Pace vs. Speed: What's the Difference?
In the fitness world, Speed and Pace are two sides of the exact same coin, but they are used very differently depending on your equipment.
Speed (MPH or km/h)
Measures distance over a fixed amount of time (Miles Per Hour). This is how vehicles are measured, and importantly, this is what treadmills use. If you set a treadmill to "6.0", you are telling it to move the belt at 6 Miles Per Hour.
Pace (Minutes per Mile/Km)
Measures time over a fixed distance. This is what GPS watches (like Garmin or Apple Watch) and training plans use. A "10-minute pace" means it takes you exactly 10 minutes to cover one mile.
The Mathematics of Pacing
If you don't have a calculator handy, you can manually convert treadmill speed to running pace using the number 60 (since there are 60 minutes in an hour).
Example for 6.0 MPH:
60 ÷ 6 = 10:00 min/mile
Example for 8:00 min/mile:
60 ÷ 8 = 7.5 MPH
Standard Race Distances
Most modern footraces use the metric system. Here is the exact mileage breakdown for standard races:
- 5K (5,000 meters) 3.11 Miles
- 10K (10,000 meters) 6.21 Miles
- Half Marathon 13.11 Miles / 21.1 Km
- Marathon 26.22 Miles / 42.2 Km