Running Pace and Heart Rate Training Zones Calculator

• Perform an all out running effort between 15 to 30 minutes in duration. For many, a 5k-race (or solo time trial) would be ideal, but it's no problem using a non-standard distance or duration. 
• For the results to be as useful as possible, try to perform the race/time trial in reasonably representable conditions of your training. That is, if you don't use carbon shoes in training, it's best to do the race/time trial without carbon shoes as well. If you tend to do your hard training sessions on a track, the track is a great place to perform your time trial, whereas if you run on a mildly rolling road, you could perform the time trial on that same rolling road. If you normally train in relatively temperate condition, don't perform the race/time trial on the hottest day of summer, when temperatures are significantly higher than normal, if you can avoid it. That said, don't let perfect be the enemy of the good. The race/time trial doesn't have to be a perfect carbon copy of your training, just try to avoid massive differences that will have a big impact on pace differences between training and race/time trial. 
• Note that the race/time trial has to be a maximum effort and represent your best possible performance closely. Additionally, if you pace poorly and leave a lot on the table through poor pacing (going out too hard and blowing up), this data will not be representative of your best effort even if your exertion level was maximal. 
• Make sure your equipment and data collection is on point. Do not use wrist-based heart rate monitoring, but a chest strap or a good arm band like the ones from Polar. Perform the test in an environment with controlled distances (track, treadmill) or in an area where you can ensure good GPS-data without dropouts. 
• With the race/time trial done, enter your input data (distance, duration, and optionally maximum heart rate from the effort itself) below and click Calculate. 
• You will get Threshold pace and Max Heart Rate as output data, along with pace zones and heart rate zones (if you choose to calculate heart rate training zones). 
• Training platforms like TrainingPeaks (and others) typically let you input your thresholds and training zones. Note that these platforms may have their own methods of calculating thresholds or training zones, but if you want to use the thresholds and zones here, you should input them manually, which most platforms (including TrainingPeaks) allow.

• This calculator uses your input data to calculate an estimate of your 10k-pace, and uses 10k-pace as your threshold pace. 
• The extrapolation of your input data to a 10k result and 10k-pace is done using the Riegel formula, T2 = T1 * (D2/D1)^k, where:
  • T1 is the time for a known distance (D1).
  • T2 is the predicted time for a different distance (D2).
  • k is the Riegel exponent (fatigue factor). This calculator uses an exponent of 1.07, which is a good estimate for non-elite runners and triathletes.
• "1 km pace" as used in setting the ceiling of Pace Zone 5 (see tables below) is also calculated with the Riegel Formula as described above, but extrapolating from the input data to a theoretical time and pace for a 1 km all out effort. 

Run Pace Zones

Run Heart Rate Zones