Base endurance — estimate your easy-run pace
Base endurance (easy pace) is the comfortable pace you can sustain for long runs. It’s the foundation of aerobic training.
Practical estimators
From a recent race time
Estimating EF from a race is practical because many runners know recent race times.
Easy-pace chart
The chart updates after a calculation and shows your recommended easy-run pace range.
Calculate your EF to display the pace range here.
How to recognise it?
- You can talk while running without feeling short of breath.
- Your breathing stays controlled.
- You are not near max effort and could keep going for a while.
- Perceived effort is low, around 3/10.
Typical ranges
Base endurance often corresponds to roughly:
- 60 to 75% of VMA
- or about 65 to 80% of maximum heart rate
Example: if your VMA is 16 km/h, your easy pace is roughly 9.6–12 km/h, or about 5:00–6:15 min/km.
Other methods
- Conversation test: if you can speak in short sentences while running, it is usually easy endurance.
- Perceived effort: around 3/10, comfortably controlled.
- Easy sessions: long runs and recovery runs should stay in this zone to build aerobic fitness.
Useful pages
- VMA calculator — useful if you already know your VMA.
- VO2max calculator — links between VO2max and VMA.
- Training paces — convert easy endurance into training zones.
- Race time estimator — compare reference paces if available.