VDOT is a "pseudo VO2max" from Jack Daniels and Jimmy Gilbert's 1979 Oxygen Power tables. It is the oxygen cost of your race pace divided by the fraction of VO2max you can hold for that race duration. Because it comes from performance, it already includes your running economy, so two runners with the same lab VO2max can have different VDOTs.

How is VDOT calculated from a 5K time?

For a 20:00 5K, velocity is 5000 ÷ 20 = 250 m/min. Oxygen cost = −4.60 + 0.182258 × 250 + 0.000104 × 250² = 47.47 ml/kg/min. The sustainable fraction for 20 minutes = 0.8 + 0.1894393 × e^(−0.25556) + 0.2989558 × e^(−3.86521) = 0.9530. VDOT = 47.47 ÷ 0.9530 = 49.8.

What are the Daniels training paces?

E (easy) for daily and long runs, M (marathon) at goal marathon pace, T (threshold) for 20-minute tempos and cruise intervals, I (interval) for 3–5 minute repeats near VO2max, and R (repetition) for short fast reps with full recovery. At VDOT 50 they are about E 8:15–9:04, M 7:17, T 6:51 per mile, I 93 s and R 87 s per 400 m.

How accurate are VDOT race predictions?

Predictions assume you are equally trained for both distances. Projecting a 5K to a marathon usually comes out too fast unless your weekly mileage and long runs support the marathon. Use the closest recent race distance, run on a flat course in good weather, and expect hot or hilly races to give a lower VDOT.

Roughly: 30–39 beginner, 40–49 recreational, 50–59 well-trained club runner, 60–69 competitive or sub-elite, 70 and above national class, and about 85 world-class men. A 4:00 marathon is VDOT 37.9 and a 3:00 marathon is VDOT 53.5.

Why does the calculator show a VDOT below 30 or above 85?

Daniels' published tables run from VDOT 30 to 85. The equations still work outside that range, so the tool reports the computed value instead of clipping it, and marks it as extrapolated.

Running VDOT Calculator

Enter a recent race time (1500 m to marathon, or any custom distance) to get your VDOT, equivalent times for 10 race distances, E/M/T/I/R training paces per mile and km, and T/I/R split times for 200 m to 1 mile. Example: a 20:00 5K is VDOT 49.8.

Your Race Input

Race Distance

Finish Time

Format: mm:ss or h:mm:ss (decimals allowed: 19:59.4)

Enter a race time on the left and click Calculate VDOT.

Training Paces (per mile / per km)

Workout split times

Pace	200 m	400 m	800 m	1000 m	1 mile

Equation-derived estimates for flat ground in cool weather. Run slower in heat, at altitude, on hills, or when tired.

VDOT chart: equivalent race times

Computed from the Daniels–Gilbert equations; Daniels' printed tables agree to within a few seconds.

VDOT	Mile	5K	10K	Half	Marathon
30	9:10	30:41	1:03:49	2:21:17	4:49:49
35	8:01	26:59	56:02	2:04:13	4:16:06
40	7:07	24:06	50:01	1:50:54	3:49:37
45	6:24	21:49	45:13	1:40:14	3:28:16
50	5:50	19:56	41:20	1:31:31	3:10:40
55	5:21	18:22	38:06	1:24:16	2:55:55
60	4:57	17:03	35:22	1:18:09	2:43:22
65	4:37	15:55	33:02	1:12:54	2:32:35
70	4:19	14:56	31:01	1:08:23	2:23:13
75	4:04	14:04	29:15	1:04:26	2:14:59
80	3:51	13:18	27:42	1:00:57	2:07:43
85	3:39	12:37	26:19	57:51	2:01:15

VDOT chart: training paces per mile

E = 62–70% of VDOT, M = predicted marathon pace, T = 88%, I = 98%, R = 108%. I and R also per 400 m.

VDOT	E /mi	M /mi	T /mi	I /400 m	R /400 m
30	12:19–13:30	11:03	10:18	2:21	2:11
35	10:56–12:00	9:46	9:07	2:05	1:55
40	9:50–10:49	8:45	8:12	1:52	1:44
45	8:57–9:52	7:57	7:27	1:42	1:34
50	8:14–9:04	7:16	6:51	1:34	1:26
55	7:38–8:24	6:43	6:20	1:27	1:20
60	7:06–7:50	6:14	5:54	1:21	1:15
65	6:40–7:21	5:49	5:32	1:16	1:10
70	6:16–6:55	5:28	5:13	1:11	1:06
75	5:56–6:33	5:09	4:56	1:07	1:02
80	5:38–6:13	4:52	4:41	1:04	0:59
85	5:22–5:55	4:37	4:27	1:01	0:56

Method and worked example

Oxygen cost of running. VO2 (ml/kg/min) = −4.60 + 0.182258·v + 0.000104·v², with v in meters per minute.

Fraction of VO2max sustainable for t minutes. %VO2max = 0.8 + 0.1894393·e^(−0.012778·t) + 0.2989558·e^(−0.1932605·t). It is about 100% for an 11-minute race, 93% for 30 minutes and 80–82% for a 3–4 hour marathon.

Worked example (10K in 45:00). v = 10,000 ÷ 45 = 222.2 m/min. VO2 = −4.60 + 40.50 + 5.14 = 41.04. %VO2max = 0.8 + 0.1894393·e^(−0.575) + 0.2989558·e^(−8.697) = 0.9066. VDOT = 41.04 ÷ 0.9066 = 45.3, which predicts a 5K of about 21:42 and a marathon of about 3:27.

Training paces. Each pace solves 0.000104·v² + 0.182258·v − (4.60 + f·VDOT) = 0 for v at the fraction f. At VDOT 50 that gives T = 4:15/km (6:51/mi), I = 93.6 s per 400 m and R = 86.5 s per 400 m.

Sources: Daniels J, Gilbert J. Oxygen Power: Performance Tables for Distance Runners (1979); Daniels J. Daniels' Running Formula, 4th ed. (Human Kinetics, 2022).

Summary

VDOT is coach Jack Daniels' performance-based estimate of aerobic fitness. It is the VO2 that a race pace would cost (from the Daniels–Gilbert oxygen-cost equation) divided by the fraction of VO2max that can be sustained for that race duration. This calculator solves those equations exactly for any race from about 1500 m to the marathon, predicts equal-effort times at other distances, and converts VDOT into the five Daniels training intensities with split times for track workouts.

How it works

Pick the race distance (or Custom and type a distance in km or miles) and enter the finish time as mm:ss or h:mm:ss.
Race velocity v (m/min) gives the oxygen cost VO2 = −4.60 + 0.182258·v + 0.000104·v².
Race duration t (min) gives the sustainable fraction %VO2max = 0.8 + 0.1894393·e^(−0.012778·t) + 0.2989558·e^(−0.1932605·t).
VDOT = VO2 ÷ %VO2max. Equivalent times are found by solving the same equations for each distance at that VDOT.
Training paces invert the oxygen-cost equation at fixed fractions of VDOT: E 62–70%, T 88%, I 98%, R 108%; M is the predicted marathon pace.

Use cases

Turn a recent 5K or 10K into a realistic half-marathon or marathon goal time.
Set easy, marathon, threshold, interval and repetition paces for a Daniels-style plan.
Get 400 m and 1000 m split times for interval and threshold track sessions.
Score an odd distance such as a 25K, 10-mile or parkrun-length time trial with the custom option.
Track fitness across a season by comparing VDOT from different races.
Check whether a planned goal pace is consistent with your current race results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-10-10 · Reviewed by Nham Vu