Free running calculators
Treadmill Pace Calculator
Treadmills show speed; training plans give pace. Convert either way, and set an incline to see the flat-ground pace your treadmill run is really worth.
Converting treadmill speed to pace
Pace is speed turned upside down. Divide 60 by your speed to get minutes per mile or km: 6.0 mph is 60 ÷ 6 = 10 minutes per mile, and 12 km/h is 60 ÷ 12 = 5 minutes per km. Going the other way, divide 60 by your pace in decimal minutes: 8:00 per mile is 60 ÷ 8 = 7.5 mph.
Treadmill pace chart
Common treadmill speeds with their pace per mile and per km, and the flat-ground pace each one is worth at a 1% incline.
| mph | km/h | Pace /mi | Pace /km | Flat pace at 1% /mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | 6.4 | 15:00 | 9:19 | 14:21 |
| 4.5 | 7.2 | 13:20 | 8:17 | 12:46 |
| 5.0 | 8.0 | 12:00 | 7:27 | 11:29 |
| 5.5 | 8.9 | 10:55 | 6:47 | 10:26 |
| 6.0 | 9.7 | 10:00 | 6:13 | 9:34 |
| 6.5 | 10.5 | 9:14 | 5:44 | 8:50 |
| 7.0 | 11.3 | 8:34 | 5:20 | 8:12 |
| 7.5 | 12.1 | 8:00 | 4:58 | 7:39 |
| 8.0 | 12.9 | 7:30 | 4:40 | 7:11 |
| 8.5 | 13.7 | 7:04 | 4:23 | 6:45 |
| 9.0 | 14.5 | 6:40 | 4:09 | 6:23 |
| 9.5 | 15.3 | 6:19 | 3:55 | 6:03 |
| 10.0 | 16.1 | 6:00 | 3:44 | 5:44 |
| 10.5 | 16.9 | 5:43 | 3:33 | 5:28 |
| 11.0 | 17.7 | 5:27 | 3:23 | 5:13 |
| 11.5 | 18.5 | 5:13 | 3:15 | 5:00 |
| 12.0 | 19.3 | 5:00 | 3:06 | 4:47 |
What incline is worth
Running uphill takes more energy at the same speed. The calculator uses the American College of Sports Medicine's running equation, which estimates oxygen use from speed v and grade:
VO2 = 0.2·v + 0.9·v·grade + 3.5
Holding the effort equal, running at a given speed up a grade costs the same as running on the flat at that speed × (1 + 4.5 × grade). So each 1% of incline is worth about 4.5% more speed: 6.0 mph at 2% feels like 6.54 mph on the flat, or 9:10 per mile instead of 10:00.
The ACSM equation is meant for steady running faster than about 5 mph on moderate grades. On steep inclines, and at walking speeds, treat the equivalent pace as a rough estimate.
Should you set the treadmill to 1%?
Outdoors you push against the air; on a treadmill you don't, and the belt helps a little with each stride. A 1996 study by Andrew Jones and Jonathan Doust found that a 1% incline makes treadmill running about as costly as running outside, for speeds of about 6.5 to 11 mph. That's why 1% is the calculator's default. At slower speeds air resistance matters less, and 0% is close enough.
Frequently asked questions
Are treadmill speeds accurate?
Not always. Belts can drift out of calibration, especially on gym machines that see heavy use, and errors of 5% or more aren't unusual. If a treadmill pace feels much harder or easier than the same pace outside, trust your effort.
How fast is a 10-minute mile on a treadmill?
6.0 mph, or 9.7 km/h. An 8-minute mile is 7.5 mph, and a 7-minute mile is 8.6 mph.
Planning a race? Use the pace calculator to turn your goal time into a pace, then convert it to a treadmill speed here.