Training Paces
Estimate your easy, marathon, threshold/tempo, and interval training paces from a recent 5K time.
| Recent 5K | Easy / recovery | Marathon | Threshold / tempo | Interval (5K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18:00 5K | 7:32/mi | 6:40/mi | 6:08/mi | 5:48/mi |
| 20:00 5K | 8:22/mi | 7:24/mi | 6:49/mi | 6:26/mi |
| 22:30 5K | 9:25/mi | 8:20/mi | 7:41/mi | 7:15/mi |
| 25:00 5K | 10:28/mi | 9:15/mi | 8:32/mi | 8:03/mi |
| 30:00 5K | 12:33/mi | 11:06/mi | 10:14/mi | 9:39/mi |
Estimates from your 5K pace — a starting point, not a prescription. Individual training paces vary.
Most of your running should not be at race pace. This table estimates the main training zones — easy/recovery, marathon, threshold/tempo, and interval — from a recent 5K time, the way popular systems like those of Jack Daniels and others do.
Easy running builds aerobic fitness and should feel conversational; tempo and threshold work raises the pace you can sustain; intervals sharpen your top-end speed. For the easy end of the range specifically, see the Zone 2 pace page; for the fast end, the VO2 max pace page.
Frequently asked questions
How fast should my easy runs be?
Easy pace is roughly 1.5–2 minutes per mile slower than your 5K pace — slow enough to hold a conversation. The table gives an estimate from your recent 5K.
What is threshold or tempo pace?
Roughly the pace you could race for about an hour — "comfortably hard". It's a key session for raising the speed you can sustain over 10K to half-marathon distances.
Are these training paces exact?
No — they're estimates from a single 5K time and a good starting point. Adjust based on how efforts actually feel, the terrain, and the weather.