---
title: "Strava vs TrainPace for Training Plans | TrainPace"
description: "Strava records your runs; TrainPace tells you what to run. Compare them for training paces, plans, and GPX course analysis, and use both together."
url: https://trainpace.com/calculator/strava-vs-trainpace-for-training
---

# Strava vs. TrainPace for Training

Strava records your runs; TrainPace tells you what to run. Compare them for training paces, plans, and GPX course analysis, and use both together.

Strava is the best place to record and share your runs. TrainPace is where you decide what pace to run, what plan to follow, and how hard a course will be. They work best together.

- Strava records activities and adds a social feed; TrainPace prescribes paces and plans
- TrainPace turns a recent race into VDOT training zones Strava does not calculate
- Upload your Strava GPX export to TrainPace for hill-adjusted course pacing
- TrainPace adds a periodized plan builder and an AI fuel planner
- Free to use with no subscription for the core tools

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Strava good for training plans?

Strava is excellent for recording and sharing runs, but it does not prescribe training paces or build a periodized plan. TrainPace fills that gap with VDOT zones, a plan builder, and fueling.

### Can I use Strava and TrainPace together?

Yes. Record your runs in Strava, export a race or route as a GPX file, and upload it to TrainPace to analyze elevation and get hill-adjusted pacing. Use your recent Strava race time to set training paces.

### How do I get pace zones from a Strava run?

Take a recent race time from Strava and enter it in the TrainPace pace or VDOT calculator to get Easy, Tempo, Threshold, and Interval paces.

- [Get Your Training Paces](https://trainpace.com/calculator)

## 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 |

## Compare TrainPace with other apps

- [TrainPace vs. Runna](https://trainpace.com/calculator/trainpace-vs-runna)
- [A Free Runna Alternative](https://trainpace.com/calculator/free-runna-alternative)
- [TrainPace vs. TrainingPeaks](https://trainpace.com/calculator/trainpace-vs-trainingpeaks)
- [A Free TrainingPeaks Alternative](https://trainpace.com/calculator/free-trainingpeaks-alternative)

## Other TrainPace tools

- [Pace Calculator](https://trainpace.com/calculator) — training paces from a recent race result
- [VDOT Calculator](https://trainpace.com/vdot) — fitness score and equivalent race times
- [Training Plan Builder](https://trainpace.com/plan) — week-by-week 5K to marathon plans
- [Race Fuel Planner](https://trainpace.com/fuel) — carbs per hour and gel counts
- [Elevation Finder](https://trainpace.com/elevation-finder) — GPX route and climb analysis

## For AI agents

Every 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.

- [llms.txt](https://trainpace.com/llms.txt) — site index for agents
- [llms-full.txt](https://trainpace.com/llms-full.txt) — every page's Markdown in one file
- [MCP server docs](https://trainpace.com/mcp) — endpoint, tools, and client setup