Running
Treadmill Pace Chart
Updated 1 Nov 2026 · Source: NIST unit conversion factors ↗
Type the speed shown on the treadmill console to get your pace per mile, pace per km and speed in km/h. The printable chart below covers 3 to 13 mph in half-mile-per-hour steps.
Worked example
- 60 minutes ÷ 6.0 mph = 10.000 minutes per mile = 10:00
- Per km: 10:00 ÷ 1.609 = 6:13
Treadmill speed to pace
| mph | km/h | Per mile | Per km | 5K time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0 | 4.8 | 20:00 | 12:26 | 1:02:08 |
| 3.5 | 5.6 | 17:09 | 10:39 | 0:53:16 |
| 4.0 | 6.4 | 15:00 | 9:19 | 0:46:36 |
| 4.5 | 7.2 | 13:20 | 8:17 | 0:41:25 |
| 5.0 | 8.0 | 12:00 | 7:27 | 0:37:17 |
| 5.5 | 8.9 | 10:55 | 6:47 | 0:33:54 |
| 6.0 | 9.7 | 10:00 | 6:13 | 0:31:04 |
| 6.5 | 10.5 | 9:14 | 5:44 | 0:28:41 |
| 7.0 | 11.3 | 8:34 | 5:20 | 0:26:38 |
| 7.5 | 12.1 | 8:00 | 4:58 | 0:24:51 |
| 8.0 | 12.9 | 7:30 | 4:40 | 0:23:18 |
| 8.5 | 13.7 | 7:04 | 4:23 | 0:21:56 |
| 9.0 | 14.5 | 6:40 | 4:09 | 0:20:43 |
| 9.5 | 15.3 | 6:19 | 3:55 | 0:19:37 |
| 10.0 | 16.1 | 6:00 | 3:44 | 0:18:38 |
| 10.5 | 16.9 | 5:43 | 3:33 | 0:17:45 |
| 11.0 | 17.7 | 5:27 | 3:23 | 0:16:57 |
| 11.5 | 18.5 | 5:13 | 3:15 | 0:16:13 |
| 12.0 | 19.3 | 5:00 | 3:06 | 0:15:32 |
| 12.5 | 20.1 | 4:48 | 2:59 | 0:14:55 |
| 13.0 | 20.9 | 4:37 | 2:52 | 0:14:20 |
Reading mph as pace
Treadmills show miles per hour, but most race goals are written in minutes per mile. The link is one division: 60 divided by the speed gives minutes per mile. At 6 mph you cover a mile every 10:00, and at 7.5 mph every 8:00.
The gains shrink as you speed up. Going from 5 to 6 mph takes two full minutes off each mile, while going from 9 to 10 mph takes off only 40 seconds. That is why faster runners care about every tenth on the speed button.
Why the belt and the road feel different
On a treadmill you do not push through still air, and the ground moves under you. So the same pace can take a little less work indoors than outside.
A 1996 study by Jones and Doust tested this with nine trained male runners. They ran six-minute bouts on the road and on a treadmill set to 0, 1, 2 and 3% grade. A 1% grade came closest to the energy cost of outdoor running, for runs of about five minutes or longer at speeds from about 6.5 to 11.2 mph (roughly 9:11 down to 5:22 per mile).
The match was not the same at every speed. At the two slowest speeds tested, a flat belt matched the road as well as 1% did, and at the fastest speed the road value fell between 1% and 2%. Below about 6.5 mph the study gives no answer, since it did not test that range. To see what more grade does to effort, try the treadmill incline calculator.
Printing the chart and using it at the gym
Use the print button on the chart and tape the page near the machine, or keep a photo on your phone. Mark your goal race pace in the margin next to its mph so you can set it in one press.
Consoles round speed to one decimal, so your exact goal often falls between two settings. Pick the closer one or switch between them. Belt calibration also differs from machine to machine, so treat the display as close rather than exact.
Turning a race goal into a belt speed
Start from the finish time you want. A 26:38 5K needs about 7 mph; a 31:04 5K needs 6 mph. The 5K column does that math for every row. For longer races, find your pace on the marathon pace chart or the pace calculator, then read across to mph here.
Related pages
Treadmill Incline Calculator, Pace Calculator, Marathon Pace Chart, Half Marathon Pace Chart, 5K Pace Chart
Questions
What pace is 6 mph on a treadmill?
Six mph is a 10:00 mile and about 6:13 per kilometer. At that speed a 5K takes 31:04.
Should I always set the treadmill to 1% incline?
It is a fair default between about 6.5 and 11.2 mph if you want the effort to resemble road running. At the slower speeds in that study, flat and 1% came out about the same.
How do I convert km/h on a treadmill?
Each row of the chart shows km/h next to mph. To do it yourself, multiply mph by 1.609 for km/h, or divide km/h by 1.609 for mph.
Why does my watch show a different pace indoors?
Without satellites to follow, a watch estimates indoor distance from arm or foot motion. The treadmill and the watch use different methods, so they rarely agree exactly.
How we calculate: every formula, with its author and year, is on our method page; data sources and their licenses are on sources.
gymnical.com gives estimates from published formulas and public data. It is not medical advice and not a training prescription. Last reviewed November 2026.