Running Heart Rate Zones Calculator
Build your five running heart-rate training zones from your age — with the Karvonen (heart-rate reserve) method if you add a resting heart rate.
How it works
Tanaka max HR = 208 − 0.7 × age · Karvonen: HR = rest + %intensity × (max − rest)
Age formulas estimate your maximum heart rate, then each zone is a band of that maximum. The Karvonen method is more individual: it works from your heart-rate reserve — the gap between resting and maximum — so a fit runner with a low resting pulse gets zones shifted to match their actual range. Tanaka’s 208 − 0.7 × age fits large populations better than the older 220 − age, especially for masters runners, but any formula is a starting point until you see your real max in a hard effort.
Worked example
A 35-year-old by Tanaka: 208 − 0.7 × 35 = 183 bpm max. Zone 2 (60–70%) is 110–128 bpm. Add a 50 bpm resting pulse and Karvonen Zone 2 becomes 50 + 0.60 × 133 to 50 + 0.70 × 133 = 130–143 bpm.
Sources: Tanaka et al., max HR (2001)
Frequently asked questions
Why do the Karvonen numbers come out higher?
Because heart-rate reserve zones anchor to your resting pulse, not zero. A percentage of the reserve added onto a 50 bpm resting rate lands higher than the same percentage of your max alone, which is why fit runners find plain %-max zones feel too easy.
Should I trust a formula for my max heart rate?
Only as an estimate — individual max HR varies by ±10–12 bpm from any formula. If you have seen a higher number on a watch during an all-out hill or race finish, use that measured value instead.
Which zone should most running happen in?
Endurance research and the 80/20 approach put roughly 80% of weekly volume in easy Zones 1–2, with the remaining hard 20% split between threshold and VO₂max work. Beginners drift into Zone 3 too often, which is why easy runs should feel almost too slow.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.