Treadmill Pace Conversion Chart
Your treadmill shows speed. Your training plan shows pace. This is the chart that connects the two — every speed from 3.0 to 12.9 mph, in both miles and kilometers.
| Speed (mph) | Speed (kph) | Pace / mile | Pace / km |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0 | 4.83 | 20:00 | 12:26 |
| 3.1 | 4.99 | 19:21 | 12:02 |
| 3.2 | 5.15 | 18:45 | 11:39 |
| 3.3 | 5.31 | 18:11 | 11:18 |
| 3.4 | 5.47 | 17:39 | 10:58 |
| 3.5 | 5.63 | 17:09 | 10:39 |
| 3.6 | 5.79 | 16:40 | 10:21 |
| 3.7 | 5.95 | 16:13 | 10:05 |
| 3.8 | 6.12 | 15:47 | 9:49 |
| 3.9 | 6.28 | 15:23 | 9:34 |
| 4.0 | 6.44 | 15:00 | 9:19 |
| 4.1 | 6.60 | 14:38 | 9:06 |
| 4.2 | 6.76 | 14:17 | 8:53 |
| 4.3 | 6.92 | 13:57 | 8:40 |
| 4.4 | 7.08 | 13:38 | 8:28 |
| 4.5 | 7.24 | 13:20 | 8:17 |
| 4.6 | 7.40 | 13:03 | 8:06 |
| 4.7 | 7.56 | 12:46 | 7:56 |
| 4.8 | 7.72 | 12:30 | 7:46 |
| 4.9 | 7.89 | 12:15 | 7:37 |
| 5.0 | 8.05 | 12:00 | 7:27 |
| 5.1 | 8.21 | 11:46 | 7:19 |
| 5.2 | 8.37 | 11:32 | 7:10 |
| 5.3 | 8.53 | 11:19 | 7:02 |
| 5.4 | 8.69 | 11:07 | 6:54 |
| 5.5 | 8.85 | 10:55 | 6:47 |
| 5.6 | 9.01 | 10:43 | 6:39 |
| 5.7 | 9.17 | 10:32 | 6:32 |
| 5.8 | 9.33 | 10:21 | 6:26 |
| 5.9 | 9.50 | 10:10 | 6:19 |
| 6.0 | 9.66 | 10:00 | 6:13 |
| 6.1 | 9.82 | 9:50 | 6:07 |
| 6.2 | 9.98 | 9:41 | 6:01 |
| 6.3 | 10.14 | 9:31 | 5:55 |
| 6.4 | 10.30 | 9:22 | 5:50 |
| 6.5 | 10.46 | 9:14 | 5:44 |
| 6.6 | 10.62 | 9:05 | 5:39 |
| 6.7 | 10.78 | 8:57 | 5:34 |
| 6.8 | 10.94 | 8:49 | 5:29 |
| 6.9 | 11.10 | 8:42 | 5:24 |
| 7.0 | 11.27 | 8:34 | 5:20 |
| 7.1 | 11.43 | 8:27 | 5:15 |
| 7.2 | 11.59 | 8:20 | 5:11 |
| 7.3 | 11.75 | 8:13 | 5:06 |
| 7.4 | 11.91 | 8:06 | 5:02 |
| 7.5 | 12.07 | 8:00 | 4:58 |
| 7.6 | 12.23 | 7:54 | 4:54 |
| 7.7 | 12.39 | 7:48 | 4:51 |
| 7.8 | 12.55 | 7:42 | 4:47 |
| 7.9 | 12.71 | 7:36 | 4:43 |
| 8.0 | 12.87 | 7:30 | 4:40 |
| 8.1 | 13.04 | 7:24 | 4:36 |
| 8.2 | 13.20 | 7:19 | 4:33 |
| 8.3 | 13.36 | 7:14 | 4:30 |
| 8.4 | 13.52 | 7:09 | 4:26 |
| 8.5 | 13.68 | 7:04 | 4:23 |
| 8.6 | 13.84 | 6:59 | 4:20 |
| 8.7 | 14.00 | 6:54 | 4:17 |
| 8.8 | 14.16 | 6:49 | 4:14 |
| 8.9 | 14.32 | 6:44 | 4:11 |
| 9.0 | 14.48 | 6:40 | 4:09 |
| 9.1 | 14.65 | 6:36 | 4:06 |
| 9.2 | 14.81 | 6:31 | 4:03 |
| 9.3 | 14.97 | 6:27 | 4:01 |
| 9.4 | 15.13 | 6:23 | 3:58 |
| 9.5 | 15.29 | 6:19 | 3:55 |
| 9.6 | 15.45 | 6:15 | 3:53 |
| 9.7 | 15.61 | 6:11 | 3:51 |
| 9.8 | 15.77 | 6:07 | 3:48 |
| 9.9 | 15.93 | 6:04 | 3:46 |
| 10.0 | 16.09 | 6:00 | 3:44 |
| 10.1 | 16.25 | 5:56 | 3:41 |
| 10.2 | 16.42 | 5:53 | 3:39 |
| 10.3 | 16.58 | 5:50 | 3:37 |
| 10.4 | 16.74 | 5:46 | 3:35 |
| 10.5 | 16.90 | 5:43 | 3:33 |
| 10.6 | 17.06 | 5:40 | 3:31 |
| 10.7 | 17.22 | 5:36 | 3:29 |
| 10.8 | 17.38 | 5:33 | 3:27 |
| 10.9 | 17.54 | 5:30 | 3:25 |
| 11.0 | 17.70 | 5:27 | 3:23 |
| 11.1 | 17.86 | 5:24 | 3:22 |
| 11.2 | 18.02 | 5:21 | 3:20 |
| 11.3 | 18.19 | 5:19 | 3:18 |
| 11.4 | 18.35 | 5:16 | 3:16 |
| 11.5 | 18.51 | 5:13 | 3:15 |
| 11.6 | 18.67 | 5:10 | 3:13 |
| 11.7 | 18.83 | 5:08 | 3:11 |
| 11.8 | 18.99 | 5:05 | 3:10 |
| 11.9 | 19.15 | 5:03 | 3:08 |
| 12.0 | 19.31 | 5:00 | 3:06 |
| 12.1 | 19.47 | 4:58 | 3:05 |
| 12.2 | 19.63 | 4:55 | 3:03 |
| 12.3 | 19.79 | 4:53 | 3:02 |
| 12.4 | 19.96 | 4:50 | 3:00 |
| 12.5 | 20.12 | 4:48 | 2:59 |
| 12.6 | 20.28 | 4:46 | 2:58 |
| 12.7 | 20.44 | 4:43 | 2:56 |
| 12.8 | 20.60 | 4:41 | 2:55 |
| 12.9 | 20.76 | 4:39 | 2:53 |
How this chart works
The math is a straight conversion, with no adjustment applied:
- Pace per mile = 60 ÷ speed in mph. So 6.0 mph is a flat 10:00 mile.
- Speed in kph = mph × 1.609344
- Pace per km = 60 ÷ speed in kph
That is all this chart does — it turns the number on the console into the pace in your plan. It does not adjust for incline, or for the difference between indoor and outdoor effort. Those are separate questions, and the honest answers are below.
The 1% incline rule, honestly
The advice to run at 1% incline traces back to a real study — Jones and Doust (1996) — which found that a 1% grade made the energy cost of treadmill running match running outdoors. The part that usually gets dropped: that finding applied at speeds of roughly 8 mph and faster (about 7:30/mile or quicker), where air resistance outdoors actually costs you something.
At easy paces the correction is small enough to ignore. So:
- Easy runs — 0% is fine. Don't overthink it.
- Faster than ~8 mph — 1% is a reasonable way to match outdoor effort.
- Above 2% — you're hill training now. That's a different session with a different purpose, which is fine — just call it what it is.
Also worth knowing: treadmill calibration drifts, and gym machines are often optimistic. If a treadmill pace feels wildly easier than the same pace outdoors, the belt — not your fitness — may be the reason.
FAQ
What pace is 6.0 mph on a treadmill?
A 10:00 mile — or 9.66 kph / 6:13 per kilometer. The conversion is just 60 ÷ 6.0.
Why does the treadmill feel easier than running outside?
No air to push through, no wind, no camber, no hills, and a consistent surface that gives a little back. Add possible calibration drift and the same number on the console can be a genuinely easier effort than it would be on the road.
Should I trust treadmill distance for my training log?
Roughly — but treat it as approximate. Belts wear, calibration slips, and no two machines agree exactly. If it matters, run a known distance and compare, or log by time and effort instead.