Cooper Test Calculator
1Your 12-minute run
Estimated VO2max (ml/kg/min)
–
Where you stand for your age and sex
How you compare with documented champions (ml/kg/min)
This is an estimate for healthy adults, not a medical test. A maximal effort is hard on the heart: if you are inactive, over 45 (men) or 55 (women), pregnant, or have heart, lung or metabolic symptoms or conditions, ask your doctor before any all-out test, and stop at once if you feel chest pain, dizziness or unusual shortness of breath.
Free tool · Updated November 1, 2026
Twelve minutes, one number
Run as far as you can in 12 minutes, enter the distance, and get your estimated VO2max, your Cooper rating for your age and sex, and how you compare with measured norms and documented champions.
Short answer
The Cooper test is a 12-minute all-out run: the farther you go, the higher your aerobic fitness. Your estimated VO2max is (meters – 504.9) / 44.73, so 1.5 miles (2,414 m) gives about 42.7 ml/kg/min, an above-average result for a man in his thirties.
Key takeaways
- The test needs only a stopwatch and a measured course: a 400 m track is ideal, a treadmill works at 1% incline.
- Pace it evenly: a fast first lap is the most common reason for a poor result.
- Compare yourself with people of your own age and sex; the ratings change a lot with age.
- It is an estimate: a lab test with gas analysis remains the reference.
Dr. Kenneth Cooper designed the 12-minute run in 1968 for the US Air Force: a way to estimate aerobic fitness for thousands of people without a lab. It is still one of the simplest fitness tests there is, used by schools, clubs and sports teams.
The calculator turns your distance into an estimated VO2max, the most oxygen your body can use per kilogram per minute. It then rates the result with Cooper’s own tables and with percentiles from measured tests of US adults, and shows where documented champions sit on the same scale.
How to Run the Cooper Test
Warm up for 10 minutes with easy jogging and a few short strides. Start the watch and run, or walk when you must, as far as you can in exactly 12 minutes. Note the distance to the nearest 50 m: on a 400 m track, count the laps and the part of the last one.
Even pacing matters more than a fast start. Aim for a pace you can hold for the full 12 minutes, then push in the last two. Cool down with five minutes of walking.
- On a treadmill: set 1% incline to match the effort of running outdoors, and raise the speed only when you are sure you can hold it; read the distance on the console. The treadmill pace converter turns a target distance into a speed.
- Target speed: 1.5 miles in 12 minutes means 7.5 mph (12.1 km/h); 2 miles means 10 mph (16.1 km/h).
- Retest: every 6 to 8 weeks, at the same time of day and on the same course, to see real change.
The Cooper Formula and What the Result Means
Cooper compared the 12-minute distance with VO2max measured in the lab and found a near-linear link. The usual form of his equation is VO2max = (distance in meters – 504.9) / 44.73; in miles it becomes 35.97 x miles – 11.29. The table shows typical values.
VO2max is expressed per kilogram of body weight, so losing fat raises it as well as training does. It is also divided by 3.5 to give METs, the unit used in exercise prescription. The formula was built on young, fit men, so it can overestimate results for beginners who walk part of the test.
| Distance in 12 minutesDistance | VO2max (ml/kg/min)VO2max | Average speedSpeed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 mi (1609 m) | 24.7 | 5.0 mph (8.0 km/h) |
| 1.25 mi (2012 m) | 33.7 | 6.2 mph (10.1 km/h) |
| 1.5 mi (2414 m) | 42.7 | 7.5 mph (12.1 km/h) |
| 1.75 mi (2816 m) | 51.7 | 8.8 mph (14.1 km/h) |
| 2 mi (3219 m) | 60.7 | 10.0 mph (16.1 km/h) |
| 2.25 mi (3621 m) | 69.7 | 11.2 mph (18.1 km/h) |
Cooper Test Ratings by Age and Sex
These are the ratings published with the test, by age group and sex. They are useful to track yourself over time; for a comparison with measured lab tests, the next section gives the FRIEND percentiles.
| Group | Poor | Below averageBelow | AverageAvg | Above averageAbove | ExcellentExc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men 13-14 | <2100 m | 2100-2199 m | 2200-2399 m | 2400-2700 m | >2700 m (1.68 mi) |
| Men 15-16 | <2200 m | 2200-2299 m | 2300-2499 m | 2500-2800 m | >2800 m (1.74 mi) |
| Men 17-19 | <2300 m | 2300-2499 m | 2500-2699 m | 2700-3000 m | >3000 m (1.86 mi) |
| Men 20-29 | <1600 m | 1600-2199 m | 2200-2399 m | 2400-2800 m | >2800 m (1.74 mi) |
| Men 30-39 | <1500 m | 1500-1899 m | 1900-2299 m | 2300-2700 m | >2700 m (1.68 mi) |
| Men 40-49 | <1400 m | 1400-1699 m | 1700-2099 m | 2100-2500 m | >2500 m (1.55 mi) |
| Men 50+ | <1300 m | 1300-1599 m | 1600-1999 m | 2000-2400 m | >2400 m (1.49 mi) |
| Women 13-14 | <1500 m | 1500-1599 m | 1600-1899 m | 1900-2000 m | >2000 m (1.24 mi) |
| Women 15-16 | <1600 m | 1600-1699 m | 1700-1999 m | 2000-2100 m | >2100 m (1.30 mi) |
| Women 17-19 | <1700 m | 1700-1799 m | 1800-2099 m | 2100-2300 m | >2300 m (1.43 mi) |
| Women 20-29 | <1500 m | 1500-1799 m | 1800-2199 m | 2200-2700 m | >2700 m (1.68 mi) |
| Women 30-39 | <1400 m | 1400-1699 m | 1700-1999 m | 2000-2500 m | >2500 m (1.55 mi) |
| Women 40-49 | <1200 m | 1200-1499 m | 1500-1899 m | 1900-2300 m | >2300 m (1.43 mi) |
| Women 50+ | <1100 m | 1100-1399 m | 1400-1699 m | 1700-2200 m | >2200 m (1.37 mi) |
VO2max Norms and Champion Values
The percentile scale in the calculator comes from the FRIEND registry (Fitness Registry and the Importance of Exercise National Database): Kaminsky, Arena and Myers, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2015, measured treadmill VO2max of apparently healthy US adults. The 50th percentile is the median: half of the people tested in that group were below it.
The comparison bars use only values that were measured in a laboratory and reported with a source: Oskar Svendsen (Norwegian cyclist), 97.5 ml/kg/min: Lab test at Lillehammer University College in 2012, reported by Norwegian cycling media; often cited as the highest value on record; Chris Froome (Four-time Tour de France winner), 84.6 ml/kg/min: 5.91 L/min at 69.9 kg, tested in 2015; published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2017); Paula Radcliffe (Women’s marathon world record holder 2003-2019), 70 ml/kg/min: Yearly average from 1992 to 2003, single tests up to about 80; published by Andrew Jones in the International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching (2006). Many higher numbers circulate online for famous skiers, runners and cyclists without a published test behind them, so we leave them out.
| Group | 10th | 25th | 50th (median)50th | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men 20-29 | 32.1 | 40.1 | 48 | 55.2 | 61.8 |
| Men 30-39 | 30.2 | 35.9 | 42.4 | 49.2 | 56.5 |
| Men 40-49 | 26.8 | 31.9 | 37.8 | 45 | 52.1 |
| Men 50-59 | 22.8 | 27.1 | 32.6 | 39.7 | 45.6 |
| Men 60-69 | 19.8 | 23.7 | 28.2 | 34.5 | 40.3 |
| Men 70-79 | 17.1 | 20.4 | 24.4 | 30.4 | 36.6 |
| Women 20-29 | 23.9 | 30.5 | 37.6 | 44.7 | 51.3 |
| Women 30-39 | 20.9 | 25.3 | 30.2 | 36.1 | 41.4 |
| Women 40-49 | 18.8 | 22.1 | 26.7 | 32.4 | 38.4 |
| Women 50-59 | 17.3 | 19.9 | 23.4 | 27.6 | 32 |
| Women 60-69 | 14.6 | 17.2 | 20 | 23.8 | 27 |
| Women 70-79 | 13.6 | 15.6 | 18.3 | 20.8 | 23.1 |
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- TitleCooper Test Calculator
- PublisherFitGearHQ
- URLhttps://fitgearhq.com/cooper-test-calculator/
- Updated
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Checklist Before Your Test
4 checks
Tap a number to check off that step.
- 01
Check your health firstAn all-out run is hard on the heart; ask your doctor first if you are inactive or have symptoms.
- 02
Measure the courseA 400 m track or a calibrated treadmill; GPS watches can be off by 3 to 5%.
- 03
Warm up for 10 minutesEasy jog and a few short strides.
- 04
Pace evenlyStart at a pace you can hold, push in the last two minutes.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1Starting too fast
Instead: The first lap feels easy, the fifth decides your score.
Mistake 2Testing on a hot or windy day
Instead: Heat and wind can cost you 100 m or more.
Mistake 3Comparing with the wrong group
Instead: Ratings depend a lot on age and sex.
Mistake 4Treating the estimate as exact
Instead: Expect an error of a few ml/kg/min against a lab test.
The Bottom Line
- Formula: VO2max = (meters – 504.9) / 44.73, or 35.97 x miles – 11.29.
- Ratings by age and sex from Cooper’s original tables.
- Percentiles from the FRIEND registry of measured treadmill tests.
- Free to use, share, link and embed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Subtract 504.9 from the distance in meters and divide by 44.73. In miles: 35.97 x miles – 11.29.
It depends on age and sex: for men aged 20 to 29, 2,400 to 2,800 m (1.5 to 1.74 miles) is above average; for women of the same age, 2,200 to 2,700 m.
Yes. Set 1% incline, run as far as you can in 12 minutes and read the distance on the console.
Yes, but every walking break lowers the distance and the estimate.
For fit, motivated runners it tracks lab VO2max closely; for beginners and people who pace badly, it is less precise.
Every 6 to 8 weeks, on the same course and at the same time of day.
