Training paces
Threshold pace: how fast should your tempo runs be?
Threshold pace is comfortably hard: an effort you could hold for about an hour in a race. It is the pace that does the most for your 10K and half marathon times.
Threshold pace by 5K time
| Your 5K time | Threshold pace /mile | /km |
|---|---|---|
| 20:00 | 6:56 – 7:09 | 4:18 – 4:26 |
| 22:30 | 7:45 – 7:59 | 4:49 – 4:58 |
| 25:00 | 8:34 – 8:49 | 5:19 – 5:29 |
| 27:30 | 9:22 – 9:39 | 5:49 – 6:00 |
| 30:00 | 10:11 – 10:29 | 6:20 – 6:31 |
| 35:00 | 11:47 – 12:07 | 7:19 – 7:32 |
Calculated with Jack Daniels' VDOT formulas, for a flat route in cool weather. For any other race time, use the pace calculator.
What a threshold session looks like
Either one continuous block, around 20 minutes at threshold pace, or several shorter blocks, such as repeats of a mile with a short jog between them. Both come after a warm-up at easy pace and end with a cool-down.
In Masir, the session is shown block by block, each with its pace and its duration, so you never have to do the math mid-run.
The usual mistake
Running it too fast. Threshold work only works at threshold: a few seconds per mile quicker and it becomes a race effort you cannot repeat the following week. If you cannot say a few words, back off.
These paces, on every session of your plan
Masir reads up to twelve months of runs from Apple Health, sets your paces from your current fitness and reorganizes the plan when you miss a run, get sick or go on vacation. Each time, it tells you what changed.
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Questions
Is tempo pace the same as threshold pace?
In most training plans, yes: a tempo run is a continuous run at threshold pace. Some runners use tempo for a slightly easier, longer effort.
How often should I run at threshold?
For most runners, once a week is enough, with easy days around it.