Running pace zone calculator
Updated:
Pace zones split running into five effort levels based on one number: your threshold pace. Enter it in minutes per kilometre or per mile, and the calculator shows five zones as a pace range and a speed. The zones come from the same library the EasyTrackly app uses, so the result matches the athlete's training settings to the second.
Calculate your pace zones
You can bring your threshold pace over from another page. On the training paces page you calculate it from a race result, and on the heart rate zones page from a 30-minute test. Both calculators have a button that fills in the field on this page.
What threshold pace is
Threshold pace is the fastest pace you can hold for about an hour without fatigue building up quickly. Above it fatigue grows fast; below it you can keep running for a long time. That makes it a good reference for every zone: recovery running, aerobic running, tempo, threshold and efforts above threshold.
Three ways to find your threshold pace
A race. A recent 5K, 10K or half marathon result gives you a threshold pace through the training pace calculator. It is the most convenient way, but an estimate from a single result can be off.
A 30-minute test. You run for 30 minutes alone at a maximal even effort, and your pace over the last 20 minutes is your threshold pace. It is a measurement, not an estimate, and you can repeat it every few weeks.
A laboratory. A test with lactate or gas exchange measurement gives the most accurate result, but it requires a visit to a lab and costs money. For most amateurs the 30-minute test is enough.
Why we calculate zones from speed
The zone limits sit at 85, 90, 95 and 100 percent of threshold speed, following Joe Friel's method. We calculate them from speed rather than from time per kilometre, because a percentage of pace and a percentage of speed are not the same thing. Running 10 percent slower in speed means a pace more than 11 percent longer per kilometre. Calculating from pace would make the slow zones too fast. We show the result as pace because that is how a runner reads a watch.
Example: with a threshold pace of 4:12 min/km, or about 14.3 km/h, the limit between zone one and zone two is 85 percent of that speed, roughly 4:57 min/km. Anything slower is recovery running.
In practice, zones one and two cover most of the weekly mileage: easy runs, recovery runs and the long run. Zone three is a pace that is easy to run too often because it feels productive. Zone four is threshold work, and zone five is short, fast repeats.
Pace zones versus training paces
On the training paces page we calculate paces with the Daniels method, and here we calculate zones with the Friel method. They are two tools for two jobs. Training paces are for planning sessions: you know what pace to run threshold repeats or intervals at. Pace zones are for analysing what was done: after a run you see how long you spent in each zone and whether the easy run was really easy. The limits do not match exactly, because the two methods describe effort differently, but threshold pace is similar in both.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I update my threshold pace?
After every test or race that shows a change in fitness, usually every six to eight weeks. An outdated threshold pace makes every zone too slow or too fast.
Why does zone five have no upper limit?
Zone five covers everything faster than threshold pace: intervals, strides and the finishing sprint. The upper limit is your speed, not a formula.
Do pace zones work on hills?
Uphill your pace drops at the same effort, so the pace zone understates the effort. On hilly terrain it is worth looking at heart rate zones as well, or at grade-adjusted pace.
Can I use miles?
Yes. The unit switch changes the field and the result to minutes per mile and miles per hour, and the link to the result remembers your choice.
You can calculate race pace and a race prediction in the running calculator.