How to Calculate Running Training Load
Training load is the single number that captures how hard a run was. Combine duration with intensity, normalize for terrain, scale to threshold pace — and you have a load metric that lets you plan progression, recovery, and races with real precision.
The formula
The method uses the same structure as for cycling, but pace replaces power and a terrain-adjusted pace handles hills:
The structure: duration × intensity² (because both the intensity and the NGP are pace-derived), normalized so that one hour at threshold = 100 points.
Worked example
You run for 60 minutes. Your average pace is 5:00/km. You ran on rolling terrain so NGP works out to 4:48/km (faster than raw pace because hills add work). Your threshold pace is 4:30/km.
An almost-threshold hour-long run produces ~88 points — close to the reference 100.
Typical load values
| Run type | Duration | Typical Load |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery jog | 30 min | 15–25 |
| Easy run | 60 min | 40–55 |
| Long run | 2 h | 110–150 |
| Tempo (4×10 min) | 60 min | 80–95 |
| VO₂max intervals | 60 min | 85–105 |
| 10K race | ~45 min | 90–110 |
| Half marathon race | ~90 min | 140–170 |
| Marathon race | ~3–4 h | 240–340 |
What makes load different from time-on-feet?
A 60-minute easy jog and a 60-minute hard tempo both consume one hour of your time. But the tempo costs roughly 2× the recovery debt. Time-based planning (mileage, hours) misses this — the load metric captures it.
Weekly load targets
| Goal | Weekly Load | Sessions/week |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | 200–300 | 3–4 |
| 5K / 10K prep | 350–500 | 4–5 |
| Half marathon prep | 450–600 | 5–6 |
| Marathon prep | 500–800 | 5–7 |
| Elite peak block | 800–1,200+ | 9–13 |
Why NGP matters for runners
Cycling has power meters — instantaneous, terrain-agnostic. Running doesn't. A 5:00/km on the flat costs less than a 5:00/km up a 6% grade. NGP fixes this: it returns the equivalent flat-ground pace, so a hilly run is scored fairly. Without NGP, mountain runners would systematically under-count their load.
Common mistakes
- Stale threshold pace. If your T-pace is set from a year-old race, your load is wrong. Re-derive every 6–8 weeks.
- Ignoring NGP. A raw-pace calculation punishes hill runners and rewards flat-runners. Use a tool that computes NGP.
- Chasing weekly load. Adding 100 points by stacking another easy run is fine. Adding 100 points by adding intensity is not — that's a 30% jump in injury risk.
- Comparing running load to cycling load. 100 running points are more recovery-costly than 100 cycling points — running has more eccentric load. Rough conversion: 1 running point ≈ 1.3 cycling points for recovery purposes.
How load feeds Fitness, Fatigue and Form
Each run produces a single load number. Fitness is the 42-day exponentially-weighted average of that load. Fatigue is the 7-day average. Form = Fitness − Fatigue. Without the load metric, none of these work — it is the single input that drives the whole training-status view.
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