Treadmill Pace Chart and Workout Ideas

A treadmill is a helpful tool, and even more so if you understand treadmill paces and how they work. By the end, you’ll feel more confident using the treadmill for everything from easy miles to speed workouts… no math required.

Remember to review the treadmill training gui de for more tips on how to utilize incline, treadmill workouts, and more. As a quick reminder, NO you don’t need to do all your mileage at 1% to mimic running outside.

Why Use a Treadmill Pace Chart?

It’s a widely used tool for converting treadmill speeds in miles per hour (MPH) to running paces (in minutes per mile), as well as converting those paces at different inclines.

A treadmill pace chart can help you figure out outdoor and indoor running paces.

As discussed in treadmill vs outside running , both are equally effective methods of training. But some of you want to get a better feel for how your paces compare from one to the other.

If you generally run outside, the treadmill pace chart will assist you in determining your ideal pace on days when you need to log miles inside.

What’s key is to remember that just because you run one pace outside doesn’t mean it will be the same inside. Perhaps the treadmill feels harder for you, or it’s hotter, or you’re just tired!

It can also help you find your best speed for a hill workout, or even just to make sure you’re running at the right minute-per-mile pace for a speed workout.

Treadmill Pace Chart: Speed Conversions from MPH and KM/H to Pace

While the average treadmill goes from 1 to 12MPH, this chart is not quite that robust. Instead, let’s look at some of the basic numbers to give you an idea of how fast you are walking or running on the treadmill.

What Pace Should You Run on The Treadmill?

There is no such thing as a good treadmill pace. Which means the pace you use will vary based on your run's goal, your current fitness, and, honestly, the treadmill!

That’s right, some treadmills are downright harder. They haven’t been calibrated in a while and may be at an incline, not rotating precisely, or in a super-hot room.

Every run should start with pre-run stretches, followed by some easy walking, and then even a light jog to warm up.

Instead of worrying about the exact pace you should run, focus on the effort of your workout. By keeping easy days easy and going hard enough on your speed workouts, you will absolutely make progress. Which is the goal, not hitting a certain pace on your easy days.

That said, only those doing sprints or elite runners will use the 12.0 MPH setting! Most folks should start with a 3.0 to 4.0 for walking and then graduate to 5.0-7.0 for most easy runs.

Where you fall in that range will vary even from day to day!

And make sure to warm up on the treadmill at a speed that’s a little lower than your easy running pace. This is because you’ll also find that running on a treadmill feels different in your legs due to the difference in terrain.

Regardless, pay attention to the effort levels and try it to match your regular workouts as much as possible.

How Does Your Treadmill Affect Pacing?

Not all treadmills are the same. Apart from calibration issues, the deck's quality and the machine's stability can also affect how the effort feels at different paces.

For example, heavier, more stable machines often reduce the load on your body when you run at higher output and with greater forces.

This is often why slower paces feel more comfortable for outdoor running than indoors on a treadmill. Similarly, many runners find that running at faster paces on a treadmill generally feels more sustainable.

Part of this has to do with the running surface in general and with your environment, thanks to factors like a lack of wind resistance.

But again, that still depends on the type of treadmill you’re running on. If you’ve read my guide on curved treadmills, you’ll know how those are a lot different than traditional ones as well.

There’s also the Wahoo KICKR Treadmill that can mimic the side-to-side tilt that you would experience running outside, which will also change your pace and effort.

In general, use this chart to get a feel for your RPE and understand which paces are right for YOU.

Check out these 7 treadmill workouts to keep things interesting and improve performance.