Understanding Running Pace
Running pace tells you how many minutes it takes to run one kilometre (min/km). It is the most important metric for runners when planning training and racing.
Speed in km/h is the inverse of pace. A pace of 5'00"/km equals a speed of 12 km/h. Both are useful: pace for planning intervals and race strategy, speed for comparing against your lactate threshold.
Lactate Threshold: The Key to Training
Your lactate threshold is the speed at which your body produces lactate faster than it can clear it. It roughly corresponds to your 10K race pace and sits at about 85% of your VO2Max.
Your training paces are calculated relative to your lactate threshold:
- Easy / recovery run: 60-65% VO2Max (~70% max HR)
- Tempo run: 75-80% VO2Max (~80% max HR)
- Marathon pace: 75-80% of lactate threshold
- Half marathon pace: 82-87% of lactate threshold
- 10K pace: ~100% of lactate threshold
- Short intervals (200-400m): 100-110% VO2Max
Why Calculate with RunRight?
RunRight reads your running data from Apple Health — training history, heart rate, VO2Max — and creates an adaptive training plan that automatically updates your paces after every run.
No manual calculation needed: RunRight programmes your workouts directly to your Apple Watch with the right paces, based on your current fitness.