[mikestew]

I can run 10mph for 13 miles, and I’m in my fifties. That’s not to brag, but to point out that an 8 mph speed limit on a treadmill is ridiculously low. Sure, it probably fits the 80% use case, but that’s only about 8 minutes/mile. Not a very useful treadmill, IMO.

But I’ve been on a treadmill less than a half dozen times in my life, so what do the treadmill makers care what I think. :-)

[hsitz]

You're in your fifties and you're running a sub 1:19 HM? Color me dubious on that one. Possible, but not likely.

Although you're right that it would be a piss-poor treadmill if it were built to max out at 8 minutes/mile pace or slower. I suspect none are, but I think the fellow reporting it was at heavy weight, so perhaps that affected things.

[mikestew]

You caught me. 1:23, close enough for illustrative purposes. Besides, the age group record is 1:09, 1:19 isn’t that fast.

[hsitz]

Ha, still not bad, kudos. 1:19 is further out on bell curve tail, enough to raise some doubt, at least on a geeky website . . . .

[Jenya_]

statistics shows there are indeed some runners in this age group which run 10k close to 6 minutes per mile and even faster:

http://www.pace-calculator.com/10k-pace-comparison.php

[eitally]

It's perfectly useful, because the vast majority of people using treadmills are moving closer to 4mph than 8mph.

[Retric]

You burn more calories and do less dammage to your joints if you increase the incline instead of increasing speed.

For most people that's a worthwhile tradeoff.