What a treadmill pace converter does
A treadmill shows speed, in miles per hour or kilometers per hour. Most runners think in pace, in minutes per mile or minutes per kilometer. A treadmill pace converter changes one into the other. Type 6 mph and it tells you that is a 10:00 mile. Type an 8:30 pace and it tells you to set the belt to about 7.1 mph.
This one also gives you the same answer in both unit systems at once, the closest speed a treadmill can really hold, finish times for common races, and an estimate for what an incline is worth on flat ground.
How to use the converter
- Pick miles or kilometers.
- Type a treadmill speed, tap a common speed, or use the plus and minus buttons. The pace updates at once.
- Or type a pace in the pace box, like 8:30 or just 830. The speed updates as you type.
- Set an incline to see the flat-ground equivalent and the matching race times.
The math in one line
Pace in minutes equals 60 divided by speed. At 6 mph, 60 ÷ 6 = 10 minutes per mile. At 10 km/h, 60 ÷ 10 = 6 minutes per kilometer. To get seconds, multiply the part after the decimal point by 60. At 7 mph, 60 ÷ 7 = 8.571, and 0.571 × 60 = 34 seconds, so the pace is 8:34.
To change between miles and kilometers, use 1 mile = 1.609344 kilometers. So 6 mph is 9.66 km/h, and 6:00 per kilometer is 9:39 per mile.
Treadmill speed to pace chart
These values are exact. The pace is rounded to the nearest second.
| mph | Min per mile | km/h | Min per km |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 20:00 | 4.83 | 12:26 |
| 4 | 15:00 | 6.44 | 9:19 |
| 5 | 12:00 | 8.05 | 7:27 |
| 5.5 | 10:55 | 8.85 | 6:47 |
| 6 | 10:00 | 9.66 | 6:13 |
| 6.5 | 9:14 | 10.46 | 5:44 |
| 7 | 8:34 | 11.27 | 5:20 |
| 7.5 | 8:00 | 12.07 | 4:58 |
| 8 | 7:30 | 12.87 | 4:40 |
| 8.5 | 7:04 | 13.68 | 4:23 |
| 9 | 6:40 | 14.48 | 4:09 |
| 10 | 6:00 | 16.09 | 3:44 |
| 11 | 5:27 | 17.70 | 3:23 |
| 12 | 5:00 | 19.31 | 3:06 |
Worked example: an 8:30 mile
You want to run 8:30 per mile. That is 510 seconds. Speed in mph equals 3600 divided by the seconds per mile, so 3600 ÷ 510 = 7.06 mph. Most treadmills step by 0.1, so the nearest setting is 7.1 mph. At 7.1 mph the mile takes 8:27, three seconds faster. If you want to be slower than 8:30, use 7.0 mph, which is 8:34.
Race times at common paces
These times hold the pace for the whole distance on a flat belt. Real races add turns, hills and wind.
| Pace per mile | mph | 5K | 10K | Half | Marathon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 | 8.57 | 21:45 | 43:30 | 1:31:46 | 3:03:32 |
| 8:00 | 7.50 | 24:51 | 49:43 | 1:44:53 | 3:29:45 |
| 9:00 | 6.67 | 27:58 | 55:55 | 1:57:59 | 3:55:58 |
| 10:00 | 6.00 | 31:04 | 1:02:08 | 2:11:06 | 4:22:11 |
| 11:00 | 5.45 | 34:11 | 1:08:21 | 2:24:12 | 4:48:24 |
| 12:00 | 5.00 | 37:17 | 1:14:34 | 2:37:19 | 5:14:38 |
How incline changes the pace
Incline makes the same speed harder. The tool shows the flat-ground pace that takes about the same effort. This is an estimate, not a measurement.
It uses the running equation from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), published in ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (see Sources). Oxygen use in ml per kg per minute is 0.2 × S + 0.9 × S × G + 3.5, where S is speed in meters per minute and G is the grade as a fraction, so 5% is 0.05. For the same oxygen use on a flat belt, the speed is S × (1 + 4.5 × G). Each 1% of incline is worth about 4.5% more flat speed.
Example: you run 6 mph at 5% incline. The flat speed is 6 × (1 + 4.5 × 0.05) = 7.35 mph. That is an 8:10 mile on flat ground, compared with 10:00 on the belt.
The equation is documented for steady running above 5 mph (8 km/h). Below that speed, or when you walk, this tool shows no flat-ground estimate. The tool also limits the incline input to 15%; that is a limit of this tool, not of the equation. Heart rate, form, heat and treadmill calibration all change real effort. The equation is known to over-estimate absolute oxygen use in some athletes, so treat the result as a rough guide.
The 1% incline rule
Outdoors, you push against the air. A belt removes that. In 1996, Jones and Doust tested nine trained men at 6.5 to 11.2 mph and compared treadmill grades from 0 to 3% with level road running. A 1% grade matched the energy cost of the road at most speeds. At the two slowest speeds, 0% or 1% matched, and at the fastest speed the match sat between 1% and 2%. Many runners use 1% for easy and steady runs for this reason. It is a rule of thumb from a small study.
Sources
- American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, metabolic calculations (running equation). Wolters Kluwer. Edition and table number not verified by the site owner.
- Restated and tested in: Hippokratia 2013, "Indirect estimation of VO2max in athletes by ACSM's equation: valid or not?" It repeats the equation and says it is valid for steady-state exercise at speeds above 5.0 mph (134 m/min). PubMed 24376318.
- Jones AM, Doust JH. A 1% treadmill grade most accurately reflects the energetic cost of outdoor running. Journal of Sports Sciences 1996;14(4):321-327. PubMed 8887211.
Tips for treadmill pacing
- Write your target pace and its speed on a note before you start, so you do not do math while you run.
- Change the speed in small steps. One step of 0.1 mph moves a 10:00 mile by about 10 seconds.
- Check the belt. If your treadmill reads fast or slow, your real pace will not match the display.
- Use the safety clip and hold the rails when you change the speed.
- This tool does arithmetic. It is not medical advice. Ask a doctor about a hard training plan if you have a health concern.