Running fitness tests: vVO₂max, VO₂max and threshold
Every running session here is written as a % of your vVO₂max, the speed at which you reach your maximal oxygen uptake, which you can hold for roughly 4 to 7 minutes. A test is how you measure it. The 5 protocols on this page are run on a track or a flat route, and fall into three families: vVO₂max measured directly, with the half Cooper test or the VAMEVAL; VO₂max estimated, with the Cooper test; and threshold, with Friel's 30-minute threshold test or critical speed.
Each page gives the exact protocol, the paces and distances to expect for a vVO₂max of 14, 16 or 18 km/h, the calculation step by step and what the sources say, with how strong the evidence is.
·Testing · every zone
How to choose
Your first test
the half Cooper test; a track and a stopwatch are all you need, and your vVO₂max comes from a single division.
You always go off too fast
the VAMEVAL, where the pace rises every minute: nothing to manage, you just keep up.
You want to track your fitness from season to season
the Cooper test, 12 minutes, the classic field test, which estimates your VO₂max.
You train at threshold or you're building for a half marathon
Friel's 30-minute threshold test, for your threshold heart rate and pace.
You want a fuller model
critical speed 12 + 3 min, which gives your critical speed and your D′ distance reserve.
The sessions
6-minute MAS test (half Cooper)
Six minutes to run as far as you can: your vVO₂max in km/h is the distance in metres divided by 100. The simplest vVO₂max test, on a track.
Cooper test (12 minutes)
Twelve minutes to run as far as you can: the distance gives an estimate of your VO₂max, then of your vVO₂max. The classic running field test, on a track.
VAMEVAL test (MAS in 1-minute stages)
The pace rises a little every minute until you can't keep up: your last full stage gives your vVO₂max. France's reference running test, with no pacing to manage.
30-minute threshold test (Friel)
Thirty minutes solo, as fast as you can: your average heart rate over the last 20 minutes gives your threshold heart rate, and your pace, a threshold guide.
Critical speed: 12 min + 3 min
Two all-out efforts on the track, 12 then 3 minutes, with 30 easy minutes between: two distances give your critical speed and your D′ distance reserve.
Frequently asked questions
Which vVO₂max test should I do?
The half Cooper if you're starting out: a track, a stopwatch, and your vVO₂max is the distance divided by 100. The VAMEVAL if you struggle with pacing: the speed is set stage by stage. The Cooper test estimates your VO₂max instead; the vVO₂max it gives needs one more calculation. Then stick with the same test each time.
How often should I retest?
Every 4 to 8 weeks, or at the end of a training cycle: a common guideline, not a rule drawn from studies. Do it fresh, in the same place and in the same shoes, so your results compare. Once your vVO₂max is updated, every session set as a % of it recalculates.
Can I do a running test without a track?
Yes, on a flat route with no stops or tight turns, but GPS is less accurate than a track: a few tens of metres out is enough to shift your vVO₂max. Always repeat the test on the same route. For the VAMEVAL, a track is far better, because a watch's live pace jumps around a lot over a minute.
vVO₂max, VO₂max, threshold: what does each test measure?
vVO₂max is a speed, the one at which you reach VO₂max: the half Cooper and the VAMEVAL measure it. VO₂max is a rate of oxygen use, which the Cooper test estimates. Threshold is the intensity you can hold for much longer, somewhere between half an hour and an hour: Friel's 30-minute test and critical speed get close to it.
Other types of running sessions
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