VDOT Calculator (Jack Daniels' Running Formula)
A running-fitness score from any race result, with the oxygen cost of your pace and the share of VO₂max you held, using the published Daniels and Gilbert equations.
Results
The dashed line marks the value you entered.
What this tool does
VDOT is the VO₂max a runner would need to produce a given performance, worked out from the race itself rather than a lab test. Two equations do the work: one gives the oxygen cost of running at a speed, the other the fraction of VO₂max a runner can hold for a given duration, from about 100 % at 10 minutes to 80 % beyond a few hours. Dividing one by the other gives the score. It is a way to compare results across distances and to track progress; it is not a measured VO₂max and it flatters runners who are strong at one distance.
Formula
VO₂ = −4.60 + 0.182258 v + 0.000104 v² (v in m/min) · %VO₂max = 0.8 + 0.1894393 e^(−0.012778 t) + 0.2989558 e^(−0.1932605 t) · VDOT = VO₂ ÷ %VO₂max
Variables
| Symbol | Meaning | Unit |
|---|---|---|
d | Race distance | km |
h | Hours | h |
m | Minutes | min |
sc | Seconds | s |
VD | VDOT | — |
VO | Oxygen cost of that pace | ml/kg/min |
PM | Share of VO₂max held for the race | % |
VP | Pace at VO₂max | min/km |
Worked example
- Race distance5 km
- Hours0 h
- Minutes25 min
- Seconds0 s
- VDOT38.3
- Oxygen cost of that pace36.0 ml/kg/min
- Share of VO₂max held for the race94.0 %
- Pace at VO₂max4.76 min/km
Limitations
- This tool is informational only. It does not diagnose, treat or replace a qualified health professional. Speak to a doctor before making decisions about your health.
- The result is an estimate based only on the values you type. Real situations often include factors this calculator does not know about.