Cooper test calculator

Twelve minutes, one track, as far as you can go. Enter the distance and get your VO2 max estimate and fitness rating.

6.00 laps of a 400 m track · 1.49 miles
Sex
Average pace
5:00/km
Lap time
2:00/400m
5K equivalent
22:57
Estimated VO2 max42.4ml/kg/minGood · age 30–39

Reach 2700 m (1:47 per lap) to move up to Excellent.

Cooper test standards (men)

AgeVery poorPoorAverageGoodExcellent
13–14<21002100–21992200–23992400–2700>2700
15–16<22002200–22992300–24992500–2800>2800
17–20<23002300–24992500–26992700–3000>3000
20–29<16001600–21992200–23992400–2800>2800
30–39<15001500–18991900–22992300–2700>2700
40–49<14001400–16991700–20992100–2500>2500
50+<13001300–15991600–19992000–2400>2400

Distances in metres, as commonly published from Cooper’s original norms. Switch sex above to see the other table.

Running a good Cooper test

The test rewards even pacing. Most first-timers start far too fast and walk in the final minutes. Decide a target lap time from the table, run the first lap slightly slower than that, and speed up only after the 8-minute mark.

Kenneth Cooper designed the test in 1968 to screen US Air Force personnel, and found a strong correlation (r ≈ 0.9) with lab-measured VO2max in that group. For a result that feeds your training paces, try the VDOT calculator, or compare methods on the VO2 max calculator.

Questions runners ask

How do I do the Cooper test?

Warm up for 10–15 minutes, then run (walking is allowed) as far as you can in exactly 12 minutes, ideally on a 400 m track so the distance is easy to measure. Count laps and estimate the last partial lap to the nearest 50 m.

What is a good Cooper test score?

For men aged 20–29, over 2,800 m is rated excellent and under 1,600 m very poor; for women of the same age, over 2,700 m is excellent. Bands fall with age, as in the table on this page.

How is VO2 max calculated from the Cooper test?

Cooper’s 1968 equation: VO2max (ml/kg/min) = (distance in metres − 504.9) ÷ 44.73. Covering 2,400 m gives about 42.4.

How often can I repeat the Cooper test?

Every 6–8 weeks is enough to see real change. Test under similar conditions — same track, similar weather, same time of day — so the comparison is fair.

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