Grade-adjusted pace calculator
Same formula as the Overload app
This grade-adjusted pace calculator converts a hilly run's distance, time, elevation gain and loss into the flat-ground pace that matches the actual effort, using the Minetti energy-cost model. Enter what you ran, including total climb and descent, and get a GAP figure that's fair to compare against a pancake-flat run or race, whether you're checking a trail effort against a flat road PR or planning pacing for a hilly course ahead of time.
Grade-adjusted pace
4:58/km
How it works
Grade-adjusted pace, or GAP, exists because raw pace punishes hilly runs and flatters downhill ones: a runner working just as hard on a hilly course shows a slower average pace than one running flat, even at identical effort. GAP corrects for that by converting distance covered on a grade into an energy-equivalent flat distance.
The calculator applies Minetti's 2002 metabolic cost model, which gives the energy cost of running per kilogram per metre as a function of grade, to both the climbing and descending halves of the run using their average grades, then rescales the total distance to a flat-equivalent one before dividing by time.
This is a deliberate simplification: real runs have a varying elevation profile rather than one constant climb and one constant descent, so GAP from this calculator is an estimate, closer to reality on rolling terrain than on a single steep climb followed by a long flat finish.
Frequently asked questions
What is grade-adjusted pace?
Grade-adjusted pace, or GAP, converts your pace on hilly terrain into the pace you'd need on flat ground to match the same physical effort. It lets you compare a hilly trail run to a flat road run fairly, instead of being misled by raw pace alone.
Why is my GAP faster than my actual pace?
If your run climbed more than it descended, running uphill costs more energy per kilometre than flat running, so your effort corresponds to a faster flat-equivalent pace than your raw watch pace shows. The gap between the two grows with how much total climbing the run included.
How accurate is a GAP calculator without a full elevation profile?
This calculator uses average climb and descent grades rather than a point-by-point elevation trace, which is accurate for steady, consistent grades but less precise for runs with sharp, short pitches. Treat the result as a solid estimate rather than a lab-grade measurement.
Related tools
- Pace calculatorSolve for running pace, time or distance from the other two, free, with instant km/h and mph conversions and a full race-distance time table.
- Pace converterConvert running speed between km/h, mph, min/km and min/mi instantly, free, with a reference table spanning 6 to 22 km/h for quick lookup.
- Race time predictorPredict your 5K, 10K, half and marathon time from a recent race using the Riegel formula, free, the same model the Overload app uses.
- VDOT calculatorCalculate your Daniels VDOT, VMA and VO2max from a race result, free, with training pace zones the same way the Overload app computes them.
Overload computes GAP per run with the Minetti model
Overload calculates grade-adjusted pace automatically from your GPS elevation data on every logged run. Free on iOS and Android.