Treadmill pace chart: speed to pace per mile and per km

Find the pace for any treadmill speed in mph or km/h, and the speed to dial in for a target pace, then see what research says about the 1% incline.

By RunFast · Updated 14 October 2026 · 9 min read

A treadmill pace chart turns the speed on the console into the pace your plan gives you. A treadmill shows speed in miles per hour (mph) or kilometres per hour (km/h), while a plan gives pace in minutes per mile or per kilometre. The pace in seconds per mile is 3,600 divided by the speed in mph, and the pace in seconds per km is 3,600 divided by the speed in km/h. The tables below do that sum for you: speed in mph to pace, speed in km/h to pace, and a target pace to the speed to dial in.

The chart is exact; whether a pace on the treadmill feels like the same pace on the road is less certain. A 2019 meta-analysis of 34 crossover studies in healthy adults found that some, but not all, measures differ between treadmill and overground running, and may depend on the speed.¹ A 2020 meta-analysis of how runners move, across 33 studies with 494 participants, found that most outcomes did not differ.² On a motorised treadmill, heart rate and perceived effort were higher at faster submaximal speeds and lower at slower ones than overground, and endurance performance was poorer.¹

The 1% treadmill incline goes back to a 1996 study of nine trained male runners; a 2026 study of twelve male trained athletes found that overground running still cost more energy than treadmill running at a 1% grade.^{3, 4, 5} A 2026 review argues that a fixed 1% incline may not consistently reflect overground cost across different contexts or populations.⁵ So the incline question is open, and this guide gives no incline-to-pace conversion.

Treadmill speed in mph to pace

If your treadmill shows mph, find its speed in the first column of this treadmill pace conversion chart. The row gives the pace per mile and per km, and the same speed in km/h.

Each pace is worked out from the exact speed in its row and rounded to the whole second. The speed in km/h is rounded to one decimal, so if your treadmill steps by 0.1, the pace at the setting you can dial in may differ from the row by a few seconds.

Treadmill speed in km/h to pace

If your treadmill shows km/h, use this treadmill speed to pace chart instead. The row gives the pace per km and per mile, and the same speed in mph.

Target pace to treadmill speed

When your plan gives a pace, find it in the first column and dial in the speed beside it. To run 9:00 per mile, for example, dial 6.7 mph (10.7 km/h).

Each speed is worked out from the exact pace and rounded to one decimal. A rounded speed is a little faster or slower than the exact one, so the pace you run at that setting can differ from the target by a few seconds, and by up to about 10 seconds per mile at the slowest paces.

Is treadmill pace the same as road pace?

The chart converts the number on the console exactly. Whether running that pace on a treadmill takes the same effort as on the road is a question for the research: what it found, in whom, and how sure it is. Each claim below links to its source, and our editorial standards say how each one is checked.

What the reviews found

A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis set out to compare physiological, perceptual and performance measures between treadmill and overground running in healthy adults.¹ It included 34 crossover studies, 12 of which used a 1% grade for the treadmill.¹ Heart rate and perceived effort on a motorised treadmill were higher at faster submaximal speeds and lower at slower submaximal speeds than during overground running.¹ Endurance performance was poorer on a motorised treadmill than overground.¹ The authors concluded that some, but not all, measures differ between treadmill and overground running, and may depend on the running speed at which they are measured.¹

A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis of biomechanics, how runners move, included 33 studies with 494 participants.² Most outcomes did not differ between running on a treadmill and overground.² The authors advise care with differences in the sagittal plane, the side-on view of the leg, at footstrike when applying treadmill biomechanics to overground running.²

So the picture is mixed: the movement is mostly the same, while effort and endurance performance can differ, and the difference may depend on speed.^{1, 2}

Where the 1% incline comes from

When running indoors on a treadmill, the lack of air resistance lowers the energy cost compared with running outdoors at the same speed.³ A 1996 study asked which treadmill grade matches the energy cost of outdoor running, in nine trained male runners who were thoroughly used to treadmill running.³ It concluded that a 1% grade gave an equal energy cost over about 5 minutes, at speeds between 2.92 and 5.0 metres per second, about 10.5 to 18 km/h (6.5 to 11.2 mph).³ At the top speed, 5.0 metres per second, the oxygen uptake for road running fell between that for a 1% and a 2% grade.³ Since then, a 1% treadmill incline has been used to approximate the energy cost of running overground.⁵ The 1996 study is 30 years old; it is here because it is where the 1% comes from.

Does 1% still hold?

A 2026 study compared treadmill running at a 1% grade with overground running in twelve male trained endurance athletes.⁴ The oxygen cost of each kilometre was consistently greater when running overground, at every intensity tested.⁴ The authors concluded that the commonly used 1% treadmill grade does not fully replicate the energy demands of overground running.⁴

A 2026 review argues that a fixed 1% incline may not consistently reflect overground energy cost across different contexts or populations.⁵ It says the match is influenced by running speed, environmental conditions, methodological factors and differences between individuals.⁵

Both studies of the 1% grade were small, in trained men, and measured energy cost, not race pace.^{3, 4}

What no source gives

None of the sources here gives a table of incline against pace, an adjustment per mile or per km for running on a treadmill, or a heart-rate zone for it. So this guide gives none either.

How to use the chart

Use the chart to set the console, then judge the run by effort. Choose your paces from a recent race, not from the speeds that are easy to dial in; for training paces from a race time, use the pace calculator. If an easy pace feels harder or easier on the treadmill than on the road, go by the effort and change the speed.

A 1% incline is a reasonable habit if you like it, but treat it as a habit, not a conversion: the research on it is mixed. Hill sessions on a treadmill are a separate thing, set by effort rather than by this chart, and so is a tempo run on the treadmill.

Where the evidence is thin or mixed

The two studies of the 1% grade are small comparisons of treadmill and outdoor running in trained men: nine runners in 1996 and twelve in 2026.^{3, 4} They disagree: in the first, a 1% grade matched the energy cost of outdoor running, while in the second, overground running still cost more.^{3, 4} The 2026 review of the question is a narrative review, and it argues that a fixed 1% may not fit every context or runner.⁵

The 2019 meta-analysis pooled crossover studies in healthy adults, only 12 of its 34 at a 1% grade, and concluded that some measures differ and may depend on speed.¹ The biomechanics review advises care with differences at footstrike.² And energy cost, heart rate and effort are not a finish time: none of these sources gives a treadmill pace that predicts a road race.

Common questions

What is 6.0 mph in pace?

6.0 mph is 6:13 per km, or 10:00 per mile. 7.5 mph is 4:58 per km (8:00 per mile), and 10.0 mph is 3:44 per km (6:00 per mile).

What is a 10 km/h treadmill pace?

10 km/h is 6:00 per km, or 9:39 per mile.

Should I set the treadmill to 1%?

The research is mixed. In nine trained men in 1996, a 1% grade matched the energy cost of outdoor running; in twelve trained men in 2026, overground running still cost more than treadmill running at a 1% grade.^{3, 4} A 2026 review argues that a fixed 1% may not suit every context or runner.⁵ None of the sources gives a conversion from incline to pace. If you like 1%, use it as a habit and judge the run by effort.

What treadmill speed is a 5K pace?

Find your goal finish time in the 5K pace chart, then look up its pace in the target pace tables above for the speed to dial in. For a 10K goal, use the 10K pace chart the same way.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. If you have an injury, a health condition or are pregnant, ask a doctor or physiotherapist before changing how you train or eat.

Related guides

• 5K pace chart: pace and splits for your goal timeFind your goal time for the even pace and splits to run it, per kilometre and per mile, then see what the research says about pacing the start and the finish of a 5K.
• 10K pace chart: pace and splits for your goal timeFind your goal time for the even pace and splits to run it, per kilometre and per mile, then see what the research says about pacing the start and the finish of a 10K.
• Half marathon pace chart: pace and splits for your goal timeFind your goal time for the even pace and splits to run it, per kilometre and per mile, then see what the research says about holding that pace over a half marathon.

Sources

1. Miller JR, Van Hooren B, Bishop C, Buckley JD, Willy RW, Fuller JT. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Crossover Studies Comparing Physiological, Perceptual and Performance Measures Between Treadmill and Overground Running. Sports Medicine. 2019. doi:10.1007/s40279-019-01087-9
2. Van Hooren B, Fuller JT, Buckley JD, Miller JR, Sewell K, Rao G, Barton C, Bishop C, Willy RW. Is Motorized Treadmill Running Biomechanically Comparable to Overground Running? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cross-Over Studies. Sports Medicine. 2020. doi:10.1007/s40279-019-01237-z
3. Jones AM, Doust JH. A 1% treadmill grade most accurately reflects the energetic cost of outdoor running. Journal of Sports Sciences. 1996. doi:10.1080/02640419608727717
4. Shahidi SH, Can R, Paça FM, Zengin MD. Overground running incurs a higher energetic cost than treadmill running at a 1% grade: A comparison of running economy, oxygen cost of transport, and energy cost in endurance athletes. PLoS One. 2026. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0355988
5. Bottura R, Fletcher J. Beyond the 1% Treadmill Rule: 30 Years of Evidence on Treadmill and Overground Running Economy. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. 2026. doi:10.1139/apnm-2026-0109