VDOT calculator

Jack Daniels’ fitness score from a single race — and the five training paces that go with it, so every run has a purpose.

Recent race

Finish time

h:mm:ss or mm:ss.

Your VDOT38.3from a 5K in 25:00

Zone	Pace per km	Purpose	Example session
E · Easy	6:19–6:57	Warm-ups, recovery and long runs. 59–74% VO2max. Most of your week.	Long run 90–150 min
M · Marathon	5:38	Goal marathon rhythm for trained runners. 75–84% VO2max.	2 × 5 km at M within a long run
T · Threshold	5:16	“Comfortably hard”, about the pace you could race for an hour. 83–88% VO2max.	4 × 1.6 km, 1 min jog
I · Interval	4:51 · 1:57/400m	Hard reps of 3–5 minutes that push VO2max. 95–100%.	5 × 1000 m, equal jog
R · Repetition	4:34 · 0:55/200m	Short, fast, fully recovered reps for speed and economy.	8 × 200 m, 200 m jog

Equivalent race times at VDOT 38.3

1500 m: 6:51
Mile: 7:24
5K: 25:00
10K: 51:53
Half marathon: 1:55:04
Marathon: 3:57:55

More distances and a second model on the race time predictor.

How one number becomes every pace

Daniels and Gilbert measured two things. First, the oxygen cost of running at a given speed. Second, the fraction of VO2max you can sustain for a given time — nearly all of it for 10 minutes, about 80% for a marathon. Your VDOT sits where both agree.

Race duration: 20 minutes

For 20 minutes you can sustain 95.3% of your VDOT of 38.3.

That’s 36.5 ml/kg/min of oxygen, which buys a speed of 4:57/km — covering 4.04 km in 20 minutes.

Above 100% for short efforts because anaerobic energy tops up the aerobic supply.

VDOT chart

Race equivalents and key training paces for VDOT 30–85, computed from the Daniels–Gilbert equations. Your rounded VDOT is highlighted.

VDOT	5K	10K	Half	Marathon	Easy from	Threshold	Interval
30	30:41	1:03:49	2:21:17	4:49:49	7:39	6:24	5:54
31	29:51	1:02:05	2:17:30	4:42:21	7:28	6:14	5:45
32	29:05	1:00:27	2:13:55	4:35:17	7:17	6:05	5:37
33	28:20	58:54	2:10:31	4:28:34	7:06	5:56	5:28
34	27:38	57:25	2:07:17	4:22:11	6:57	5:48	5:21
35	26:59	56:02	2:04:13	4:16:06	6:47	5:40	5:13
36	26:21	54:42	2:01:18	4:10:19	6:38	5:32	5:06
37	25:45	53:27	1:58:31	4:04:47	6:30	5:25	5:00
38	25:10	52:15	1:55:51	3:59:30	6:22	5:18	4:53
39	24:38	51:06	1:53:19	3:54:27	6:14	5:12	4:47
40	24:06	50:01	1:50:54	3:49:37	6:07	5:06	4:41
41	23:36	48:58	1:48:35	3:45:00	6:00	5:00	4:36
42	23:08	47:58	1:46:22	3:40:33	5:53	4:54	4:30
43	22:40	47:01	1:44:14	3:36:17	5:46	4:48	4:25
44	22:14	46:06	1:42:12	3:32:12	5:40	4:43	4:20
45	21:49	45:13	1:40:14	3:28:16	5:34	4:38	4:16
46	21:24	44:23	1:38:21	3:24:29	5:28	4:33	4:11
47	21:01	43:34	1:36:33	3:20:50	5:23	4:28	4:07
48	20:38	42:48	1:34:48	3:17:19	5:17	4:24	4:03
49	20:17	42:03	1:33:08	3:13:56	5:12	4:19	3:59
50	19:56	41:20	1:31:31	3:10:40	5:07	4:15	3:55
51	19:36	40:38	1:29:58	3:07:30	5:02	4:11	3:51
52	19:17	39:58	1:28:28	3:04:28	4:57	4:07	3:48
53	18:58	39:19	1:27:01	3:01:31	4:53	4:03	3:44
54	18:40	38:42	1:25:37	2:58:40	4:49	4:00	3:41
55	18:22	38:06	1:24:16	2:55:55	4:44	3:56	3:37
56	18:05	37:31	1:22:58	2:53:15	4:40	3:53	3:34
57	17:49	36:57	1:21:42	2:50:40	4:36	3:49	3:31
58	17:33	36:24	1:20:28	2:48:09	4:32	3:46	3:28
59	17:18	35:53	1:19:17	2:45:44	4:29	3:43	3:25
60	17:03	35:22	1:18:09	2:43:22	4:25	3:40	3:23
61	16:48	34:52	1:17:02	2:41:05	4:21	3:37	3:20
62	16:34	34:23	1:15:57	2:38:52	4:18	3:34	3:17
63	16:21	33:55	1:14:54	2:36:43	4:15	3:32	3:15
64	16:07	33:28	1:13:54	2:34:37	4:12	3:29	3:12
65	15:55	33:02	1:12:54	2:32:35	4:08	3:26	3:10
66	15:42	32:36	1:11:57	2:30:37	4:05	3:24	3:08
67	15:30	32:12	1:11:01	2:28:41	4:02	3:21	3:05
68	15:18	31:47	1:10:07	2:26:49	3:59	3:19	3:03
69	15:07	31:24	1:09:14	2:24:59	3:57	3:17	3:01
70	14:56	31:01	1:08:23	2:23:13	3:54	3:14	2:59
71	14:45	30:39	1:07:33	2:21:29	3:51	3:12	2:57
72	14:34	30:17	1:06:44	2:19:48	3:49	3:10	2:55
73	14:24	29:56	1:05:57	2:18:09	3:46	3:08	2:53
74	14:14	29:35	1:05:10	2:16:33	3:44	3:06	2:51
75	14:04	29:15	1:04:26	2:14:59	3:41	3:04	2:49
76	13:54	28:56	1:03:42	2:13:28	3:39	3:02	2:47
77	13:45	28:37	1:02:59	2:11:59	3:36	3:00	2:46
78	13:36	28:18	1:02:17	2:10:31	3:34	2:58	2:44
79	13:27	28:00	1:01:36	2:09:06	3:32	2:56	2:42
80	13:18	27:42	1:00:57	2:07:43	3:30	2:54	2:41
81	13:09	27:25	1:00:18	2:06:22	3:28	2:53	2:39
82	13:01	27:08	59:40	2:05:03	3:26	2:51	2:37
83	12:53	26:51	59:03	2:03:45	3:24	2:49	2:36
84	12:45	26:35	58:27	2:02:29	3:22	2:48	2:34
85	12:37	26:19	57:51	2:01:15	3:20	2:46	2:33

Training with your VDOT

Daniels’ approach is simple: run most miles easy, and make each hard session target one system. Threshold work raises the pace you can hold for an hour; interval work stretches VO2max; repetitions sharpen speed and economy. Use your most recent race, not your best-ever one.

When a new race shows a higher VDOT, move up one point at a time. If a session at your listed pace feels far harder than it should, heat, hills or accumulated fatigue are usually the reason — slow down rather than chasing the number. Heart rate is a useful cross-check; see the heart rate zone calculator.

Ask the race-plan coach

An AI coach reads the numbers above — your VDOT, predictions and training paces — and writes a pacing plan and key sessions for your goal race. It only talks running.

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Free, no sign-up. Uses AI; check advice against how you feel.

Questions runners ask

What is VDOT?

VDOT is Jack Daniels’ running fitness score. It is an “effective VO2max” calculated from a race performance, so it includes your running economy as well as your aerobic capacity. Two runners with the same lab VO2max can have different VDOTs.

What is a good VDOT score?

Roughly: 30 corresponds to a 30:40 5K, 40 to about 24:08, 50 to 19:57 and 60 to 17:03. Elite men race above 80. Any number is a starting point — what matters is your trend.

How often should I update my VDOT?

Daniels suggests racing or time-trialling every 4–6 weeks and only raising your training VDOT by about one point at a time, even if a race suggests more. Training paces from a too-high VDOT are the usual route to overtraining.

Is this the same as the official VDOT O2 calculator?

It uses the same published Daniels–Gilbert equations, so results match Daniels’ tables to within a second or two. Training paces are derived from the %VO2max bands in Daniels’ Running Formula.

How do I read a VDOT chart?

Find your recent race time in the 5K, 10K, half or marathon column; the VDOT on that row is your fitness score, and the same row lists the training paces to use. If your time falls between rows, use the lower VDOT.

Why is my easy pace so slow?

Easy running at 59–74% of VO2max builds capillaries, mitochondria and durability with little fatigue. Running it faster doesn’t make you fitter; it just makes the hard days worse.