Training Pace Calculator
Generate personalised Easy, Marathon, Threshold, Interval, and Repetition pace zones from a recent race result using the Daniels VDOT system.
Your VDOT
Classification: Recreational
VDOT velocity
232.9m/min
Easy
5:48–7:16/km
(9:20–11:42 /mi)
Marathon
5:06–5:43/km
(8:13–9:12 /mi)
Threshold
4:52–5:10/km
(7:51–8:19 /mi)
Interval
4:17–4:25/km
(6:54–7:07 /mi)
Repetition
3:54–4:05/km
(6:16–6:34 /mi)
Generate personalised Easy, Marathon, Threshold, Interval, and Repetition pace zones from a recent race result using the Daniels VDOT system. Enter the distance and finish time of a recent race, and the calculator returns your VDOT fitness score (F7) and the five training zones derived from it — each expressed as /km and /mi, with the purpose and typical weekly volume for every zone. Below the calculator you'll find the VDOT pace reference from 30 to 80, what each zone builds physiologically, the 80/20 easy-hard balance from Seiler's research, the most common pace-setting mistakes, and the source material from Jack Daniels' Running Formula.
VDOT = f(race_distance, race_time) · zone_pace = v_VDOT × zone_multiplier- VDOT
- = Pseudo-VO2 max index derived from a recent race (Daniels & Gilbert, per F7)
- v_VDOT
- = Baseline velocity at VDOT expressed in metres per minute
- 0.59–0.74
- = Easy pace band (E): aerobic development with low stress
- 0.80
- = Marathon pace (M): sustainable for ~3 hours at VDOT 50
- 0.86
- = Threshold pace (T): ~60-minute maximal effort; lactate steady state
- 0.98
- = Interval pace (I): ~5K race effort; targets VO2 max
- 1.07
- = Repetition pace (R): short-rep speed and economy work
Worked example — 25:00 5K → training zones
- race_time = 25.000 min, distance = 5.0 km → VDOT (F7) ≈ 45.2
- v_VDOT ≈ 268.8 m/min
- easy = v × [0.59, 0.74] = 158.6–198.9 m/min → 5:37–6:19/km
- marathon = v × 0.80 = 215.0 m/min → 4:39/km
- threshold = v × 0.86 = 231.2 m/min → 4:19/km
- interval = v × 0.98 = 263.4 m/min → 3:48/km
- repetition = v × 1.07 = 287.6 m/min → 3:28/km (≈ 1:23/400m)
- = Easy 5:37–6:19/km · M 4:39/km · T 4:19/km · I 3:48/km · R 3:28/km
Zone multipliers come from Daniels' Running Formula (2013), Section 3c — VDOT Training Zones. Pace ranges round to the second and may differ from in-app output by ±1–2 seconds due to rounding of v_VDOT. Use the VDOT table below for a full ladder.
| VDOT | 5K time | Easy /km | M /km | T /km | I /km | R /400m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 30:40 | 7:52–8:49 | 6:51 | 6:24 | 5:54 | 2:22 |
| 35 | 27:05 | 6:58–7:47 | 6:04 | 5:40 | 5:14 | 2:06 |
| 40 | 24:08 | 6:19–7:02 | 5:29 | 5:06 | 4:42 | 1:52 |
| 42 | 23:09 | 6:06–6:48 | 5:17 | 4:56 | 4:32 | 1:48 |
| 45 | 21:50 | 5:37–6:12 | 5:06 | 4:42 | 4:15 | 1:42 |
| 48 | 20:38 | 5:24–5:58 | 4:45 | 4:25 | 4:04 | 1:36 |
| 50 | 19:57 | 5:12–5:48 | 4:35 | 4:15 | 3:55 | 1:33 |
| 52 | 19:19 | 5:01–5:37 | 4:26 | 4:06 | 3:47 | 1:30 |
| 55 | 18:23 | 4:47–5:21 | 4:13 | 3:54 | 3:35 | 1:25 |
| 58 | 17:33 | 4:34–5:06 | 4:01 | 3:43 | 3:25 | 1:21 |
| 60 | 17:03 | 4:27–4:57 | 3:54 | 3:36 | 3:19 | 1:19 |
| 65 | 15:52 | 4:10–4:36 | 3:37 | 3:21 | 3:04 | 1:13 |
| 70 | 14:52 | 3:54–4:19 | 3:23 | 3:08 | 2:53 | 1:08 |
| 75 | 14:00 | 3:41–4:04 | 3:10 | 2:57 | 2:42 | 1:04 |
| 80 | 13:14 | 3:28–3:50 | 2:59 | 2:46 | 2:33 | 1:01 |
What Each Zone Builds
Easy (E) — 59–74% v_VDOT
Aerobic base: mitochondrial density, capillary beds, and connective-tissue resilience. Conversational by design. Long runs and recovery runs live here. The biggest chunk of weekly volume — 70–80% for most runners.
Marathon (M) — 80% v_VDOT
Sustainable for ~3 hours at VDOT 50. Trains fat oxidation and the biomechanics of running efficiently when tired. Used in marathon-specific long runs (e.g., 3×5 km at M inside a 20 km run).
Threshold (T) — 86% v_VDOT
The fastest pace sustainable for ~60 minutes: comfortably hard, lactate at steady state. Highest-yield single session for most runners. Tempo runs (20–30 min) and cruise intervals (3×10 min with 2-min jog) live here.
Interval (I) — 98% v_VDOT
~5K race effort. Pushes the VO2 max ceiling. Runs of 3–5 minutes at I with equal jog recovery, or classic 400–1200 m repeats with 1:1 work:rest. One session per week during a dedicated build.
Repetition (R) — 107% v_VDOT
Short, fast reps of 200–400 m with full recovery. Builds neuromuscular coordination, stride economy, and top-end speed without the lactate of interval work. Layered in weekly year-round for most runners.
Why five zones
Daniels chose five distinct intensities because each targets a distinguishable physiological adaptation. Collapsing them into fewer zones blurs the stimulus — easy mileage at marathon pace produces neither good easy runs nor good marathon work.
Typical weekly volume distribution
Easy (E) share
70–80%
Including warm-ups, cool-downs, and long runs. This is where the aerobic base is built.
Marathon (M) share
0–15%
Mostly during a marathon build; negligible outside of race-specific blocks.
Threshold (T) share
5–10%
The single most effective quality session for recreational runners.
Interval (I) share
4–8%
Capped by recovery cost; rarely exceeds 8% of weekly volume.
Repetition (R) share
≤5%
Short, fast, with full rest; low stress despite high intensity.
The six most common pace-setting mistakes
- Running easy runs too fast
- Slow down to 59–74% v_VDOTThe classic mistake — 'moderate' running that's too slow to stress the system and too fast to recover from.
- Racing the Threshold workout
- Hold T pace, don't chase I paceThreshold is comfortably hard, not all-out. Going too fast turns it into an interval session with less recovery headroom.
- Skipping Repetition (R) work
- Include 4–8 × 200 m weeklyR reps build economy and neuromuscular coordination that easy + threshold alone cannot reach.
- Using an outdated VDOT
- Re-test every 4–8 weeksTraining paces lag fitness gains — keep the anchor race recent so zones stay calibrated.
- Treating zones as rigid targets
- Pace ranges, not single numbersLet effort guide you on easy days and in bad weather — VDOT is a starting point, not a straitjacket.
- Ignoring weather and terrain
- Adjust by 5–15 s/kmHeat above ~20°C and hills add energy cost that displayed pace can't capture. Use RPE as a secondary check.
Explore More Running Tools
Race Time Predictor
Convert a recent result into predicted times across distances (Riegel + Cameron).
VO2 Max Running Calculator
Estimate VO2 max directly from a race using Daniels' pseudo-VO2 curve.
Heart Rate Zone Calculator
Pair pace zones with HR zones — one sanity-checks the other in varied conditions.
Marathon Pace Calculator
Translate a VDOT-derived marathon pace into a race-day split plan.
Age-Graded Running Calculator
Compare race results across age and sex using WMA factors.
Sources
- 1.Daniels' Running Formula, 4th ed. — VDOT tables and Section 3c zones (F7) — Daniels, J. (Human Kinetics), 2013 (accessed 2026-04-21)
- 2.Oxygen power: performance tables for distance runners — Daniels, J., & Gilbert, J., 1979 (accessed 2026-04-21)
- 3.What is best practice for training intensity and duration distribution in endurance athletes? — Seiler, S. — International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 5(3), 276–291, 2010 (accessed 2026-04-21)
- 4.Distribution of training intensities among world-class rowers — Seiler, S., & Tønnessen, E. — Sportscience, 13, 32–53, 2009 (accessed 2026-04-21)