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Estimate your VO2 max, the maximum rate at which your body can use oxygen during hard exercise. You can use the Cooper twelve minute run, where you cover as much ground as possible, or work from a steady running speed. Both give an estimate, not a lab measurement.
Estimate VO2 max from the Cooper test or from running speed.
Cooper: VO2 max = (distance (m) − 504.9) ÷ 44.73 Velocity: VO2 = 0.2 × speed (m/min) + 3.5
The Cooper equation was fitted to a twelve minute all out run. The velocity form estimates the oxygen cost of running at a given speed, which is a fair stand in for VO2 max if the speed is one you can only just hold for a few minutes. Both are estimates, not lab measurements.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| distance | Ground covered in the twelve minute Cooper test. |
| speed | Running speed in km/h or mph (velocity mode). |
| VO2 max | Estimated maximum oxygen uptake in ml/kg/min. |
Covering 2,400 m in twelve minutes gives an estimated VO2 max of about 42.4 ml/kg/min, which sits within the typical adult range. The same figure comes from holding a speed of about 11.7 km/h.
The Cooper test asks you to run as far as possible in twelve minutes and estimates maximal oxygen uptake from that distance. The standard equation gives VO2max in millilitres of oxygen per kilogram per minute as the distance in metres minus 504.9, all divided by 44.73. The result reflects how much aerobic power you could bring to a hard, sustained effort.
The test is easy to administer but relies on pacing skill and motivation. Going out too fast can leave you walking at the end, and a cautious start may understate your capacity, so the estimate is only as good as the even effort behind it.
A second route uses running speed directly. On the flat, the energy cost of running is close to linear, and the common approximation gives oxygen uptake as 0.2 times speed in metres per minute plus 3.5 for resting metabolism. At near maximal speed sustained for several minutes, that value approximates VO2max.
Both methods estimate the same underlying quantity: the peak rate at which your body can take up and use oxygen during hard exercise. They are field estimates with real error, since only laboratory measurement of expired air during a graded test gives a direct value, but they are useful for tracking changes over time under consistent conditions.
Continue with the 5K Pace Calculator, 10K Pace Calculator, or the Finish Time Calculator — or browse more running tools and all sports calculators.
No. A laboratory test measures the oxygen you actually breathe. These field formulas predict from performance, so they are close for many people but can be off for an individual.
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Content updated: September 2026