levels or challenges. Identify your slowest segment to improve.

Cooking/lab timing: Time each step in a recipe or experiment. Export the session as a reference.

Presentations/meetings: Time each agenda item or speaker. Keep sessions on track.

HIIT workout example
  • 30s work → Pause → 15s rest → Resume
  • 30s work → Pause → 15s rest → Resume
  • Result: 4 laps of ~30s (work periods)

Try it: Simulate intervals

Open full Stopwatch & Laps

From athletics to cooking, lap timing brings structure.

Export and save sessions

For workouts and time trials, exporting your lap table is useful for logs and sharing.

Use PDF export to download a clean summary and lap table for your training log.

Use Save/History to store sessions and revisit them later in the same browser. Sessions are stored locally — no account needed.

Saved sessions include all laps, stats, and your settings at the time of saving.

Example
  • Save: "Morning intervals 2026-02-07"
  • Export PDF for coach or training log
  • History: Compare today vs last week

Related: Time Duration

Open Time Duration

Export PDFs for sharing; save sessions for later reference.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is auto-lap on pause and when should I use it?

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Auto-lap on pause automatically records the current segment as a lap when you pause the stopwatch. It's ideal for interval training: pause at the end of each work period, rest, then resume. This way, only your work intervals are recorded as laps, not rest time.

Does the stopwatch keep running if I switch tabs?

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Browsers may throttle timers in background tabs. The display may update less frequently, but elapsed time is still computed using performance timing when you return. Your laps and total time remain accurate.

What precision should I use?

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10ms (default) is good for most uses. Use 1ms for speed runs or scientific timing. Use 100ms for casual workouts where milliseconds don't matter.

Can I export more than 60 laps?

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The PDF export includes up to 60 laps to keep the report readable. You can still save unlimited laps in history.

Is this a server-side stopwatch?

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No. The stopwatch runs entirely in your browser for privacy and instant responsiveness. No data is sent to any server.

How do I time rest periods?

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You have two options: (1) Keep the stopwatch running and press Lap at the end of each rest — you'll see rest laps in your table. (2) Pause during rest and enable auto-lap — your laps will only include work periods.

Can I compare sessions over time?

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Yes. Save sessions with descriptive names (e.g., 'Track day Apr 15'). Use History to load and compare previous sessions against today's performance.

Why is my slowest lap so much higher than average?

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Common reasons: an unintentional pause, an obstacle, fatigue at that point, or you included a rest period. Use this insight to adjust your pacing or exclude rest from laps using auto-lap on pause.