Recovery Run Pace Guide

Find a sensible recovery-run pace from your current race fitness. Learn the talk test, when to slow down, and how recovery runs differ from easy runs.

A recovery run is a short, low-stress run between demanding sessions, not another fitness test. Use your current race result to estimate an easy training range, then let comfortable breathing and tired legs decide whether to go slower or rest.

Start at the slower end of your easy range; recovery pace is not a separate zone calculated by this tool.
You should be able to speak in full sentences without straining. Slow down or walk if you cannot.
Heat, hills, poor sleep, and accumulated fatigue can make your usual easy pace too demanding.
Rest instead if running worsens pain or changes your stride. A recovery run is optional, not a mileage obligation.

How to choose a recovery-run pace

Use the calculator as a starting point, then adjust by effort.

Use current fitness: Enter a recent race distance and finish time, not a future goal time.
Check the easy range: Start near its slower end and keep your breathing comfortable.
Adjust or rest: Slow down for fatigue, hills, or heat, and stop if pain changes your stride.

Frequently asked questions

How slow should a recovery run be?

Slow enough to feel relaxed throughout, often at the slower end of your easy range or below it. There is no universal number of seconds to add to race pace; current fatigue and conditions matter more than hitting a target.

What is the difference between an easy run and a recovery run?

Both use comfortable aerobic effort. An easy run builds general endurance; a recovery run prioritizes keeping stress low after a harder day, so it is usually shorter and may be slower.

Should I run or rest after intervals?

Either can fit a training plan. Choose rest if you are unusually tired, ill, or sore enough to alter your stride. If you run, keep it short and conversational rather than trying to make up distance.

Training pace reference

Training paces by recent 5K time (min/km)
5K time	VDOT	Easy	Marathon	Threshold	Interval	Rep
15:00	69.6	3:45–4:30	3:23–3:42	3:15	2:56	2:32
17:30	58.2	4:20–5:12	3:54–4:17	3:46	3:23	2:56
20:00	49.8	4:54–5:53	4:26–4:51	4:16	3:51	3:19
22:30	43.4	5:29–6:34	4:57–5:25	4:46	4:18	3:43
25:00	38.3	6:03–7:14	5:28–5:59	5:16	4:45	4:06
27:30	34.2	6:37–7:53	5:59–6:33	5:46	5:13	4:30
30:00	30.8	7:11–8:32	6:30–7:06	6:16	5:40	4:54
32:30	28.0	7:44–9:10	7:01–7:39	6:46	6:07	5:17
35:00	25.6	8:17–9:48	7:31–8:12	7:15	6:34	5:41

More pacing guides

Method and sources

The numbers on this page are computed with the same code as the TrainPace calculators, from these published methods. They are training guidance, not medical advice.

Daniels, J. Daniels' Running Formula. Human Kinetics — VDOT, training zones, and equivalent race times.
Daniels, J. & Gilbert, J. (1979). Oxygen Power: Performance Tables for Distance Runners — the oxygen-cost and %VO2max equations behind VDOT.

Other TrainPace tools

For AI agents

Every public page on this site has a Markdown mirror at the same path with a .md suffix (for example /calculator.md), and honors an Accept: text/markdown request header on the HTML URL. The calculations here are also available as callable tools through a free public MCP server — no account or API key.