A treadmill pace chart solves the constant confusion of the machine: a treadmill shows a speed in miles per hour, but a runner thinks in minutes per mile. The chart converts between the two, and adds the incline adjustment that makes a treadmill mile roughly match an outdoor one, so the effort you do inside lines up with the pace you run outside.
Speed to pace, both ways
A treadmill pace chart converts miles per hour to minutes per mile and back, because the two are reciprocals: mph to minutes per mile is sixty divided by the speed. Set the belt to a speed and the chart tells you the pace; pick a pace and it tells you the speed to set. Treadmill speed to pace and pace to treadmill speed are the same table read in two directions.
The incline adjustment
A treadmill removes wind resistance and pulls the belt under you, so running flat inside is slightly easier than the same pace outside. The common correction is a small incline, around one percent, to make the effort match; a treadmill incline calculator applies it, so a treadmill pace conversion gives an outdoor-equivalent pace rather than a flattering one.
Using it for pacing
The value of a treadmill pace chart is that it lets you run a planned outdoor pace on the machine honestly. Convert your target pace to a treadmill speed, add the small incline, and the session inside trains the same effort as the road, which is what makes winter and dark-morning training on a treadmill actually transfer to a race outdoors.
Questions people ask about treadmill pace chart
How do I convert treadmill speed to pace?
Minutes per mile is sixty divided by the speed in miles per hour; a treadmill pace chart tabulates both directions so you read the pace for any belt speed.
Why set the treadmill to a one-percent incline?
A flat belt is slightly easier than running outside because it removes wind resistance and pulls under you; a small incline makes the effort match an outdoor pace.
Does treadmill pace equal outdoor pace?
Close, with a small incline added; without it, a flat treadmill pace is slightly easier than the same pace on the road.