The Perfect Running Pace- Revealed!

Thanks to “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” we know that the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything is 42.

However, according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the answer to the ultimate running pace is, in fact: 8.3 and 6.5, give or take.

These findings come in part from Karen Steudel, a zoology professor at Wisconsin, who discovered that each individual has an optimal running pace that uses the least amount of oxygen. And no, the optimal running pace isn’t walking.

It’s like being in the zone. Setting the cruise control. Feeling like you could keep running all day. Slow down and you’re not using your full potential; speed up and you’re wasting excess energy.

“What that means is that there is an optimal speed that will get you there the cheapest,” Steudel explained.

The study found that while this optimal speed varies from person to person, it averages about 8.3 mph (about a 7:13 minutes per mile) for males and 6.5 mph (9:08 min/mile) for females.

While these exact numbers may be new to science, the idea that you can find the most efficient way to run is not new at all. Local pro triathlete, physical therapist and coach Lauren Jensen teaches key running principals at her Run Faster clinics through Tri Faster.

I have attended her swimming clinics, and I know she teaches techniques that help you train smarter, not harder. At their running clinics, they teach improvement of running form and speed through dynamic warm-up and use of running circuits in training.

“It is a way for runners to maximize their running ability,” explained Jensen, whose next race will be the New Orleans Half Ironman on April 5.

“It is a way of combining specific strength activities with running to help athletes improve their running posture, technique and ultimately their running speed,” she added.

Sounds optimal to me.