How do I calculate my Zone 2 heart rate?

Two steps. (1) Estimate max HR with the Tanaka formula: max HR = 208 − (0.7 × age). For a 35-year-old, that's ~184 bpm. (2) Multiply by 0.60 and 0.70 for the Zone 2 band. The 35-year-old's Zone 2 = 110–129 bpm. If you know your resting HR, use the Karvonen reserve method instead — it's more individualized.

What's my Zone 2 running pace?

Rule of thumb: 90 to 180 seconds per mile slower than your 5K race pace, or 56 to 112 seconds per kilometer slower. A 22-minute 5K runner (7:05/mi) sits in Zone 2 around 8:35–10:05/mi. The calculator above combines this with the Daniels VDOT easy-pace band and returns the wider envelope.

Why can't I run slow enough to stay in Zone 2?

This is the most common Zone 2 complaint. Adult-onset runners typically have a small aerobic base; their heart rate climbs above 70 % max HR almost as soon as they start moving. Three fixes: run-walk-run intervals (90 sec run, 60 sec walk); slow to a shuffle and ignore how it looks; or substitute cycling for one easy day. After several weeks of consistent Zone 2 work, your easy-pace HR drops 5–15 bpm — that's the adaptation.

Is this the same Zone 2 as Daniels' five-zone system?

No — it's the popular Zone 2 (TrainingPeaks, Maffetone, Peter Attia) at 60–70 % max HR. Daniels' system labels Zone 2 as 'Marathon pace' at 80–85 % max HR. Same label, different intensity. The popular Zone 2 is what most modern coaches and athletes mean today.

How much Zone 2 training should I do?

The standard 80/20 rule says 80 % of training time in Zone 2 (or below), 20 % in Zone 3 or harder. For a recreational runner doing 4 sessions a week, that's 3 easy Zone 2 runs and 1 quality session. For a marathon trainee doing 6 runs, that's 5 easy and 1 quality.

Zone 2 Running Calculator

Zone 2 is aerobic-base intensity — the easy, conversational effort at roughly 60–70 % of your max heart rate that builds mitochondrial density and fat-burning capacity. This calculator gives you both the BPM range and the running pace.

QUICK REFERENCE · ZONE 2 BY AGE · TANAKA + 60–70 % MAX HR

Age	Max HR (Tanaka)	Zone 2 range
20	194 bpm	116–136 bpm
25	191 bpm	115–134 bpm
30	187 bpm	112–131 bpm
35	184 bpm	110–129 bpm
40	180 bpm	108–126 bpm
45	177 bpm	106–124 bpm
50	173 bpm	104–121 bpm
55	170 bpm	102–119 bpm
60	166 bpm	100–116 bpm
65	163 bpm	98–114 bpm
70	159 bpm	95–111 bpm

Quick formulas: max HR = 208 − 0.7 × age (Tanaka 2001); Zone 2 = 60–70 % of max HR. If you have a recent resting HR, the calculator below switches to the Karvonen reserve method, which is more individualized.

Your Zone 2 — heart rate and pace

Two independent inputs. Use the HR panel if you train with a heart-rate monitor; use the pace panel if you train by feel and watch pace.

METHOD 1 · HEART RATE

Zone 2 by HR

60–70 % of max HR. Optional resting HR uses Karvonen reserve.

AGERESTING HR · OPTIONALUsing % of max HR

YOUR ZONE 2 HR

110–129

BPM

Max HR 184 · 60–70%

METHOD 2 · PACE

Zone 2 by pace

From a recent race. Combines the Strength Running rule of thumb (5K + 90–180 sec/mi) with Daniels' Easy zone for a wider, safer envelope.

RECENT RACEFINISH TIME · HH:MM:SSe.g. 22:00 for a 22-minute 5K, or 1:45:00 for a half

YOUR ZONE 2 PACE

5:20–6:16

PER KILOMETER

8:35–10:05 per mile

VDOT 44.542806672695185 · ~3 min slower per mile than 5K pace

What is Zone 2 running, briefly

Zone 2 is the second of five popular heart-rate zones used by coaches and platforms like TrainingPeaks. It sits between recovery (Zone 1) and the moderate aerobic zone (Zone 3). At this intensity:

You can hold a full conversation in complete sentences.
Blood lactate stays at or near resting levels.
Your body uses fat as the primary fuel.
Most elite endurance athletes spend ~80 % of training time here.

The catch: most adult-onset runners can't actually run slow enough to stay in Zone 2 from day one. Walking, jogging, or run-walk intervals are often the only way to keep the heart rate down while you build the aerobic base. Read the deep dive: What is Zone 2 running?

METHODOLOGY

How this calculator works

60–70 % max-HR aerobic-base zone
The popular "Zone 2" used by TrainingPeaks, Peter Attia, and most modern endurance coaches sits at 60–70 % of max heart rate. This is the aerobic-base intensity where blood lactate stays near resting, fat is the primary fuel, and mitochondrial density adapts. Note: this differs from Daniels' "Zone 2 (marathon pace)" at 80–85 % HRmax — same label, different system. PaceCalc implements the popular Maffetone-style model.
Maffetone, P. B., The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing, Skyhorse Publishing, 2010. Popularized by Peter Attia (Outlive, 2023) and TrainingPeaks coaching literature.
Tanaka–Monahan–Seals max-HR estimate
Estimates max heart rate as 208 − 0.7 × age. Tanaka et al. found this fit observed data better across age groups than the older 220 − age formula. PaceCalc uses Tanaka by default; you can override with a measured max HR if you have one.
H. Tanaka, K. D. Monahan, D. R. Seals, "Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited," Journal of the American College of Cardiology, vol. 37, no. 1, 2001, pp. 153–156.
Karvonen heart-rate-reserve method
Zones are calculated as a percentage of heart-rate reserve (HRR = max HR − resting HR) added back to resting HR. This is more individualized than the simpler "%HRmax" method because it accounts for your resting HR, which differs widely between trained and untrained runners.
M. J. Karvonen, "The effects of training on heart rate; a longitudinal study," Annales Medicinae Experimentalis et Biologiae Fenniae, vol. 35, no. 3, 1957, pp. 307–315.
Zone 2 pace rule of thumb
A practical rule for converting race pace to Zone 2 pace: Zone 2 sits about 90–180 seconds per mile (56–112 sec/km) slower than 5K race pace. PaceCalc combines this with the Daniels easy-pace band (~65–74 % VDOT) and returns the wider envelope, which is more forgiving for new runners and accurate for experienced runners.
Strength Running, "Zone 2 Running Masterclass," 2024. Echoed across coaching literature: Holly Martin, Vietnam Trail Series, TrainingPeaks.
VDOT and equivalent training paces
VDOT is a single number that summarizes your aerobic fitness from a recent race performance. Daniels' tables map VDOT to equivalent times at every standard distance and to recommended paces for easy, marathon, threshold, interval, and repetition work. PaceCalc estimates VDOT from your inputs, then surfaces those equivalent paces.
Jack Daniels, Daniels' Running Formula, 3rd edition, Human Kinetics, 2013. Tables for VDOT and zone-based pacing.

NOTES

Zone 2 in this calculator means the popular 60–70 % max-HR aerobic-base zone (Maffetone / TrainingPeaks / Peter Attia school) — NOT the Daniels VDOT "Zone 2 (marathon pace)" at 80–85 % HRmax. The two systems share the label but mean different intensities.
For pace output we combine the Strength Running rule of thumb (5K pace + 90–180 sec/mi) with the Daniels easy-pace zone (~65–74 % VDOT), returning the wider envelope so the band is forgiving for new runners and accurate for experienced ones.
Most adult-onset runners cannot stay in Zone 2 without walk breaks for the first weeks. Run-walk-run intervals or substituting cycling for one easy day are standard fixes — both let you accumulate Zone 2 minutes while the aerobic base builds.

FAQ

Frequently asked

What is Zone 2 running?: Zone 2 running is aerobic-base intensity at 60–70 % of max heart rate. You can hold a full conversation in complete sentences, blood lactate stays near resting, and fat is the primary fuel. It's the cornerstone of endurance training — elite athletes spend ~80 % of training time in this zone.
How do I calculate my Zone 2 heart rate?: Two steps. (1) Estimate max HR with the Tanaka formula: max HR = 208 − (0.7 × age). For a 35-year-old, that's ~184 bpm. (2) Multiply by 0.60 and 0.70 for the Zone 2 band. The 35-year-old's Zone 2 = 110–129 bpm. If you know your resting HR, use the Karvonen reserve method instead — it's more individualized.
What's my Zone 2 running pace?: Rule of thumb: 90 to 180 seconds per mile slower than your 5K race pace, or 56 to 112 seconds per kilometer slower. A 22-minute 5K runner (7:05/mi) sits in Zone 2 around 8:35–10:05/mi. The calculator above combines this with the Daniels VDOT easy-pace band and returns the wider envelope.
Why can't I run slow enough to stay in Zone 2?: This is the most common Zone 2 complaint. Adult-onset runners typically have a small aerobic base; their heart rate climbs above 70 % max HR almost as soon as they start moving. Three fixes: run-walk-run intervals (90 sec run, 60 sec walk); slow to a shuffle and ignore how it looks; or substitute cycling for one easy day. After several weeks of consistent Zone 2 work, your easy-pace HR drops 5–15 bpm — that's the adaptation.
Is this the same Zone 2 as Daniels' five-zone system?: No — it's the popular Zone 2 (TrainingPeaks, Maffetone, Peter Attia) at 60–70 % max HR. Daniels' system labels Zone 2 as 'Marathon pace' at 80–85 % max HR. Same label, different intensity. The popular Zone 2 is what most modern coaches and athletes mean today.
How much Zone 2 training should I do?: The standard 80/20 rule says 80 % of training time in Zone 2 (or below), 20 % in Zone 3 or harder. For a recreational runner doing 4 sessions a week, that's 3 easy Zone 2 runs and 1 quality session. For a marathon trainee doing 6 runs, that's 5 easy and 1 quality.