Pace to Speed Converter

Why Most Running Apps Don't Let You Convert Pace to Speed

If you're a runner who trains both outdoors and on treadmills, you've probably encountered this frustrating scenario: Your training plan calls for a 5:00 min/km pace, but your treadmill only displays speed in km/h. You need to quickly convert, so you open your favorite running app and...

Nothing. No converter. No quick calculation tool. Just activity tracking and social features.

Despite having millions of users and sophisticated features for tracking runs, analyzing splits, and monitoring heart rate zones, most popular running apps—including Strava, Nike Run Club, Adidas Running (formerly Runtastic), and Runna—don't include a simple pace-to-speed converter. Why is that? Let's explore.

The Missing Feature: A Common Problem

Before diving into why this feature is missing, let's acknowledge what these apps do well:

Strava

Excellent for activity tracking, social features, segment leaderboards, and detailed analytics. Shows pace during outdoor runs but offers no tool to convert between pace and speed for workout planning.

Nike Run Club

Great guided runs, audio coaching, and achievement badges. Displays pace for outdoor runs but provides no conversion utility for treadmill training or workout planning.

Adidas Running (Runtastic)

Solid tracking features, training plans, and progress monitoring. Shows pace during activities but lacks a dedicated converter tool for planning treadmill sessions.

Runna

Personalized training plans and structured workouts. Prescribes paces for training but doesn't include a converter for translating those paces to treadmill speeds.

⚠️ The Common Gap:

All of these apps are excellent at what they're designed for—tracking and analyzing runs. But none prioritize utility features like pace-to-speed conversion, leaving runners to calculate manually or search for external tools.

Reason 1: Apps Focus on Tracking, Not Planning

Most running apps are fundamentally designed as activity trackers, not workout planning tools.

The Core Business Model:

  • Track your run: Record GPS data, distance, pace, and elevation
  • Analyze your performance: Show splits, pace curves, heart rate zones
  • Social engagement: Share activities, compete on segments, give kudos
  • Subscription value: Advanced analytics, training plans, performance insights

Conversion tools don't fit this model. They're pre-run planning utilities, not post-run analysis features. Since apps monetize through subscriptions based on tracking and analytics, features that happen outside of recorded activities get lower priority.

Reason 2: Design Philosophy: "You're Already Running"

Running apps are optimized for the moment you're actively exercising, not the planning phase.

The User Journey They Design For:

  1. Open app
  2. Press "Start Run"
  3. Run with GPS tracking
  4. Finish and save activity
  5. Review stats and share

What's Missing:

  • Pre-workout planning tools
  • Treadmill conversion utilities
  • Race pace calculators
  • Distance-time-pace planning

This design philosophy assumes you're outdoors with GPS, where the app automatically displays pace. But when planning treadmill workouts or understanding race targets, you need calculation tools—and those aren't part of the tracking-focused workflow.

Reason 3: Treadmill Running Isn't the Priority

Running apps are built around GPS tracking, which means outdoor running is the default experience.

The GPS-First Paradigm:

  • Outdoor runs: GPS provides automatic distance, pace, route mapping, and elevation. Everything happens seamlessly.
  • Treadmill runs: No GPS data. Users must manually enter distance or use footpods. Pace tracking is unreliable without hardware.

Since treadmills display speed (km/h or mph) rather than pace (min/km or min/mile), runners need conversion tools to match their outdoor training paces. But because these apps prioritize GPS-based outdoor tracking, treadmill-specific utilities like converters don't get developed.

💡 The Reality:

Many runners train indoors during bad weather, early mornings, or winter months. Despite this, treadmill support remains an afterthought in most major running apps.

Reason 4: Feature Bloat vs. Simplicity

App developers face a constant tension between adding features and maintaining a clean, simple interface.

The Design Dilemma:

Every new feature adds complexity. Adding a pace converter means:

  • New screens or modals in the UI
  • More buttons competing for attention
  • Increased testing and maintenance
  • Potential user confusion about where to find it

The Product Decision:

When deciding what features to build, apps prioritize those that directly support their core value proposition: activity tracking and social engagement. Utility tools like converters get deprioritized in favor of features that keep users engaged within the app ecosystem.

Reason 5: Assumption That Runners Use External Resources

Running apps may simply assume users will find conversion tools elsewhere when needed.

The Ecosystem Approach:

Rather than building every possible utility, apps focus on their core competencies and assume users will:

  • • Google "pace to speed converter" when needed
  • • Use dedicated calculator websites
  • • Rely on training plan documents that include conversion charts
  • • Learn to do mental math over time

This isn't necessarily wrong—specialization means better core features. However, it does create friction for runners who need quick conversions while planning workouts or setting treadmill speeds.

What Runners Actually Need

Despite sophisticated tracking capabilities, runners consistently encounter situations where pace-to-speed conversion is essential:

1. Treadmill Training Sessions

Training plan says "6 km tempo at 4:45 min/km." Your treadmill displays km/h. You need to convert before starting the workout, not after tracking it.

2. Race Pace Planning

You want to run a sub-50 10K. What pace do you need? Your app tracks past 10Ks but doesn't help you calculate the target pace for your goal.

3. Comparing Training Zones

Your coach prescribes zones in min/km, but you're used to thinking in km/h. Quick conversion would help you understand the intensity at a glance.

4. Understanding Training Plans

Many training plans use different measurement systems. Being able to quickly convert helps you adapt any plan to your preferred metrics.

5. Real-Time Workout Adjustments

Mid-workout, you realize the pace feels wrong. Being able to quickly check "Is 11 km/h equivalent to my easy pace?" would be helpful.

The Workarounds Runners Currently Use

Without built-in conversion tools, runners have developed various workarounds—none ideal:

❌ Mental Math

Trying to divide 60 by your pace while standing on a treadmill isn't ideal, especially when warm-up time is ticking away.

❌ Google Searches

Opening a browser, typing the query, finding a reliable calculator, then going back to your workout adds unnecessary friction.

❌ Screenshot Reference Charts

Some runners keep screenshots of conversion tables on their phones. Functional but clunky, and limited to the specific paces shown in the image.

❌ Trial and Error

Starting at a guessed speed, running for a bit, adjusting, checking again. Wastes workout time and can throw off training sessions.

Could Running Apps Add This Feature?

Technically, yes. The calculation is simple, and the feature wouldn't require significant development resources. So why don't they?

The Product Priorities:

  1. User retention features: Social elements, achievements, challenges that keep users opening the app daily
  2. Subscription value: Advanced analytics, personalized coaching, exclusive content that justify paid tiers
  3. Integration features: Connecting with wearables, syncing with other platforms, expanding the ecosystem
  4. Performance improvements: Faster GPS, better battery efficiency, smoother UI
  5. Utility tools: Converters, calculators, planning aids (lowest priority)

It's not that these companies can't add conversion tools—it's that from a business perspective, other features deliver more value per development hour invested.

The Case for Dedicated Conversion Tools

This gap in running app functionality creates space for specialized tools that do one thing exceptionally well:

✅ Purpose-Built

Dedicated converters are designed specifically for pace-speed calculations, making them faster and more intuitive than trying to navigate through a feature-packed running app.

✅ Always Accessible

Bookmark a converter tool and it's one tap away—no need to open a heavy app, sign in, or navigate through multiple screens.

✅ Works Without GPS or Data

Simple web-based calculators work anywhere, anytime—even in gym basements with no signal where tracking apps struggle.

✅ No Account Required

Just open and calculate. No login, no subscription, no data sharing—just the tool you need when you need it.

✅ Complements Your Tracking App

Use Strava, Nike Run Club, or any app for tracking—then use a dedicated converter for planning. Each tool does what it's best at.

The Future: Will Apps Add Conversion Tools?

It's possible that running apps will eventually add basic conversion utilities. However, several factors suggest it won't be a priority:

  • Business model alignment: Conversion tools don't drive subscriptions or user engagement metrics that matter to these companies
  • Resource allocation: Development teams focus on features that differentiate them from competitors (social features, AI coaching, advanced analytics)
  • User expectations: Most users don't expect running apps to be planning tools— they expect tracking and analysis
  • Specialized tools exist: Since dedicated converters already fill this need, apps can reasonably defer to external resources

The Solution: A Dedicated Converter

Running apps like Strava, Nike Run Club, Adidas Running, and Runna are excellent at what they're built for—tracking your runs, analyzing performance, and connecting with other runners. But they weren't designed to be workout planning utilities.

That's why having a dedicated pace-to-speed converter matters. It fills the gap between tracking and planning, helping you translate training paces to treadmill speeds instantly, without the friction of searching Google or doing mental math.

Our converter is designed specifically for this one job: quick, accurate pace-speed conversions whenever you need them. Use it alongside your favorite tracking app to plan smarter workouts, set correct treadmill speeds, and train with confidence.

Try the Pace Converter →