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Last Updated: July 20, 2023
How fast does a treadmill go? Well, it all depends on the treadmill. Typically, more entry-level treadmills go up to 8 – 10 mph, whereas other treadmills max out at a speed of 12 mph. The max speed can also vary by the kind of treadmill.
To explain the differences in max speeds, I’ve broken up the treadmills into 3 different categories: home treadmills, commercial treadmills (found in gyms), and manual treadmills (found in both homes and gyms). How fast each of these goes varies depending on the quality, price, and purpose.
For instance, automatic home treadmills are a little bit slower than automatic commercial treadmills because they’re smaller, less expensive, and most even fold up to take up less space. Curved manual treadmills however go as fast as the person running on them and in theory have unlimited maximum speeds.
How Fast Home Treadmills Go
How fast a home treadmill goes depends on the brand and quality. Premium treadmills like these ones from NordicTrack, ProForm, and Sole Fitness go up to 12 mph. The Peloton treadmill is a touch faster at 12.5 mph. Even more entry-level treadmills like the 101 Treadmill from Horizon go up to 10 mph.
Here’s more a breakdown of some of the popular home treadmills listed by brand and their max speed:
- NordicTrack Commercial X32i and X22i Incline Treadmills both go up to 12 mph
- NordicTrack Commercial 2950, Commercial 2450, and Commercial 1750 Treadmills all go up to 12 mph
- NordicTrack Exp 10i and Exp 7i Treadmills both go up to 12 mph
- ProForm Pro 9000 and Pro 2000 Treadmills both go up to 12 mph
- ProForm Carbon T10 and T7 Treadmills both go up to 10 mph
- ProForm City L6 Treadmill goes up to 8 mph
- Sole TT8, Sole F85, and Sole F63 Treadmills all go up to 12 mph
- Horizon 7.8AT and Horizon T202 Treadmills both go up to 12 mph
- Horizon T101 Treadmill goes up to 10 mph
- The Peloton Treadmill goes up to 12.5 mph
All of these treadmills are motorized meaning the motor moves the belt and the speed is programmed. Home treadmills have a wide price range of around $500 to about $3000. Entry-level treadmills under $1000 tend to have lower max speeds, so if you’re wanting higher speed capabilities, mid-range to premium level treadmills might be a better fit for that. Be sure to check out our recommendations forBest Treadmills for home use to pick your perfect treadmill.
Max Speed of Commercial Treadmills
Commercial treadmills are machines you’d find in a gym. While also being more expensive and bigger, they are built to handle being used all day, every day by different runners and fitness enthusiasts continually. These treadmills are also motorized and usually go up to 12 – 15 mph. Some gyms may cap the speed of their treadmills to preserve their life though.
The highest quality commercial treadmills that are used to train more serious runners, like Olympic runners, can go as fast as 25 mph. The cost for a typical commercial treadmill can range to upwards of $10,000.
Here’s a breakdown of common commercial treadmills listed by brand and their max speed:
- Life Fitness Elevation Series and Integrity Series Treadmills both go up to 14 mph
- Life Fitness Active Series Treadmill goes up to 12 mph
- Matrix T7xi and T5x Treadmills both go up to 15 mph
- Matrix Performance Plus Treadmill goes up to 16 mph
- Matrix Endurance and Lifestyle Treadmills both go up to 12 mph
- FreeMotion 22.9 Reflex Treadmill goes up to 15 mph
- FreeMotion t10.9 Reflex Treadmill goes up to 12 mph
Manual Treadmill Speeds
The belt on a manual treadmill moves when your legs move. They don’t require an electrical outlet and their console is battery powered. Flat-belt manual treadmills typically don’t allow anything faster than light jogging. To get more speed however, curved-belt manual treadmills like the AssaultRunner Elite Treadmill are the way to go.
Speeds of up to 24 mph have been recorded on curved treadmills. Our team members got a range up to about 15-20 mph on the AssaultRunner Elite when we tested it. Curved treadmills are sturdier and are higher in quality than regular flat manual treadmills. They require little to no maintenance and are an excellent option if speed is your thing.
The Fastest Treadmill
A company out of Park City, Utah called Athletic Republic claims to have the fastest treadmill whose top speed is 28 mph. Considering that the fastest runner in the world, Usain Bolt, holds a record of running 27.78 mph, 28 mph seems a bit excessive and unnecessary for most people.
How Fast Most People Go On A Treadmill
Something to consider is that most treadmills aren’t meant to be used at their max speeds all the time. Sprinting on a treadmill for long periods isn’t sustainable for the treadmill or yourself. Even in track and field events, the longest event that requires sprinting is 400 meters. Average athletes can complete this in around 60-90 seconds.
When on a treadmill, anything over 5 mph for most people will require jogging, if not running, to keep up with. On average men tend to run around 8 mph and women around 6.5 mph, so a 10-12 mph home treadmill should be plenty fast for most people and athletes.
No matter how fast you can run, rest assured there is a treadmill out there that can keep up with you.
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