Treadmill Speed Chart: Running Pace to mph

Setting the right treadmill speed to match your outdoor running pace is one of the most common questions for runners transitioning from the road to the gym. The conversion formula is simple: treadmill speed in mph = 60 ÷ pace in min/mile.

Common treadmill speeds and their outdoor pace equivalents: - 6.0 mph = 10:00 min/mile = 6:13 min/km (easy / recovery pace) - 7.0 mph = 8:34 min/mile = 5:19 min/km (comfortable aerobic) - 7.5 mph = 8:00 min/mile = 4:58 min/km (tempo) - 8.0 mph = 7:30 min/mile = 4:40 min/km (threshold) - 9.0 mph = 6:40 min/mile = 4:09 min/km (5K race pace for sub-40 runners) - 10.0 mph = 6:00 min/mile = 3:44 min/km (fast — elite club territory)

Most treadmills also display km/h. To convert: km/h = mph × 1.60934. So 7.5 mph = 12.07 km/h.

Enter your target outdoor pace in the converter above to see the exact treadmill setting plus your projected finish times for 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and marathon. One caveat: most coaches recommend setting the treadmill to a 1% incline to simulate the energy cost of outdoor running (the belt moves under you, eliminating wind resistance).