Key takeaways
Easy pace is a pace at which you can talk in full sentences, roughly 65 to 79% of max heart rate
In Daniels' model easy running sits at about 59 to 74% of VO2max, often 1 to 2.5 minutes per km slower than 5K race pace
Most runners run their easy days too fast, so slow down until the talk test passes even if the pace feels embarrassingly slow
Easy runs make up most of a good training week, yet most people run them too fast. Here is how to find your easy run pace, a chart based on your 5K time, and what beginners should do.
What easy run pace is
An easy run is below your first threshold, the point where breathing first deepens and blood lactate starts to rise. In practice it is the same territory as zone 2 training and the lower zones below it. Three ways to find it:
- The talk test. You can speak in full sentences without gasping. In one study, the point where speech first became difficult matched the ventilatory threshold almost exactly (Persinger et al., 2004). If you can only manage a few words at a time, you are above easy pace.
- Heart rate. Jack Daniels puts easy running at about 65 to 79% of maximum heart rate. Formula-based maxima can be off by 10 beats or more, so use a measured max if you have one. Our heart rate zone calculator gives the ranges, and heart rate zone models compared explains why the different models disagree.
- Percentage of VO2max. In Daniels' training model, easy (E) pace corresponds to about 59 to 74% of VO2max. That is the basis of the chart below.
Easy pace is a range, not a single number. Heat, hills, poor sleep and fatigue all push your heart rate up at the same pace, so on those days the talk test wins over the watch.
Why easy runs matter
Well-trained endurance athletes tend to do about 80% of their sessions at low intensity (Seiler, 2010). In one study of sub-elite runners, the time spent below the first threshold was strongly linked with race performance (Esteve-Lanao et al., 2005). A later randomised trial found that runners who did about 80% of their training at low intensity improved a 10.4 km time more than those who did more moderate "threshold-ish" running, with the same amount of hard work in both groups (Esteve-Lanao et al., 2007).
Easy volume builds mitochondria, capillaries and stroke volume, and it lets you recover for the sessions that really raise fitness, such as VO2max intervals and threshold runs. Run your easy days at a medium pace and you lose on both counts: not easy enough to recover, not hard enough to be a strong stimulus. That is the core idea of polarised 80/20 training.
Easy run pace calculator
The VO2max running calculator gives your easy, marathon, threshold and interval paces from either your VO2max or a recent race. It uses Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT equations: your race time gives an effective VO2max (VDOT), and easy pace is the speed whose oxygen cost is about 62 to 70% of that value, the middle of Daniels' easy range.
A watch estimate works too, but a recent race usually gives a more useful number; see Garmin VO2max explained.
Easy run pace based on 5K time
These are model estimates from the VDOT equations (62 to 70% of VDOT), rounded to the nearest second. Treat them as a starting point and adjust with the talk test.
| 5K time | Estimated VDOT | Easy pace per km | Easy pace per mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20:00 | 49.8 | 5:08 to 5:39 | 8:16 to 9:06 |
| 22:30 | 43.4 | 5:44 to 6:19 | 9:13 to 10:09 |
| 25:00 | 38.3 | 6:19 to 6:57 | 10:11 to 11:12 |
| 27:30 | 34.2 | 6:55 to 7:36 | 11:07 to 12:13 |
| 30:00 | 30.8 | 7:30 to 8:13 | 12:04 to 13:14 |
| 32:30 | 28.0 | 8:04 to 8:50 | 12:59 to 14:14 |
| 35:00 | 25.6 | 8:38 to 9:27 | 13:54 to 15:12 |
| 40:00 | 21.7 | 9:45 to 10:39 | 15:42 to 17:08 |
A rough rule from the same model: easy pace is about 70 to 160 seconds per km (roughly 2 to 4 minutes per mile) slower than 5K race pace, with the gap larger for slower runners. If your easy runs are within 30 seconds per km of your 5K pace, they are almost certainly too fast.
Easy run pace chart: how to use it
- Use the slower end after hard sessions, in heat, on hills and when you are building mileage.
- Use the faster end only when you feel fresh and your heart rate stays in range.
- Long runs usually sit inside the same range; see the long run pace guide for how they differ from marathon pace.
- Recheck every 6 to 8 weeks with a new race or time trial. As fitness improves, the same easy effort becomes a faster pace.
A good sign of progress is a faster pace at the same easy heart rate. Better running economy shows up this way too, because each stride costs less oxygen.
Easy run pace for beginners
If you are new to running, a chart based on race times is less useful than effort:
- Start with run-walk. For example, 1 minute running and 1 to 2 minutes walking, repeated for 20 to 30 minutes. Lengthen the running parts week by week.
- Let the talk test set the pace. If you cannot speak in sentences, slow down or walk. Many beginners find their heart rate rises into zone 3 or 4 even at a slow jog; that is normal and improves with weeks of consistent running.
- Keep your stride short and relaxed. A slightly quicker, lighter step is often easier on the knees; see running cadence.
- Build slowly. Add time gradually, and avoid any single run much longer than your longest run of the past month.
Safety: if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or have been inactive for a long time, get medical advice before starting a running programme.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good easy run pace?
One at which you can speak in full sentences and finish feeling you could keep going. In Daniels' model that is about 59 to 74% of VO2max, which for most runners is 1 to 2.5 minutes per km slower than their 5K race pace.
How do I calculate my easy run pace based on my 5K time?
Enter your 5K time in a VDOT-based running calculator. As a guide, a 25-minute 5K gives an easy pace of roughly 6:20 to 7:00 per km, and a 30-minute 5K roughly 7:30 to 8:15 per km.
What is a good easy run pace for beginners?
Whatever pace lets you pass the talk test, even if that means walking breaks. Beginners often need run-walk intervals at first, and pace matters far less than keeping the effort conversational.
How slow should an easy run be compared with race pace?
Clearly slower. Model estimates put easy pace about 70 to 160 seconds per km slower than 5K race pace and about 35 to 110 seconds per km slower than marathon pace.
Sources
- Daniels J. Daniels' Running Formula, 3rd ed. Human Kinetics, 2014.
- Persinger R, Foster C, Gibson M, Fater DC, Porcari JP. Consistency of the talk test for exercise prescription. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2004.
- Seiler S. What is best practice for training intensity and duration distribution in endurance athletes? Int J Sports Physiol Perform, 2010.
- Esteve-Lanao J, San Juan AF, Earnest CP, Foster C, Lucia A. How do endurance runners actually train? Relationship with competition performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2005.
- Esteve-Lanao J, Foster C, Seiler S, Lucia A. Impact of training intensity distribution on performance in endurance athletes. J Strength Cond Res, 2007.