What do the training paces mean?
- Easy: a pace at which you can still hold a conversation. This is where endurance is built – most of your training, often quoted as about 80%, should be in this zone. Stay at the slow end when in doubt.
- Marathon pace: your expected race pace over 26.2 miles. Ideal for tempo runs and the final part of long runs during marathon training.
- Threshold: “comfortably hard” – a pace you could hold for about an hour in a race. In training, run it for 20–30 minutes continuously or as longer cruise intervals with short breaks.
- Interval: fast repeats of 3 to 5 minutes with jog recoveries of similar length. They improve your maximum oxygen uptake. Keep them to no more than about 8% of your weekly mileage.
How are the paces calculated?
Your race result is turned into a performance index (VDOT) using the formulas by Jack Daniels and Jimmy Gilbert. Each training zone corresponds to a certain share of your maximum oxygen uptake – which gives you the matching pace. Marathon pace is your predicted marathon pace, as also shown by the race predictor.
Use a recent result from a race or a real time trial – not a training run. As your fitness improves, recalculate your paces after your next race.