Easy Pace Calculator
The single most important pace in distance running — and the one most runners get wrong.
The 80/20 rule, applied
Elite distance runners run roughly 80% of their weekly mileage easy. Easy pace, per Daniels, sits between 59-74% of VO2max — slow enough to hold a conversation in full sentences, fast enough to drive aerobic adaptation. Run the VDOT calculator with any recent race to get your exact range, plus marathon, threshold, interval and repetition paces.
Easy pace by VDOT
| VDOT | Easy pace / mile | Easy pace / km |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 11:02 – 12:01 | 6:51 – 7:28 |
| 35 | 9:51 – 10:44 | 6:07 – 6:40 |
| 40 | 8:55 – 9:43 | 5:32 – 6:02 |
| 45 | 8:09 – 8:53 | 5:04 – 5:31 |
| 50 | 7:31 – 8:12 | 4:40 – 5:06 |
| 55 | 6:58 – 7:36 | 4:20 – 4:43 |
| 60 | 6:30 – 7:05 | 4:02 – 4:24 |
| 65 | 6:06 – 6:39 | 3:47 – 4:08 |
Get your exact easy pace
Plug in a recent race time and read your Easy pace alongside the full Daniels prescription — including HR cross-check.
Open the VDOT calculatorFAQ
What is the right easy run pace?
Daniels prescribes Easy pace as 59-74% of VO2max — typically 1:30 to 2:30 per mile slower than your 5K race pace. It should feel conversational, repeatable, and recoverable. Most runners run their easy days far too hard.
Why does easy pace matter so much?
Easy mileage builds capillary density, mitochondrial volume, and connective-tissue resilience — the foundations of every race. Running easy runs 30 seconds per mile too fast spikes injury risk and blunts the quality of your hard sessions.
How do I know my easy pace?
Calculate your VDOT from any recent race, then read the Easy column. Or use the heart rate cross-check: Easy pace should sit at 65-79% of HRmax. Both methods are wired into the VDOT calculator.
How much of my week should be easy?
Roughly 80% of weekly volume for most athletes. Quality only works when the surrounding volume is genuinely easy.
Is it bad to run easy days too slow?
Almost never a problem for adaptation, and sometimes ideal for recovery. The exception is form: if it gets shuffly, add a few strides at the end instead of lifting the whole run.
Should long runs be at easy pace?
Start at the faster end of easy and finish there, unless the plan specifically calls for marathon-pace work inside the long run.
Breno MeloHead Coach · USA Triathlon, Road Runners Club of America, TrainingPeaksEmail me my easy pace card
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Daniels–Gilbert VDOT, Easy-pace band
Easy pace = velocity at 59–74% VO2max on the athlete's VDOT curve.
- Easy running is aerobic-development work, not recovery jogging — the band is deliberately wide.
- The entered race result is current and all-out.
- On hills, in heat or on trail, run to effort, not to this number.
- The band widens in reality for athletes above roughly 100 km/week, who often need the slower end.
Trained distance runners (Daniels' laboratory cohorts).
Formula, constants and cited sources last verified on . Spotted something wrong? Email breno@brenoamelo.com and it gets corrected and dated.
How easy pace is calculated
Easy pace is the velocity that costs 59-74% of your VDOT in oxygen terms — the range where aerobic adaptation is maximal and mechanical cost is low.
Most athletes should live at the slower end on recovery days and the faster end on long runs.
References
Every physiological claim on this page traces to one of the primary sources below — the original paper, textbook or governing-body standard, not a secondary write-up.
- 01Daniels J (2021). Daniels' Running Formula, 4th edition. Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL. ISBN 978-1-4925-7443-2
- 02Seiler S (2010). What is best practice for training intensity and duration distribution in endurance athletes?. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance 5(3):276–291. doi:10.1123/ijspp.5.3.276
Using this page in your own work?
Copy a formatted reference below. If you are quoting a number from this page, please link back to it so readers can check the source and the date it was last reviewed.
Breno Melo, "VDOT Easy Pace Calculator — Breno Melo Endurance Coaching", Breno Melo Endurance Coaching (last reviewed 20 June 2026). https://www.brenoamelo.com/calculators/vdot/easy-pace
Zone 2: Why Slow Training Builds Fast Athletes
Easy pace is the engine room of every PR — here is how to use it.
Jack Daniels VDOT: The Complete Guide
What VDOT measures and how to turn it into Easy, Threshold, Interval and Repetition paces.
Heart Rate Zones Explained
Five zones, what each one trains, and how to set them honestly.
The Running Cadence Guide
What cadence actually changes, and when to leave it alone.
You have your easy pace. Apex decides how much of it you need.
Easy pace only works in the right dose. Apex takes this number and sets your weekly easy volume, long-run length and progression, then adjusts both when your week goes sideways.
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Easy doesn't mean lazy. It means engineered.
Most runners overcook easy days and undercook the hard ones. A coached plan fixes the ratio — and your race times follow. Book a free call to talk through your current load.
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