Abstract The use of the motor-driven belt treadmill for small animal research in exercise physiology is becoming increasingly more prominent. Treadmill devices are usually constructed to meet the needs of specific experiments and, therefore, several different kinds have been described in research publications (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). Cost is a not uncommon difficulty in the acquisition of such devices with typical units ranging from approximately $300 to $1,000. The treadmill device described herein has several worthwhile features; one of which is its low cost. In addition, the quiet operating apparatus allows the forced running of several small animals at a time within a wide variation of belt speeds.