The formula, with two examples
Divide 60 by the speed to get the pace in minutes. At 12 km/h, 60 ÷ 12 = 5, so the pace is 5:00 per km. At 13 km/h, 60 ÷ 13 = 4.615: multiply the decimals by 60 to get seconds, 0.615 × 60 = 37, so the pace is 4:37 per km.
To switch units, remember that a mile is 1.609 km. A belt at 10 km/h is 6.2 mph, or 9:39 per mile.
From km/h to min per km and min per mile
Each row gives the pace and the time for a 5 km and a 10 km at a constant speed. Times are rounded to the second.
| km/h | mph | Pace per km | Pace per mile | 5 km | 10 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.0 | 5.0 | 7:30 | 12:04 | 37:30 | 1:15:00 |
| 8.5 | 5.3 | 7:04 | 11:22 | 35:18 | 1:10:35 |
| 9.0 | 5.6 | 6:40 | 10:44 | 33:20 | 1:06:40 |
| 9.5 | 5.9 | 6:19 | 10:10 | 31:35 | 1:03:09 |
| 10.0 | 6.2 | 6:00 | 9:39 | 30:00 | 1:00:00 |
| 10.5 | 6.5 | 5:43 | 9:12 | 28:34 | 57:09 |
| 11.0 | 6.8 | 5:27 | 8:47 | 27:16 | 54:33 |
| 11.5 | 7.1 | 5:13 | 8:24 | 26:05 | 52:10 |
| 12.0 | 7.5 | 5:00 | 8:03 | 25:00 | 50:00 |
| 12.5 | 7.8 | 4:48 | 7:43 | 24:00 | 48:00 |
| 13.0 | 8.1 | 4:37 | 7:26 | 23:05 | 46:09 |
| 13.5 | 8.4 | 4:27 | 7:09 | 22:13 | 44:27 |
| 14.0 | 8.7 | 4:17 | 6:54 | 21:26 | 42:51 |
| 14.5 | 9.0 | 4:08 | 6:40 | 20:41 | 41:23 |
| 15.0 | 9.3 | 4:00 | 6:26 | 20:00 | 40:00 |
| 15.5 | 9.6 | 3:52 | 6:14 | 19:21 | 38:43 |
| 16.0 | 9.9 | 3:45 | 6:02 | 18:45 | 37:30 |
| 16.5 | 10.3 | 3:38 | 5:51 | 18:11 | 36:22 |
| 17.0 | 10.6 | 3:32 | 5:41 | 17:39 | 35:18 |
| 17.5 | 10.9 | 3:26 | 5:31 | 17:09 | 34:17 |
| 18.0 | 11.2 | 3:20 | 5:22 | 16:40 | 33:20 |
From mph to min per mile and min per km
American consoles show miles per hour. Find your setting in the first column.
| mph | km/h | Pace per mile | Pace per km | 5 km | 10 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | 6.4 | 15:00 | 9:19 | 46:36 | 1:33:12 |
| 4.5 | 7.2 | 13:20 | 8:17 | 41:25 | 1:22:51 |
| 5.0 | 8.0 | 12:00 | 7:27 | 37:17 | 1:14:34 |
| 5.5 | 8.9 | 10:55 | 6:47 | 33:54 | 1:07:47 |
| 6.0 | 9.7 | 10:00 | 6:13 | 31:04 | 1:02:08 |
| 6.5 | 10.5 | 9:14 | 5:44 | 28:41 | 57:21 |
| 7.0 | 11.3 | 8:34 | 5:20 | 26:38 | 53:16 |
| 7.5 | 12.1 | 8:00 | 4:58 | 24:51 | 49:43 |
| 8.0 | 12.9 | 7:30 | 4:40 | 23:18 | 46:36 |
| 8.5 | 13.7 | 7:04 | 4:23 | 21:56 | 43:52 |
| 9.0 | 14.5 | 6:40 | 4:09 | 20:43 | 41:25 |
| 9.5 | 15.3 | 6:19 | 3:55 | 19:37 | 39:15 |
| 10.0 | 16.1 | 6:00 | 3:44 | 18:38 | 37:17 |
Which speed for a 5K, 10K, half or marathon goal
To run a distance in a given time, divide the distance by the time in hours. A 5 km in 25 minutes is 5 ÷ (25 ÷ 60) = 12 km/h.
A belt has no air resistance, so the same speed costs a little less effort than outdoors. Andrew Jones and Jonathan Doust found that a 1% incline made up the difference for nine trained runners between 10.5 and 18 km/h (6.5 to 11.2 mph). On the flat, a treadmill time is a little easier to hold than the same time on the road.
| Goal | Belt speed | Pace per km | Pace per mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 km in 30:00 | 10.0 km/h (6.2 mph) | 6:00 | 9:39 |
| 5 km in 25:00 | 12.0 km/h (7.5 mph) | 5:00 | 8:03 |
| 5 km in 20:00 | 15.0 km/h (9.3 mph) | 4:00 | 6:26 |
| 10 km in 60:00 | 10.0 km/h (6.2 mph) | 6:00 | 9:39 |
| 10 km in 50:00 | 12.0 km/h (7.5 mph) | 5:00 | 8:03 |
| 10 km in 40:00 | 15.0 km/h (9.3 mph) | 4:00 | 6:26 |
| Half marathon in 2:00:00 | 10.5 km/h (6.6 mph) | 5:41 | 9:09 |
| Half marathon in 1:45:00 | 12.1 km/h (7.5 mph) | 4:59 | 8:01 |
| Half marathon in 1:30:00 | 14.1 km/h (8.7 mph) | 4:16 | 6:52 |
| Marathon in 4:00:00 | 10.5 km/h (6.6 mph) | 5:41 | 9:09 |
| Marathon in 3:30:00 | 12.1 km/h (7.5 mph) | 4:59 | 8:01 |
| Marathon in 3:00:00 | 14.1 km/h (8.7 mph) | 4:16 | 6:52 |
Further reading: Jones and Doust, Journal of Sports Sciences, 1996 ↗
How much to trust the console
A treadmill console is not a measuring instrument. DC Rainmaker found that his ProForm treadmill overstated distance by 2.5 to 5%, so a pace calculated from the display carries the same error. Compare your sessions on the same treadmill rather than against road times.
Runkyz shows the belt speed to set in km/h, with the resulting pace per km beside it. It does not read your real speed: you set the belt on the console, and the table above converts the target to mph.
Further reading: DC Rainmaker — Treadmill accuracy ↗
IN RUNKYZ
Targets in km/h, with the pace beside them.
Runkyz shows the speed to set and the pace it gives: use the chart to read it in mph.
