Zone 2 calculator: heart rate and pace

Updated · 4 min read

In short

Zone 2 heart rate is 60–70% of your max heart rate. Enter your age or max heart rate below — and optionally a recent 5K time — to get your zone 2 heart rate and an estimated zone 2 running pace.

Leave max heart rate empty to estimate it from your age (208 − 0.7 × age). A measured max is better.

Zone 2 heart rate111–128 bpm
Estimated zone 2 pace6:53–7:42 /km

How the calculator works

Percent of max heart rate: zone 2 = 0.6 × max to 0.7 × max. With a max of 190 bpm that is 114–132 bpm.

Heart-rate reserve (Karvonen): zone 2 = resting HR + 0.6 × (max − resting) to resting HR + 0.7 × (max − resting). With a max of 190 and a resting heart rate of 50, that is 134–147 bpm. It gives a higher range for fit runners with a low resting heart rate.

Max heart rate from age: if you leave max heart rate empty, the calculator uses 208 − 0.7 × age (Tanaka), which fits adults better than 220 − age. Both are averages; your real max can differ by 10 bpm or more.

Zone 2 pace: estimated as 25–40% slower than your 5K race pace. Treat it as a starting point — heat, hills and fatigue change it every day.

Which method should I use?

If you know your resting heart rate, heart-rate reserve is usually more accurate for trained runners. If you train with WHOOP, percent of max matches how the WHOOP app draws its zones. Whichever you choose, use the same method consistently.

Your zone 2 seems too low?

That usually means the max heart rate is underestimated. Look for the highest heart rate you have hit at the end of a race or hill repeat and enter that instead of the age estimate.

Hear your zone 2, don't watch it

ZoneTempo is an iPhone running coach that speaks over your music: it tells you when you drift out of zone 2 and keeps your pace in check, using live heart rate from your WHOOP strap. See how it works →

Hear your zones instead of checking your wrist.

ZoneTempo is an iPhone running coach that speaks pace and heart-rate cues over your music. Free to use, with 3 Pro runs on us.

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This calculator is general information, not medical advice.

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