Training paces from your vVO2max
Enter your vVO2max. You get the pace to run for each type of session, in minutes per kilometer. To work out the pace of a race or a result, use the pace and speed calculator.
Where do these percentages come from?
These are the ones Runalis applies to each type of session: base endurance and long run 65–75%, threshold 85–90%, fartlek 85–100%, vVO2max intervals 95–105%, and for race-specific pace: 10K 88–92%, half marathon 84–88%, marathon 78–84% of vVO2max (see the “Intensities as % of vVO2max” sheet in the app). The pace is then 3600 ÷ (vVO2max × percentage), in seconds per kilometer.
Limits. An estimated vVO2max has an uncertainty of ±3 to 5%. Wind, heat and elevation shift the paces: on hills or in extreme heat, go by feel and heart rate.
Your paces by session
| Session | % of vVO2max | Pace |
|---|---|---|
| Base endurance Easy run at a conversational pace | 65–75% | 4:51 – 5:36 /km |
| Long run Finish at race pace when training for a half marathon or marathon | 65–75% | 4:51 – 5:36 /km |
| Threshold | 85–90% | 4:02 – 4:17 /km |
| Fartlek | 85–100% | 3:38 – 4:17 /km |
| vVO2max intervals | 95–105% | 3:28 – 3:50 /km |
| Hills By feel: pace does not apply on a slope | 90% | By feel |
| 10K race pace | 88–92% | 3:57 – 4:08 /km |
| Half marathon race pace | 84–88% | 4:08 – 4:20 /km |
| Marathon race pace | 78–84% | 4:20 – 4:40 /km |
In the app
The pace of every session, in the app
A session’s detail gives the structure, the pace, the target heart-rate zone and the send-to-watch option, all calculated with your current vVO2max.
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How to use these paces
An easy run (base endurance) is run at a pace where you can talk: with a vVO2max of 16.5 km/h, between 4:51 – 5:36 per km. Threshold (85–90% of vVO2max) is run between 4:02 – 4:17 per km, in blocks of a few minutes. vVO2max sessions (95–105%) are run as short repetitions, between 3:28 – 3:50 per km.
The 80/20 rule
About 80% of your volume is run at an easy pace, 20% at a hard pace. A well-built plan alternates the two and never stacks two hard sessions back to back. That is what the Runalis plan does, and it adjusts the paces as soon as your vVO2max changes.