Grade-adjusted pace (GAP)
Grade-adjusted pace (GAP) is your running pace corrected for the elevation along the way: the pace you would have run on flat ground at the same effort. That way a hard hilly run counts fairly, even when the raw pace says little.
What is grade-adjusted pace?
Uphill, a pace costs far more energy than the same pace on the flat; downhill it costs less — up to a point, because steep descents actually make you brake. Your watch shows your real pace, but that underestimates the effort of a climb and overestimates that of a descent. GAP converts the gradient into a flat-equivalent pace, so effort and pace line up again.
An example: 5:30/km hard uphill can match in effort roughly 4:50/km on the flat. GAP makes that visible without losing sight of your real pace — that stays your real pace.
What do you use GAP for?
GAP is mainly useful for two things: fairly determining your load and energy systems on hilly terrain, and steering by effort during a session out on the trails. For threshold or tempo work on a rolling route, GAP is a better guide than the raw pace, which would jump about at every gradient.
Know the limits: elevation data from GPS and barometer contains noise, and the conversion is a model that doesn’t capture every surface, wind or running style. Use GAP as a better estimate of effort, not as exact truth.
How Trimetra personalises this
Trimetra uses grade-adjusted pace to let the effort of your hill sessions count fairly in your load and energy-system split, instead of going by the raw pace. The pace you see stays your real pace at all times — GAP works in the background towards a fairer picture of your load.
Frequently asked questions
Why is your GAP faster than your actual pace?
Because you covered elevation: uphill, the same pace costs much more energy than on the flat. GAP converts the gradient into the flat-equivalent pace, which on a hilly route is faster than what your watch shows.
Is GAP accurate?
It is a good estimate, not exact truth. Elevation data from GPS and barometers contains noise, and the conversion is a model that doesn’t capture every surface, wind or running style. Use GAP as a better measure of effort on hills, not as a hard number.
When do you use GAP instead of your normal pace?
Mainly on hilly terrain: to determine your load fairly and to steer threshold or tempo work by effort instead of by a pace that jumps at every hill. Your actual pace stays visible — GAP comes alongside it, not instead of it.
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