VDOT Running Calculator
Enter a recent race result to get your VDOT score, a measure of current running fitness from Daniels and Gilbert's oxygen-cost equations. See equivalent race times and the easy, marathon, threshold, interval and repetition paces to train at.
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How to use the VDOT Running Calculator
- Choose the race distance you ran recently (or pick Other and enter it).
- Enter your finish time as mm:ss or h:mm:ss.
- Read your VDOT and the equivalent times for other distances.
- Pick km or mile paces and use the training table for easy runs, tempo, intervals and reps.
- Retest every few weeks with a new race to update your paces.
The VDOT formulas
VDOT combines two equations published by Jack Daniels and Jimmy Gilbert (Oxygen Power, 1979). With velocity v in meters per minute and race time t in minutes:
| Step | Formula |
|---|---|
| Oxygen cost of the pace | VO₂ = −4.60 + 0.182258·v + 0.000104·v² |
| Fraction of VO₂max sustainable for t minutes | %max = 0.8 + 0.1894393·e−0.012778·t + 0.2989558·e−0.1932605·t |
| VDOT | VO₂ ÷ %max |
Equivalent race times are found by solving the same equations for the time that gives your VDOT at another distance. Training paces convert a percentage of VDOT back into a running speed. The intensity percentages used here are close approximations of Daniels' published pace tables.
VDOT reference values
| VDOT | 5K | 10K | Half marathon | Marathon | Threshold /mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 30:41 | 1:03:49 | 2:21:17 | 4:49:49 | 10:18 |
| 40 | 24:06 | 50:01 | 1:50:54 | 3:49:37 | 8:12 |
| 50 | 19:56 | 41:20 | 1:31:31 | 3:10:40 | 6:51 |
| 60 | 17:03 | 35:22 | 1:18:09 | 2:43:22 | 5:54 |
| 70 | 14:56 | 31:01 | 1:08:23 | 2:23:13 | 5:13 |
Calculated with the formulas above; Daniels' printed tables can differ by a few seconds because of rounding.
Using your paces
- Most of your running (often 70–80% of weekly time) should be at easy pace.
- Keep threshold work to about 10% of weekly mileage, interval work to about 8% and repetition work to about 5%.
- Run intervals by effort in heat, wind or at altitude; the paces assume good conditions.
- Update your VDOT only after a new race or time trial shows improvement, not after a single good workout.
Frequently asked questions
What is VDOT?
VDOT is a running fitness score developed by coach Jack Daniels and physiologist Jimmy Gilbert. It is an effective VO2max derived from race performance: the oxygen cost of your race pace divided by the fraction of VO2max you can sustain for that race duration. Higher VDOT means faster race potential.
How is VDOT calculated?
Velocity v (m/min) gives oxygen cost = −4.60 + 0.182258v + 0.000104v². The sustainable fraction for a race of t minutes is 0.8 + 0.1894393e^(−0.012778t) + 0.2989558e^(−0.1932605t). VDOT is the oxygen cost divided by that fraction.
Is VDOT the same as VO2max?
Not exactly. VDOT reflects both aerobic capacity and running economy, so two runners with the same lab VO2max can have different VDOT values. It is best used to compare performances and set training paces, not as a lab measurement.
What VDOT is a 25 minute 5K?
A 5K in 25:00 gives a VDOT of about 38.3. That predicts roughly 52 minutes for 10K, 1:55 for a half marathon and just under 4 hours for a marathon, if you train for those distances.
Which race should I use?
Use a recent, all-out race on a flat course in good conditions, ideally between 5K and half marathon. Very short races overestimate endurance, and marathons are often affected by fueling and pacing, so they can underestimate fitness.
How accurate are the equivalent race times?
They assume you are equally trained for each distance. Many runners are faster at short races than their marathon prediction suggests, especially without high weekly mileage, so treat longer-race predictions as best-case targets.
How do the training paces work?
Easy pace builds aerobic base, marathon pace practices race rhythm, threshold pace (comfortably hard, about one hour race effort) raises lactate threshold, interval pace (near VO2max) builds aerobic power, and repetition pace improves speed and economy.
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