RUNNING TOOL
Treadmill pace and incline
Speedmph Pace:per mile
Incline%
The effort-equivalent pace uses the ACSM running equation, which prices each 1% of incline at about 4.5% more speed. Many runners set 1% to match outdoor effort, because a treadmill belt removes wind resistance.
How the treadmill converter works
Treadmills show speed, but runners think in pace. The two are reciprocal: pace per mile is 60 ÷ mph in minutes, and pace per kilometer is 60 ÷ km/h. So 6 mph is 10:00 per mile, 7.5 mph is 8:00 per mile and 10 mph is 6:00 per mile. Choose "Pace to speed" to go the other direction.
Adjusting for incline
Running uphill costs more energy, so the same belt speed is harder at an incline. The tool uses the American College of Sports Medicine running equation, in which oxygen use equals 0.2 × speed + 0.9 × speed × grade + 3.5 (speed in meters per minute, grade as a fraction). Setting the cost equal to a flat run shows that every 1% of incline is worth about 4.5% more speed.
For example, 6 mph at 2% incline costs about what 6.54 mph costs on the flat, which is roughly a 9:10 per mile pace.
Many runners set the treadmill to 1% because the belt removes wind resistance. Research by Jones and Doust in 1996 found that about 1% incline matched the energy cost of outdoor running on flat ground.
Treadmill speed chart
| mph | km/h | Per mile | Per km | 5K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | 6.4 | 15:00 | 9:19 | 46:36 |
| 4.5 | 7.2 | 13:20 | 8:17 | 41:25 |
| 5.0 | 8.0 | 12:00 | 7:27 | 37:17 |
| 5.5 | 8.9 | 10:55 | 6:47 | 33:54 |
| 6.0 | 9.7 | 10:00 | 6:13 | 31:04 |
| 6.5 | 10.5 | 9:14 | 5:44 | 28:41 |
| 7.0 | 11.3 | 8:34 | 5:20 | 26:38 |
| 7.5 | 12.1 | 8:00 | 4:58 | 24:51 |
| 8.0 | 12.9 | 7:30 | 4:40 | 23:18 |
| 8.5 | 13.7 | 7:04 | 4:23 | 21:56 |
| 9.0 | 14.5 | 6:40 | 4:09 | 20:43 |
| 9.5 | 15.3 | 6:19 | 3:55 | 19:37 |
| 10.0 | 16.1 | 6:00 | 3:44 | 18:38 |
Limits
- The running equation was developed for running speeds above about 5 mph (8 km/h) and for uphill grades, so it doesn't cover walking or downhill settings.
- Belts drift out of calibration. If your pace feels off, time one minute against the distance display, or check it against a footpod.
- Effort-equivalent pace is an estimate of energy cost, not of how the effort feels. Climbing also loads your calves and Achilles tendons more, so add incline gradually.
For converting distances and outdoor paces, use the miles and kilometers converter.