Treadmill Pace Chart (2026): MPH to Min/Mile and Min/Km

Speed and pace are the same information written two ways. Speed tells you distance per hour; pace tells you time per distance. Because there are 60 minutes in an hour, pace in minutes per mile is simply 60 divided by mph. At 6.0 mph you cover a mile every 10 minutes, at 8.0 mph every 7.5 minutes, which is 7:30 per mile.

For metric pace, convert miles to kilometers first. One mile is exactly 1.609344 km, so minutes per kilometer equal 60 divided by (mph × 1.609344), or about 37.28 divided by mph. At 6.0 mph that gives 6:13 per kilometer. If your treadmill can switch to km/h, the math is even simpler: 60 divided by km/h is your minutes per kilometer.

The decimal part of the result is a fraction of a minute, not seconds. A result of 8.57 minutes is 8 minutes and 34 seconds (0.57 × 60), not 8:57. That small trap is the most common reason runners think their treadmill and their watch disagree. All tables on this page already convert fractions to minutes and seconds.

• Minutes per mile = 60 ÷ mph
• Minutes per kilometer = 37.28 ÷ mph (or 60 ÷ km/h)
• mph = 60 ÷ minutes per mile (use decimal minutes, so 7:30 is 7.5)
• km/h = mph × 1.609344

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Walking speeds on a treadmill usually sit between 2 and 4.5 mph. The CDC lists walking at 2.5 mph or faster as an example of moderate-intensity activity, and its adult guidelines call for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week. The last column shows how far you cover in a 30-minute session, which makes it easy to plan a weekly total.

Walking pace is personal. Stride length, leg length and fitness all change what feels brisk, so use the chart to track progress rather than to hit a number someone else chose. For incline walking at slower belt speeds, our best treadmill for walking guide covers decks and motors that stay smooth below 4 mph.

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This is the core treadmill pace chart. Each row shows a common belt speed in 0.5 mph steps, the matching pace per mile and per kilometer, and your finish time for a 5K (3.107 miles) and a 10K (6.214 miles) if you held that speed the whole way. Twelve mph is the top speed of most full-size home treadmills, which is a 5:00 mile.

If your speed falls between two rows, you can estimate the pace in the middle or use the formulas above. At 6.8 mph, for example, 60 ÷ 6.8 = 8.82 minutes, or 8:49 per mile. Runners who train at paces faster than 6:00 per mile will want a treadmill above 10 mph with a long deck; see our best treadmill for tall runners guide for 60-inch decks.

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Long-distance runners often train on a treadmill at goal race pace. The table below converts steady speeds into finish times for a half marathon (13.109 miles) and a marathon (26.219 miles). The times assume an even pace with no stops, so treat them as targets for pacing practice rather than predictions.

Holding race pace for an hour or more puts steady load on a treadmill motor and deck. A continuous-duty motor, a 22 × 60-inch deck and good cooling matter more here than screen size. Our best treadmill for marathon training guide ranks the models built for long runs, led by the Sole F89.

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Most training plans give you a pace, not a speed. Use this reverse table to find the exact speed for a target pace and the value to enter on a treadmill that adjusts in 0.1 mph steps. The exact column shows why rounding matters: a 7:00 mile is 8.57 mph, so setting 8.6 mph runs slightly fast (6:59) and 8.5 mph slightly slow (7:04).

Metric runners can read the same table from the kilometer rows. If your console switches to km/h, use the last column directly. The Horizon 7.4 AT and other treadmills with dial or one-touch speed controls make it easier to hold a precise value during a run.

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A treadmill belt moves under you, so there is no air resistance and running feels slightly easier than on the road at the same speed. In a classic study, nine trained male runners ran at speeds from about 6.5 to 11.2 mph on a treadmill at different grades and outdoors. A 1% treadmill grade most accurately matched the energy cost of outdoor running over runs of about five minutes. The study was small and used trained runners, so treat 1% as a practical starting point, not a rule.

Incline does not change your pace. At 7.5 mph you still cover a mile in 8:00 whether the deck is flat or set to 6%; the incline only makes that pace harder. That is why hill workouts use effort, heart rate or perceived exertion instead of pace. At walking speeds, many people skip the 1% correction because air resistance matters much less.

If you plan steep incline walking or hill repeats, choose a treadmill that reaches at least 12% to 15%. Our best treadmill with incline guide compares the models, and the best incline trainer guide covers machines that go steeper.

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Start with a pace you can hold while speaking in full sentences. The CDC describes moderate effort as being able to talk but not sing, and vigorous effort as not being able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath. Find that comfortable speed on the chart, note the pace, and use it as your easy-run baseline.

From there, the chart helps you plan structured sessions. A tempo run uses a pace that is hard but controlled for 15 to 30 minutes. Intervals use short repeats faster than your 5K pace with recovery jogs in between. Writing each session as speeds, not paces, saves you from converting on the move. Treadmills with quick speed controls, such as the models in our best treadmill for HIIT guide, make those changes faster and safer.

Track pace over weeks, not days. If the same speed starts to feel easier, or your heart rate at that speed drops, your fitness is improving. Increase speed in small steps of 0.1 to 0.2 mph rather than jumping a full row on the chart.

• Easy runs: a speed you can talk at, usually 1% incline.
• Tempo runs: 15 to 30 minutes at a hard but steady pace.
• Intervals: short faster repeats with full recovery jogs or walks.
• Long runs: goal race pace only for part of the run until you are used to it.

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