Running Heart Rate Guide + How To Calculate Your Heart Rate Zones

A certified coach's take on heart rate training for athletes.

As a certified running coach, I use various run training methods with my athletes, such as RPE (rate of perceived exertion), specific paces in minutes per kilometer or mile (calculated after a speed test like a 3K or 5K), and target heart rate zones.

Each method has pros and cons, and choosing which to use will depend on each individual athlete’s current specific training plan, phase, and goal. 

In this guide, we will talk about heart rate as a run training method, calculate your running heart rate zones, and examine the factors that can affect your heart rate so you can decide if it’s the correct training method for you. 

A runner with a heart rate counter on her wrist.

What Is Running Heart Rate Training?

Instead of running based on your rate of perceived exertion on a scale of 1-10 or following a specific pace for a workout, running heart rate training uses your heart rate or the number of beats per minute (bpm) to monitor and dictate your effort level.

To track your heart rate while running, you must have a heart rate monitor and an apparatus that projects that information to you in real-time, such as a running watch. 

There are different options for heart rate monitors, such as chest, arm, ear, or wrist monitors. The newer running watches have a heart rate monitor built into them that reads your bpm on your wrist.

Ensure that the monitor is tight and taught against your body no matter where it is placed so the results are as accurate as possible and don’t become askew by any unwanted movement.

When running heart rate training, your specific workout will indicate in which heart rate training zone you should be running. This will depend on the type of workout you perform, such as a tempo run, high-intensity intervals, or hillwork.

Depending on your training method, different heart rate zone percentages, ranges, and tables exist. For our purposes, we will use the Garmin heart rate ranges, which are quite popular amoung those who use Garmin devices.

A runner looking at her watch.

What Are The Running Heart Rate Zones?

The following describes each running heart rate zone, the percentage of your maximum heart rate corresponding to it, and the specific training objective of running in that zone.

Zone 1 

  • Heart Rate Percentage: 50-60% of your maximum heart rate.
  • Perceived Exertion: An easy, relaxed, effortless recovery pace that you could easily hold for hours.
  • Training Objective: Used for warming up, cooling down, and recovery: aerobic training.

Zone 2

  • Heart Rate Percentage: 60-70% of your maximum heart rate.
  • Perceived Exertion: Comfortable, but breathing slightly deeper than Zone 1. You can still hold a conversation at all times.
  • Training Objective: Used for cardiovascular training, base-building, easy runs, and long runs.
A runner looking at their heart rate on their watch.

Zone 3

  • Heart Rate Percentage: 70-80% of your maximum heart rate.
  • Perceived Exertion: Moderate-intensity where breathing can become a bit labored, making it more challenging to hold a conversation.
  • Training Objective: Used to improve aerobic capacity.

Zone 4

  • Heart Rate Percentage: 80-90% of your maximum heart rate.
  • Perceived Exertion: Breathing becomes forceful and more uncomfortable, and you cannot speak. 
  • Training Objective: Used to improve speed, anaerobic capacity, running efficiency, and hard-pace tolerance: threshold runs and long intervals.

Zone 5

  • Heart Rate Percentage: 90-100% of your maximum heart rate.
  • Perceived Exertion: This maximum pace is very uncomfortable and unsustainable for long periods. Breathing is now very labored.
  • Training Objective: Used to increase power, anaerobic and muscular endurance, reaction time, and top speed: sprinting and short speed intervals.
A runner manually checking their heart rate.

How Do I Calculate My Running Heart Rate Zones? 

To calculate your running heart rate zones, you need two pieces of information: your maximum (MHR) and resting heart rates (RHR). 

These two pieces of data can then determine your heart rate range for each zone according to the percentages above. 

Let’s look at each piece of data separately. 

How To Calculate Your Resting Heart Rate 

Your resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute while you are not doing any physical activity and are at rest.

The best time to measure your resting heart rate is immediately after you wake up in the morning and have not gotten out of bed yet.

While still lying in bed, measure your heart rate, whether using the heart rate monitor on your watch or manually taking it by counting the beats per minute in 15 seconds and then multiplying that number by 4 for 60 seconds. 

A runner looking at their heart rate on their watch.

If you consistently wear your running watch while you sleep, you most likely have this data already calculated for you.

According to the American Heart Association,1American Heart Association. (2015, July 31). All about Heart Rate (pulse). American Heart Association; American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/the-facts-about-high-blood-pressure/all-about-heart-rate-pulse a normal resting heart rate can range from the 30s for a seasoned, fit athlete to 60 or even 100 bpm for untrained individuals. It will depend on factors such as your age, genetics, health, and fitness level.

Often, an athlete will have a lower resting heart rate than someone who does not exercise.

How To Calculate Your Maximum Heart Rate 

You can calculate your maximum heart rate in various ways, ranging from less invasive and non-taxing formulas and tests to very intense tests for fitter, more experienced runners.

Your maximum heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute at max capacity.

#1: Use A Heart Rate Formula

The following formula is where you plug in your age to estimate your max heart rate. This is not the most accurate as many of us do not fall under “average” heart rates. However, it is a quick and easy way to get data.

211 – (.64 x age) = Maximum heart rate 

For example, if you are 41 years old: 211- (.64 x 41) = 185 max heart rate

A lab Vo2 max test.

#2: Lab Test 

Calculating your max heart rate from a supervised lab test, such as a stress test or a Vo2 Max test, is the safest, most precise way. However, they can be pricey and not a possible option for everyone. 

During this test, you run on a treadmill, gradually increasing your speed and exercise intensity, as the physician monitors your heart rate and other data, such as oxygen intake and the rate at which your blood lactate builds up.

After the test, you will have your max heart rate data, lactate threshold, and other important information for your training. 

#3: Field Test 

Before performing a max heart rate field test, get permission from your healthcare provider, as you must ensure you don’t have any prexisting medical conditions and are in good heart health to ensure safety.

Field Test Procedure

  1. Treat this test like a race. You want to run on rested legs, so rest the night before, eat well, and focus on good hydration. 
  2. Warm up for 15 minutes with a few 20-second strides at the end to get your legs moving.
  3. Run 3 minutes fast.
  4. Rest for 2 minutes.
  5. Run 3 minutes as fast as you can. 
  6. As you reach your maximum effort level and can’t push harder, check your watch reading and note your highest bpm. This reading is your maximum heart rate.

Whichever option you choose, you can now calculate your running heart rate zones for training. So, what should my heart rate be while running?

A runner looking at their heart rate on their watch.

What Should My Average Heart Rate While Running Be?

Your ideal running heart rate will be determined by the type of workout you are doing on a particular day. 

If you are warming up, your average heart rate will be between 50-60% of your maximum heart rate. If you are running a long run or a recovery run, it will be in the 60-70% range. 

You will be within the 70-80% range for a steady-state run or marathon-pace training.

Tempos and thresholds will be more in the 80-85% of your max, while longer intervals will range from 85-95% of your max, and shorter sprints up to 100%.

For a complete guide on different running workouts, click here

So, depending on your specific training objective and workout, your average heart rate will vary. 

A runner wearing a chest strap.

What Factors Can Affect Running Heart Rate Training?

As with every training method, there are pros and cons. With heart rate training, a wide variety of factors can raise your heart rate beyond what it would typically be in ideal running conditions. 

Therefore, when deciding if running heart rate training is suitable for you and your running goal, consider the following factors to see just how much they may affect your data and, in turn, your training:

  • Cardiac Drift: Heart rate increases gradually by the end of a workout, even though you are running at the same “perceived effort level.”
  • Heat and humidity: 2The heat and humidity can raise your heart rate and decrease time to exhaustion.Che Muhamed, A. M., Atkins, K., Stannard, S. R., Mündel, T., & Thompson, M. W. (2016). The effects of a systematic increase in relative humidity on thermoregulatory and circulatory responses during prolonged running exercise in the heat. Temperature3(3), 455–464. https://doi.org/10.1080/23328940.2016.1182669
  • Elevation: Heart rate can increase significantly when running at altitude unless you are acclimatized.3Yamamoto, Y., Hoshikawa, Y., & Miyashita, M. (1996). Effects of acute exposure to simulated altitude on heart rate variability during exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology81(3), 1223–1229. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1996.81.3.1223
  • Medications: Certain medications have the side effect of raising your heart rate. If you take medication, check with your healthcare provider for more information. 
  • Caffeine: Consuming caffeine before or during a run could also increase heart rate. 
  • Other: Stress, anxiety, lack of sleep, and dehydration can also contribute to a higher heart rate while training.

As you can see, there are plenty of factors to consider when training by heart rate.

If your heart rate is elevated for reasons other than effort level, it may hold you back as you try to stick within each workout’s heart rate percentage range. 

If you are a beginner, you may experience a high heart rate as compared to your perceived effort level because your body is adapting to running.

If you aren’t convinced heart rate training is for you, check out our guide on the rate of perceived exertion to test out another training method:

References

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

a smiling marathon runner

Katelyn Tocci

Managing Editor

Katelyn is an experienced ultra-marathoner and outdoor enthusiast with a passion for the trails. In the running community, she is known for her ear-to-ear smile, even under the toughest racing conditions. She is a UESCA-certified running coach and loves sharing her knowledge and experience to help people reach their goals and become the best runners they can be. Her biggest passion is to motivate others to hit the trails or road alongside her, have a blast, and run for fun!

Want To Save This Guide For Later?

Enter your email and we'll give it over to your inbox.