Are you wondering if you can outrun your average treadmill? Here you can find a list of many treadmills and their top speeds. We’ll also go into how fast of a treadmill you actually need.
Domestic treadmills have a top speed of 10 to 12 MPH. Commercial machines tend to reach higher top speeds of 12-14 MPH. The average human jogs at 4-6 MPH and runs a mile with an average speed of 7.5 MPH. So, a treadmill with 10-12 MPH speed is fast enough for most people .
What are the differences between models and how fast of a top speed do you need personally? Those are some of the things I’ll go into below.
Contents
What’s The Top Speed Of a Treadmill?
The top speed of a treadmill differs from type to type and also from model to model.
There are three main types of treadmills:
Find the fastest treadmill for home use here.
Let’s take a look at the different types of treadmills and their general top speeds.
Motorized Domestic Treadmill Top Speeds
| Brand | Model | Top speed (MPH) | Incline range | User weight limit (lbs) | Motor (HP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordicTrack | T6.5S | 10 | 0-10 | 300 | 2.6 |
| Xterra | TRX2500 | 10 | 0-10 | 300 | 2.25 |
| Xterra | TRX3500 | 12 | 0-12 | 350 | 3 |
| Xterra | TRX4500 | 12 | 0-15 | 350 | 3.25 |
| SereneLife | SLFTRD18 | 6 | N/A | 265 | 1 |
| ProForm | 505 CST | 10 | 0-10 | 325 | 2.5 |
| ProForm | 705CST | 12 | 0-12 | 325 | 2.75 |
| ProForm | 800i | 12 | -2 to 12 | 315 | 2.75 |
| Nautilus | T614 | 12 | 0-12 | 300 | 2.75 |
| Nautilus | T616 | 12 | 0-15 | 300 | 3 |
| Nautilus | T618 | 12 | 0-15 | 350 | 3.5 |
| Horizon | T101 | 10 | 0-10 | 250 | 2.5 |
| Horizon | T202 | 12 | 0-12 | 250 | 2.75 |
| Horizon | T303 | 12 | 0-15 | 250 | 3 |
| TechnoGym | Myrun | 12.4 | 0-12 | 308.6 | 3 |
| Average | 11.09 | 302.58 |
As you can see, the vast majority of treadmills for home use, have a top speed of 10 – 12 MPH There are a few exceptions but that seems to be the standard. You need a motor that produces at least 2.75 HP to be able to reach the 12MPH. You can also see that the treadmill with the weak motor (1HP) has a much lower top speed.
While that’s not definitive proof that the horsepower figure directly translates into top speed, it’s a good indication.
Commercial Treadmill Top Speeds List
| Brand | Model | Top speed (MPH) | Incline range | User weight limit (lbs) | Motor (HP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordicTrack | Commercial 1750 | 12 | -3 to +15 | 300 | 3.75 |
| NordicTrack | Commercial 2450 | 12 | -3 to +15 | 300 | 4 |
| NordicTrack | Commercial 2950 | 12 | -3 to +15 | 300 | 4.25 |
| NordicTrack | X11i | 12 | -6 to +40 | 300 | 3.75 |
| NordicTrack | X22i | 12 | -6 to +40 | 300 | 4 |
| NordicTrack | X33i | 12 | -6 to +40 | 300 | 4.25 |
| LifeFitness | Activate | 12 | 0-15 | 325 | 3 |
| LifeFitness | Integrity Simple | 14 | 0-15 | 400 | 4 |
| LifeFitness | Elevation | 14 | 0-15 | 400 | 4 |
| Cybex | R Series | 14 | 0-15 | 400 | 4 |
| Cybex | V Series | 12 | 0-15 | 400 | 3 |
| Technogym | Jog Forma | 11.2 | 0-15 | 361 | 6 |
| Technogym | EXC Run 700 | 14.2 | 0-15 | 400 | 6 |
| Technogym | EXC Run 900 | 15.6 | 0-18 | 400 | 6 |
| Body-Solid | T10HRC Endurance | 10 | 0-15 | 350 | 3 |
| BodyCraft | T1000-10TS | 13 | 0-15 | 500 | 5 |
| BodyCraft | T800-9LCD | 12 | 0-15 | 425 | 4 |
| Average | 12.59 | 362.4 |
From this list it becomes clear that the treadmills that are advertised for commercial use, have a higher top speed than the ones marketed for home use. The vast majority of the treadmills for commercial use has a top speed of 12-14 MPH.
You can also see that the engine outputs are significantly higher than the ones for the home use. This further supports the theory that engine power is related to the top speed of a treadmill.
Looking for a treadmill that has a top speed of 12 MPH a strong motor and good features for a great price? Click here to find which one I recommend.
Manual treadmill Top Speed
Manual treadmills are a bit different. This type doesn’t have a motor that moves the belt. The belt moves because you move it with your legs. That means it’s really up to you and your abilities how fast the belt can go.
If you’re in better shape and/or have stronger legs, it’s possible to move the belt faster than if you’re out of shape and weak. On a manual treadmill it’s all about overcoming the resistance. The faster you try to move the belt, the higher the resistance gets. So the top speed of a manual treadmill is the speed where the resistance is the same as the power your legs can develop.
The type of manual treadmill also matters. Many cheap and simple models are just made for light jogging. Others like the Assaultrunner Pro are great for sprinting.
Is 30 minutes on a treadmill enough to see results?
How Fast a Treadmill Do You Need?
How fast should a treadmill be able to go to get a good workout? That depends on a few different factors.
Obviously, if you’re well trained, you can run faster than if you’re just running for the first time in 10 years. How fast can people run? Let’s take a look;
Suggested: Best treadmills with top speeds over 12 MPH
Most treadmills, even the commercial ones, are not suited to highly trained sprinters. I’m sure there are specialized machines that can satisfy the needs of people like that but the average gym treadmill doesn’t have a top speed that high enough.
Treadmills are often used for steady state cardio however. If you’re running longer distances, your speed will be a lot lower than if you’re sprinting. Even a two hour marathon runner has an average speed of ‘only’ 13MPH although their top speed is probably a bit higher. A two hour marathon is exceedingly rare since there’s only one person in the world who has done this. Four hours is a much more common time even for trained people who can finish a marathon.
Even on shorter distances, the speeds you’ll run at don’t come anywhere close the highly trained sprinters. A five minute mile is much faster than the vast majority of people on this earth can run. The average person can run a mile in roughly 9 to 13 minutes (average from wide range of people). A five minute mile gives you an average speed of 12MPH which is within reach of many treadmills for home use.
The majority of people (except fast sprinters) will be satisfied with a treadmill that has a top speed of 12MPH. If you’re a good but not top level sprinter and you want to be able to do that on your treadmill, it can be worth it to look for a treadmill that has a top speed of 14 MPH.
Looking for a treadmill that has a top speed of 12 MPH a strong motor and good features for a great price? Click here to find which one I recommend.
