Loading page
About this tool
Turn the distance covered in a 12-minute run into an estimated VO2 max, pace, METs and a Cooper fitness rating.
The Cooper Test VO2 Max Calculator converts the distance you cover in a 12-minute run into an estimated maximal oxygen uptake using Kenneth Cooper's 1968 regression: VO2 max in ml/kg/min equals the distance in metres minus 504.9, divided by 44.73. Alongside the estimate it reports average speed, pace per kilometre, aerobic capacity in METs, and where the distance falls in Cooper's published rating bands for your age and sex. All you need is a flat measured course, a stopwatch and 12 minutes of honest effort.
Open Cooper Test VO2 Max Calculator on AltFTool — it loads instantly in your browser.
Enter the values you already know.
Fine-tune the options to match your scenario.
Read the result and use it in your planning or reporting.
Uses Cooper's original (distance − 504.9) ÷ 44.73 formula and cross-checks it against his imperial version.
Shows the full Cooper distance band table for your age and sex, with your result highlighted.
Converts the distance into km/h and min/km so the test doubles as a pace reference.
VO2 max in ml/kg/min = (distance in metres − 504.9) ÷ 44.73. Covering 2,400 m in 12 minutes therefore gives about 42.4 ml/kg/min. Cooper also published an imperial form, VO2 max = 35.97 × miles − 11.29, which agrees to within about 0.1.
It depends on age and sex. For men aged 20-29, Cooper's bands put 2,400-2,800 m as above average and more than 2,800 m as excellent; for women in the same band, 2,200-2,700 m is above average and above 2,700 m excellent. Both thresholds fall by roughly 100-200 m per decade after 30.
It is a field estimate, typically within a few ml/kg/min of a laboratory test when the effort is genuinely maximal and the course is flat. Heat, wind, hills, poor pacing and running on grass all shorten the distance, so repeat the test under the same conditions if you want to compare two results.
Yes — the test measures distance covered in 12 minutes, not continuous running, and walking sections still count. That makes it usable across a wide fitness range. It is still a maximal-effort test though, so check with a doctor first if you are inactive, unwell, pregnant, or have a heart, lung or joint condition, and stop if you feel chest pain or dizziness.
Add the Cooper Test VO2 Max Calculatorwidget to your blog or website — free, responsive, no signup. Just keep the “Widget by AltFTool” credit link visible.
<iframe src="https://www.altftool.com/embed/widget/cooper-test-vo2-max-calculator"
title="Cooper Test VO2 Max Calculator — free AltFTool widget"
width="100%" height="640" style="border:0;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden"
loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe>
<p style="font-size:12px;margin:4px 0 0">Widget by <a href="https://www.altftool.com/tools/all/cooper-test-vo2-max-calculator?utm_source=embed&utm_medium=widget">AltFTool — free online tools</a></p>