Threshold Training Zones
Calculator
Results
- Easy pace (seconds per km)
- 307.692307
- Marathon pace (seconds per km)
- 255.319148
- Threshold pace (seconds per km)
- 240
- Interval pace (seconds per km)
- 226.415094
- Repetition pace (seconds per km)
- 214.285714
Endurance training results
| Easy pace (seconds per km) | 307.692307 |
| Marathon pace (seconds per km) | 255.319148 |
| Threshold pace (seconds per km) | 240 |
| Interval pace (seconds per km) | 226.415094 |
| Repetition pace (seconds per km) | 214.285714 |
formula-map diagram
- Easy pace (seconds per km)
- 307.692307
- Marathon pace (seconds per km)
- 255.319148
- Threshold pace (seconds per km)
- 240
- Interval pace (seconds per km)
- 226.415094
- Repetition pace (seconds per km)
- 214.285714
Formula breakdown
Formula
Zone pace = threshold pace ÷ (zone %speed ÷ 100)= 307.69230769231
Note
Simplified model: these are standard endurance-training formulas (Riegel, ACSM, Banister TRIMP, ACWR, Minetti gradient cost and published fuelling rates) applied to the numbers you enter. They assume even effort, typical conditions and average physiology, and ignore terrain, heat, wind, sleep, individual sweat and carbohydrate tolerance, and training history, so results are indicative planning figures, not medical or coaching advice.
More in Endurance training
See all →Frequently asked questions
How are training zones derived from threshold pace?+
Each zone is defined as a percentage range of your lactate threshold pace or heart rate, so easy runs might be 70-80% of threshold effort, tempo runs near 95-100%, and intervals above 100%, creating a structured spectrum of intensities anchored to your actual fitness rather than generic numbers.
Why use threshold as the anchor instead of max heart rate?+
Max heart rate is harder to measure accurately and doesn't correlate as directly with sustainable running performance, while threshold pace or heart rate reflects a physiologically meaningful and trainable marker that's more directly tied to race performance at various distances.
What's the purpose of training in different zones rather than always at threshold?+
Different zones stimulate different adaptations: easy zones build aerobic capacity and mitochondrial density with low fatigue cost, threshold zones improve lactate clearance, and high-intensity zones build speed and running economy. Training exclusively at one intensity, especially threshold, leads to a plateau and higher injury risk.
How often should threshold pace be retested to keep zones accurate?+
As fitness improves, threshold pace gets faster, so zones calculated from an outdated threshold become too easy over time. Retesting every 6-8 weeks during a training block, or after a notable fitness shift, keeps the zones properly calibrated to current fitness.
Why do my zones feel too easy or too hard compared to how the calculator labels them?+
Zones are estimates based on a formula and your test result, but day-to-day factors like fatigue, heat, sleep, and stress shift how a given pace feels even though the zone boundaries stay fixed. Use the zones as a guide and adjust by perceived effort on off days rather than forcing the exact number.