Peloton is making Pace Targets more personalized with Peloton IQ, creating individualized speed ranges based on a member’s recent running performance with a new “Peloton IQ Pace Targets” feature.
The new IQ Pace Targets upgrade launches October 1, 2026 and will be available across all Peloton Tread models.
Peloton first launched Pace Target classes in 2024. With pace targets, rather than calling out a specific speed (like 6.0 to 7.5 mph) the instructor instead calls out an effort level (such as “Recovery”, “Easy”, “Moderate”, “Challenging”, “Hard”, and so on).
Then, based on the difficulty level each member has selected, the Tread automatically maps that effort level to a specific pace range for each member. As you increase your difficulty level (which is a range from 1-10), the speed range for each effort level increases, making it harder as your fitness improves.
Almost all running, walking, and hiking classes created now are taught using pace targets.
The pace target instruction makes classes more accessible and more customized to each person. However, a common complaint until now about Pace Targets is that the jump from one difficulty level to the next (i.e. changing your pace target level from 8 to 9) can be daunting, and the ranges are quite large as you get to higher levels.
The new Peloton IQ Pace Target feature aims to make the pace target ranges more granular.
Rather than waiting until a member is ready to move completely from, for example, Level 4 to Level 5, Peloton IQ can analyze their recent performance and recommend narrower speed ranges customized to that individual runner.
Peloton requires at least 10 running workouts before IQ has enough information to make a recommendation.
Members can still use the existing Intro to Pace Targets class to establish an initial level and can continue manually changing their Pace Target setting.
The visual presentation changes once Peloton IQ pace targets are being used.
Rather than simply showing something such as “Level 4” over the Pace Target bars, the interface displays “IQ Current.”
The speed ranges for each effort can then be narrower and more specific to the member.
Members can tap an on-screen speed shortcut to move directly into the recommended range, just as they can with standard Pace Targets.
Peloton IQ can also surface guidance before the workout as well.
For example, the pre-class screen can suggest that a member decrease their speed or otherwise adjust their target based on recent performance. As Peloton instructors share, progress is not always linear or always improving, so sometimes the system may recommend a more appropriate target when a member’s recent workouts indicate they may benefit from backing off.
Kirsten Ferguson described one of the benefits, saying:
“This is a huge unlock and I love it so much because it makes running inclusive for all. When I first started at Peloton, I was not a runner. And so I always thought, in order to be a runner, I had to be fast, and that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
She said one of the questions she hears frequently is when someone should move to a different Pace Target level. IQ Pace Targets are designed to take more of that decision out of the member’s hands while also allowing improvement to show up before someone is ready for a full level change.
When sharing about the feature, Peloton also highlighted progress that community members are already making on the Tread, sharing that in an internal 2025-2026 study of active new Tread members, 56% of those new members clocked faster times within six months.
Chief Product Officer Nick Caldwell added:
“In an internal study of tread owners who have had treads for more than 6 months, we found that after 6 months, they’re shaving a full minute off of their mile pace time.”
Pace Targets have continued expanding since their original launch.
Peloton later brought Pace Target classes to the Peloton App, with additional personalized interface features following.
Walk + Run classes also gained Pace Targets, and the feature became a major part of Peloton’s Pace Your Race marathon program.
Peloton specifically confirmed that IQ Pace Targets are not dependent on the new just announced Vision hardware & foldable Flex models and will come to all existing, and new, Peloton Treads.
The Peloton IQ custom ranges will also show up in the Peloton app – with some caveats. Custom ranges can only be accepted while using a Peloton Tread. Once they have been accepted on a Tread, they will then show up for members in the Peloton app as well. Due to this, the Peloton IQ pace target is only available for All-Access members, not app-only members.
Although Peloton Rowing classes are also taught using pace targets, this feature is not yet expanding to the Peloton Row.
IQ Pace Targets launch October 1 for the Tread. This was announced alongside other running features like Run Analysis, ReRuns, Sled Mode for Tread+, heart rate zone workouts, a WHOOP integration, and the newest Peloton Treadmill hardware models.
We will share more hands-on information about the IQ Pace Targets once the feature has officially launched.
You can find our overview of Peloton’s new running features & latest Treadmill models here.
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