What pace is running versurs Jogging? Frequently Asked Questions

Running and jogging both involve using your legs to cover a distance. However, there are a number of ways in which the two activities differ. First, we will look at what running and jogging actually look like.

What is running?

A runner moves quicker than a jogger. Any run that has a pace that is quicker than 8 mph is viewed as being ‘running’. It’s also divided up into further types of running.

Running can mean something as explosive and quick as a 100m sprint. Or it could mean a marathon run that covers a huge distance and requires immense amounts of endurance. Again, that pace thing is important. If the runner is covering upwards of 8 mph in speed, it is running as opposed to jogging.

What is Jogging?

We’ve kind of answered that question in the previous section. Here, a run that has a speed between 3 and 7 mph is considered a jog. Compared to running, jogging definitely puts less immediate strain on a runner’s body. However, the distance covered can be significantly longer (but not always) and can end up bringing the same amount of weight loss or other health benefits that a run can deliver.

The pace thing

It's pretty obvious that the two activities, at first glance, have a difference in pace. It's important to remember that there are also variants in pace that are under the complete control of the runner.

If a jogger suddenly wanted to speed up to beat her time, she could, and would effectively move into running mode. If a runner wished to slow down to conserve energy, they could be converting their run to a jog.

In any case, the two accepted paces of over 8 mph and between 3 and 7 mph are what differentiate the two runs.

Further issues

The slower pace of jogging is set between two speeds of 3 mph and 7mph. This is generally because many items of racing technology (including stopwatches and GPS units) class anything above 8 mph as a run. However, the 3 mph-7 mph range allows joggers to get more out of their run, and some freedom to experiment with pace.

Also, it's worth noting that some people still see jogging as a slightly inferior form of running. This is a pace thing too. Some people feel that jogging is more for fun than competition, which is fair enough. However, there are some joggers who run for incredible distances and see themselves as runners, even though they are under that 8 mph pace.

A key indicator that someone is jogging is the ability to hold a conversation while moving. In fact, this is often the benchmark that some people use to differentiate between a running and a jogging pace. If you can hold a reasonably comfortable level of conversation while running, you’re jogging.

So there we have it. The two different paces for running and jogging. Essentially, if a runner goes over 8 mph, it becomes a proper run rather than a jog.